All of the band members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname "Ramone", though none of them were related. They performed 2,263 concerts, touring virtually nonstop for 22 years. In 1996, after a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band played a farewell concert and disbanded. By a little more than eight years after the breakup, the band's three founding members—lead singer Joey Ramone, guitarist Johnny Ramone, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone—had died. Drummer Tommy Ramone, the last surviving original member, died in 2014.
Their only record with enough U.S. sales to be certified gold was the compilation album Ramones Mania. However, recognition of the band's importance built over the years, and they are now cited in many assessments of all-time great rock music, such as the Rolling Stone list of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time and VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 2002, the Ramones were ranked the second-greatest band of all time by Spin magazine, trailing only The Beatles. On March 18, 2002, the Ramones—including the three founders and drummers Marky and Tommy Ramone—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, the group was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Formation: 1974–1975
Forest Hills High School, attended by the four original members of the Ramones
The original members of the band met in and around the middle-class neighborhood of Forest Hills in the New York City borough of Queens. John Cummings and Tamás Erdélyi had both been in a high-school garage band from 1966 to 1967 known as the Tangerine Puppets. They became friends with Douglas Colvin, who had recently moved to the area from Germany, and Jeffry Hyman, who was the initial lead singer of the glam rock band Sniper, founded in 1972.
The Ramones began taking shape in early 1974, when Cummings and Colvin invited Hyman to join them in a band. The initial lineup featured Colvin on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Cummings on lead guitar, and Hyman on drums. Colvin, who soon switched from rhythm guitar to bass, was the first to adopt the name "Ramone", calling himself Dee Dee Ramone. He was inspired by Paul McCartney's use of the pseudonym Paul Ramon during his Silver Beatles days. Dee Dee convinced the other members to take on the name and came up with the idea of calling the band the Ramones. Hyman and Cummings became Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone, respectively.
A friend of the band, Monte A. Melnick (later their tour manager), helped to arrange rehearsal time for them at Manhattan's Performance Studios, where he worked. Johnny's former bandmate Erdélyi was set to become their manager. Soon after the band was formed, Dee Dee realized that he could not sing and play his bass guitar simultaneously; with Erdélyi's encouragement, Joey became the band's new lead singer.
Dee Dee would continue, however, to count off each song's tempo with his signature rapid-fire shout of "1-2-3-4!" Joey soon similarly realized that he could not sing and play drums simultaneously and left the position of drummer. While auditioning prospective replacements, Erdélyi would often take to the drums and demonstrate how to play the songs. It became apparent that he was able to perform the group's music better than anyone else, and he joined the band as Tommy Ramone.
The Ramones played before an audience for the first time on March 30, 1974, at Performance Studios. The songs they played were very fast and very short; most clocked in at under two minutes. Around this time, a new music scene was emerging in New York centered around two clubs in downtown Manhattan—Max's Kansas City and, more famously, CBGB (usually referred to as CBGB's). The Ramones made their CBGB debut on August 16. Legs McNeil, who cofounded Punk magazine the following year, later described the impact of that performance: "They were all wearing these black leather jackets. And they counted off this song...and it was just this wall of noise.... They looked so striking. These guys were not hippies. This was something completely new."
The band swiftly became regulars at the club, playing there seventy-four times by the end of the year. After garnering considerable attention for their performances—which averaged about seventeen minutes from beginning to end—the group was signed to a recording contract in late 1975 by Seymour Stein of Sire Records. Stein's wife, Linda Stein, had seen the band play at CBGB; she would later co-manage them along with Danny Fields. By this time, the Ramones were recognized as leaders of the new scene that was increasingly being referred to as "punk". The group's unusual frontman had a lot to do with their impact. As Dee Dee explained, "All the other singers [in New York] were copying David Johansen [of The New York Dolls], who was copying Mick Jagger.... But Joey was unique, totally unique."
