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."
Cretin Family
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But why don't you go upset yourself
Hey here's the mirror see your stupid face
What a disgrace man and you know it's true
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Everyone's against me
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Don't stare at me it's freakin' me out
Look what's happening now it's all your fault
You can't do nothin' absolutely nothing' o.k.
Why don't you get a hoola hoop
And do the cretin hop and
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Everyone's against me
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Oi-Oi-Oi-Oi
I'm never wrong don't tell me what to do
Here's a little curse it's from me to you
It's nothin' gonna happen nothin' ever will
You'll be miserable every day your luck will always be bad
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Everyone's against me
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Oi-Oi-Oi-Oi
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Everyone's against me
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Oi-Oi-Oi-Oi
The Ramones' song "Cretin Family" is a satirical take on the idea of dysfunctional family dynamics. The lyrics are focused on the lead singer's frustration with his own flaws and shortcomings, but he redirects his anger towards his family, getting increasingly annoyed as the song progresses. This anger is directed at his family who, he feels, do not understand him and are always against him.
The lyrics begin with the lead singer sounding resigned to his own faults, but then he quickly turns to blaming his family for his problems, telling them to "upset themselves". He even goes so far as to attack their physical appearance, calling their faces stupid and a disgrace. As the song progresses, his frustration grows until he is almost hysterical, telling his family that they can "do absolutely nothing" and mocking them for their lack of ability.
The repetition of the phrase "Cretin family" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's feeling of being surrounded by incompetence and stupidity, and his frustration that he is unable to escape it. The song ends with a curse directed towards his family, who he predicts will always be miserable and unlucky.
Line by Line Meaning
I am not so upset about my horrible self
I am not bothered about my inadequacies
But why don't you go upset yourself
Why don't you bother someone else instead of me?
Hey here's the mirror see your stupid face
Look at yourself in the mirror, you stupid fool
What a disgrace man and you know it's true
You are a disgrace and you know it
Cretin family Cretin family Cretin family
Repetition of the song title
Everyone's against me
Everybody hates me
Don't stare at me it's freakin' me out
Stop staring at me, it's making me uncomfortable
Look what's happening now it's all your fault
This situation is happening because of you
You can't do nothin' absolutely nothing' o.k.
You are incompetent and cannot do anything right
Why don't you get a hoola hoop
Why don't you find something else to do instead of bothering me?
And do the cretin hop
Go do something stupid or pointless
I'm never wrong don't tell me what to do
I am always right, don't tell me what to do
Here's a little curse it's from me to you
I curse you with bad luck
It's nothin' gonna happen nothin' ever will
Nothing good will ever happen to you
You'll be miserable every day your luck will always be bad
You will always be unhappy and have bad luck
Oi-Oi-Oi-Oi
A call-and-response chant commonly used in punk music
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL REY, DEE DEE RAMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chiaraviberti6039
CJ Ramone una pieza fundamental en la banda, creo que desde su llegada mejoró aún más al grupo.
Aquí en Argentina, después de haber tocado tantas fechas seguidas a Joey no le daba más la voz, entonces CJ practicamente cantó todas las canciones haciendo de soporte.
@jennimadden1061
Yes, CJ is VERY good! Great playing, great vocals. He stepped into Dee Dee's shoes and performed better than everyone thought he would.
@graemesmith8068
Great playing lol ...love the Ramones but he,like DeeDee aint no bassist..
@miguelorozco4445
@@graemesmith8068 wrong
@TheHouseofHaunt666
Love the Energy CJ brought back to the group
@URIMARCOR
creo que es la primera vez que escucho oi oi oi en un tema de ramones , me sorprende gratamente
@erickgerman91
que grandes estos tipos loco!!!!!, una pasion!!! un orgullo llevarlos en la piel!!!
@AlexColberg
Great song. There's no replacing Joey, but CJ is really good.
@jirisumny6736
i thing so
@aubrinsproducoes8495
Amazing Ramones