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."
Danny Says
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta go to Idaho
But we can't go surfin'
'Cause it's 20 below
Sound check's at 5:02
Record stores and interviews
Oh, but I can't wait
Baby
Oho-ho-ho, we got nowhere to go
And it may sound funny, but it's true
Hangin' out in 100 B
Watching Get Smart on TV
Thinkin' about
You and me and you and me
Hangin' out in L.A.
And there's nowhere to go
It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow
Listening to Sheena on the radio
Oh-ho oh-ho
The lyrics of Ramones's song Danny Says refer to a group of musicians who are scheduled to perform in Idaho, but cannot go surfing as it is too cold for that. However, they are eagerly waiting to be reunited with someone the next day. They are passing their time by hanging out, attending sound checks and interviews. They are also watching TV and listening to the radio while reminiscing about their loved ones.
The opening lines of the song depict the chaotic, yet adventurous lifestyle of rock stars who are always on the move. Although they have planned to attend sound checks, record stores, and interviews, they are still excited to spend time with their loved ones despite their busy schedule. The band members acknowledge that they have nowhere to go, and it may sound funny, but it's true, emphasizing their carefree attitude towards life. The next lines talk about watching 'Get Smart' on TV and listening to songs, which indicates their leisurely activities that help them unwind and stay relaxed. In the second verse, the band members seem to be stuck in L.A., where there's nowhere to go, and it feels incomplete without snow during Christmas. They are listening to Sheena on the radio, which could be a reference to the punk rock icon Sheena from the '70s.
Line by Line Meaning
Danny says we gotta go.
Danny has instructed us to leave our current location.
Gotta go to Idaho
Our destination is Idaho.
But we can't go surfing, cause it's twenty below.
We cannot surf due to the extreme cold weather.
Sound check's at 5:02. Record stores and interviews.
Our schedule involves doing a sound check at 5:02pm, followed by visiting record stores and conducting interviews.
Oh, but I can't wait to be with you tomorrow.
Despite our busy schedule, I am looking forward to being with you tomorrow.
Baby, Oho-ho-ho, we got nowhere to go
We have no specific plans or destination right now.
And it may sound funny, but's true.
Although it may seem strange, it is the reality.
Hangin' out in a hundred, be watching 'Get Smart' on TV.
We are currently indoors in a warm place, watching 'Get Smart' on TV.
Thinkin' about, you and me and you and me.
I am reflecting on our relationship and thinking about us.
Hangin' out in L.A. And there's nowhere to go.
We are currently in Los Angeles with no specific plans for activities or destinations.
It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow.
The holiday season does not feel complete without snow.
Listening to Sheena on the radio. Oh-ho oh-ho.
We are currently listening to Sheena play on the radio.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arihmancerquis825
They said Joey wrote this song for Linda. Maybe it's true.
Danny says we gotta go
Gotta go to Idaho
But we can't go surfin'
'Cause it's 20 below
Sound check's at 5:02
Record stores and interviews
Oh, but I can't wait
To be with you tomorrow
Baby
Oho-ho-ho, we got nowhere to go
And it may sound funny, but it's true
Hangin' out in 100 B
Watching Get Smart on TV
Thinkin' about
You and me and you and me
Hangin' out in L.A.
And there's nowhere to go
It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow
Listening to Sheena on the radio
Oh-ho oh-ho
@stylerboy1032
1000th time listening to Danny Says, it gives me a happy Sad feeling. Like a neutral standstill in life.
@thenextuk
same, I'm literally at that standstill now. if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, onto the next thing
@ryanallen1396
I was in Los Angeles this month and stood at Dee Dee's grave. I actually cried and said, "Thank you." I saw the Ramones play live some 15 times. Always great. Met Joey twice; weird guy, but I love him.
@shovedhead
Nailed it.
@killingheros3554
My God....this song is too darn amazing.. Ramones, you are the best band to ever be.
@Ray147
Produced by Phil Spector. The Ramones begrudgingly liked it. It really is amazing.
@killingheros3554
It is absolutely amazing.
@killingheros3554
I've always loved them since I first saw and heard them and I remember seeing on TV BACK IN THE DAY. On another note, I SAW DEE DEE AND THE CHINESE DRAGONS BACK in Jacksonville, Florida in the early 90's. It was such a fantastic show. Got an autographed ticket stub by him and was asked if I wanted to hang out with him and his band, I'll never forget that, ever......
@Sal.Manila
@@killingheros3554WOW.😮 That is incredibly cool. I saw them play (Dee Dee & his band) during that same era. Barbara was on bass. Dee Dee played guitar. I brought his CD with me (“I’m Zonked”), and he signed the cover for me. When I told him that his set list was perfect, he replied, “I wrote all of those songs, so why wouldn’t it be?”
@c.s.4428
>> Ramones, you are the best band to ever be<< True but "Danny Says" is one of the most Atypical Ramones tracks ever recorded..!