Chasing the Night
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Its gonna be all right tonight
Feelin' hot yeah I'm on fire
I'm never ever goin' to tire
Tonight it's gonna be alright
Chasing the night
Its gonna be alright
Its gonna be alright
Chasing the night
Live my life as I choose
I paid the price, paid my dues
You know I need no alibi
Daytime troubles fading
Nights intoxicating
Gonna have it all tonight
That ain't no lie
[Chorus]
Rock all night
Sleep all day
It don't matter what they say
Ain't never gonna change my ways
And I won't be back till Monday
Feelin' exasperating
Excitement generating
I'm never ever gonna tire
City is overloading
The circuits are exploding
Ain't comin' down, no I'm too wired
[Chorus]
The Ramones's song "Chasing the Night" is about a rebellious character who is living their life unapologetically. The opening lines of the song, "Standing here in front of the mirror, It's gonna be all right tonight" suggests a sense of self-assurance and confidence. The character is feeling hot and on fire, suggesting that they are ready to take on the world. This theme of confidence continues throughout the song, as the character declares that they are never going to tire and that tonight is going to be alright.
The character seems to be rejecting societal norms and expectations, as seen in the lines "Live my life as I choose" and "Ain't never gonna change my ways". They are embracing the excitement and intoxication of the night, and declare that they won't be back until Monday. The fast-paced, energetic music reinforces this sense of rebellion and excitement.
Overall, "Chasing the Night" is a celebration of living life to the fullest and rejecting societal expectations. It's a declaration of self-confidence and excitement, set to the classic punk sound of The Ramones.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing here in front of the mirror
Reflecting upon my visual appearance before heading out
Its gonna be all right tonight
Expecting tonight to be a good night
Feelin' hot yeah I'm on fire
Feeling confident and excited for the night
I'm never ever goin' to tire
Determined to keep up the energy and enthusiasm all night
Tonight it's gonna be alright
Expecting tonight to be a successful, enjoyable night
Chasing the night
Pursuing the excitement and adventure of the night
Live my life as I choose
Living my life according to my own preferences and desires
I paid the price, paid my dues
Having worked hard to be able to enjoy the night and its pleasures
You know I need no alibi
Not feeling the need to justify or explain my actions to anyone
Daytime troubles fading
Leaving behind the stresses and worries of the day
Nights intoxicating
The nighttime atmosphere and experiences are thrilling and mesmerizing
Gonna have it all tonight
Expecting to have a complete and satisfying night's experience
That ain't no lie
Truly believing in the excitement and enjoyment that tonight holds
Rock all night
Enjoying the music and keeping the energy up all night
Sleep all day
Taking the day as an opportunity to rest and recover from the night
It don't matter what they say
Not caring about the opinions or criticisms of others
Ain't never gonna change my ways
Deciding to continue living according to my own preferences and desires
And I won't be back till Monday
Not planning to return home until the excitement of the weekend is over
Feelin' exasperating
Feeling overwhelmed and exhilarated by the events of the night
Excitement generating
The excitement is building and increasing as the night goes on
City is overloading
The city and its nightlife are overwhelming and intense
The circuits are exploding
Feeling like the energy and excitement are overwhelming and overpowering
Ain't comin' down, no I'm too wired
Not feeling like the excitement and energy will diminish at all, too hyped up
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEE DEE RAMONE, JOEY RAMONE, JOHNNY RAMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MikeEarmantraut
I wish they added that background sound when they played live 0:18 it honestly feels weird without it in my opinion. Small detail but it sounds so good.
Gary Carr
The Ramones
Nicolas Vargas
Eran los mejores
Gary Carr
The Ramones
:eeee
Love this song<3.🎸🪐🌌
Devil's Offspring
Me too :)
Gary Carr
@Devil's OffspringThe Ramones
Gary Carr
Jan 6, 2015
Gary Carr
Ramones Too Tough To Die 1984
Gary Carr
The Ramones