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."
Happy Birthday Mr. Burns
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mr. Burns: "Ah, These minstrels will sooth my jangled nerves."
The Ramones: "I'd just like to say, this gig sucks!"
"Hey, up yours Springfield"
1-2-3-4
Happy Birthday To You!
(Happy Birthday!)
(Happy Birthday!)
Happy Birthday Burnsie,
Happy Birthday To You!
"Go to Hell you old bastard"
The Ramones' "Happy Birthday Mr. Burns" is a satirical parody of the popular television show, The Simpsons. As the show approached its fifth season, the creators decided to bring in a number of guest stars to add extra depth to the show. To celebrate Mr. Burns' birthday on the show, the creators invited punk rock legends, The Ramones, to perform a birthday song for him. The song itself is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the way that Mr. Burns is portrayed on the show - as a cruel, heartless businessman who is obsessed with power and money.
The opening lines of the song, as spoken by Smithers, set the scene for the performance, with the audience expecting a soothing, classical rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song. The Ramones, however, immediately inject some energy and attitude into the performance, stating that "this gig sucks!". As the song progresses, The Ramones give a new spin to some of the traditional lyrics of the song, changing "hip, hip, hooray!" to "hey, up yours Springfield!" and wishing Mr. Burns a not-so-happy birthday by telling him to "go to hell you old bastard".
Overall, The Ramones' performance of "Happy Birthday Mr. Burns" is a humorous and memorable moment in the history of The Simpsons. The juxtaposition of the punk rock band with the establishment figure of Mr. Burns creates a memorable scene that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Smithers: "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ramones!"
Smithers announces the arrival of the Ramones to perform.
Mr. Burns: "Ah, These minstrels will sooth my jangled nerves."
Mr. Burns believes that the Ramones' music will help him relax and feel better.
The Ramones: "I'd just like to say, this gig sucks!"
The Ramones express their disappointment with the show they are playing.
"Hey, up yours Springfield"
The Ramones insult the town of Springfield and the people attending the show.
1-2-3-4
The Ramones count off to start the song.
Happy Birthday To You!
The Ramones start singing the Happy Birthday song.
(Happy Birthday!)
The Ramones emphasize the occasion of Mr. Burns' birthday.
Happy Birthday To You!
The Ramones continue singing the Happy Birthday song.
(Happy Birthday!)
The Ramones continue emphasizing the occasion of Mr. Burns' birthday.
Happy Birthday Burnsie,
The Ramones address Mr. Burns by his nickname and continue with the Happy Birthday song.
Happy Birthday To You!
The Ramones finish singing the Happy Birthday song.
"Go to Hell you old bastard"
The Ramones end the performance by insulting Mr. Burns, the person they just sang Happy Birthday to.
Contributed by Leah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Conan O'B
Can we just take a moment to appreciate that the Ramones had to invent a punk version of Happy Birthday because it had never been done before?
Alvaro Scarneo
My birthdays starts to be more cool with this song
Magnanimitas22
No, we can't.
Greg Bors
@Magnanimitas22 That’s punk
Jordan Morris
I use this version every time it’s one of my friends birthdays
Joe Smith
Nah I invented the birthday song. Been doing it punk style since the uprising of the Charleston. Inventing all genres of music is a heavy weight to bear, but I do it for the good of humanity.
Ed Rey
This was probably the best cameo in The Simpsons, ever. Short, simple, and to the point. Really puts their Punk status on blast.
Simon Walsh
@MrParkerman6 you got problems
K37D4N
Agreed. Back when the plot of the episode didn't revolve around whatever guest star they managed to get.
MapReader
Yes, The Rolling Stones are a great band