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."
I Am Seeing UFO's
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a blast of energy, from the sun
From the exposure, solar radiation
Something came from out of space or somewhere
Did I get here on a rocket?
Or did I come from another planet?
I am seeing U.F.O's
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you
I am seeing U.F.O's
I am seeing U.F.O's
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you
last night
It's real in my imagination
I am comfortable in times like this (times like this)
When I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth
I can't look in to the mirror - too light lamp
Did I get here on a rocket?
Or did I come from another planet?
I am seeing U.F.O's
I am seeing U.F.O's
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you.
I am seeing U.F.O's
I am seeing U.F.O's
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you
Last night
Did I get here on a rocket?
Or did I come from another planet?
I am seeing U.F.O's
I am seeing U.F.O's
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you
I am seeing U.F.O's
I am seeing U.F.O's
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you
Last night
Oh oh yeah
Oh oh yeah
Oh oh yeah
Oh oh yeah
In the Ramones's song I Am Seeing UFO's, the lyrics convey a story of confusion and uncertainty. The opening line, "It was the last thing I expected to happen," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer then goes on to describe a blast of energy from the sun and exposure to solar radiation which seems to have caused something unusual to happen. He questions whether he arrived on Earth via a rocket or if he came from another planet. The confusion continues as he shares his experience of seeing UFOs, possibly due to his hard time out with someone the night before. The lyrics are open to interpretation but could be seen as a reflection of the difficulties of dealing with personal relationships and how they can lead to feelings of disorientation and questioning of reality.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of detachment from reality, as if the singer is questioning what is real and what is imagined. He mentions being comfortable in times like this, perhaps referring to a state of mind where he feels free from the constraints of reality. Even simple actions like brushing his teeth become challenging as he cannot look in the mirror due to the brightness of the lamp. The chorus of "I am seeing U.F.O's" repeated several times, reinforces this sense of confusion and detachment from reality.
In summary, the Ramones's song I Am Seeing UFO's, is a reflection of personal turmoil, where the singer questions his identity, reality and relationships. The lyrics provide little context or explanation, which adds to the sense of confusion and detachment.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the last thing I expected to happen
Encountering extraterrestrial objects was not something the singer anticipated
There was a blast of energy, from the sun
An intense release of energy emanated from the sun
From the exposure, solar radiation
The singer was exposed to solar radiation
Something came from out of space or somewhere
The artist witnessed an object that originated from outer space or unknown origins
Did I get here on a rocket?
The artist questions if they arrived on Earth through a spacecraft
Or did I come from another planet?
The singer ponders if they are of extraterrestrial origin
I am seeing U.F.O's
The singer is currently observing unidentified flying objects
I guess it's because I had a hard time out with you
The artist attributes their sighting to a recent negative experience with someone
It's real in my imagination
Although the sighting may seem unreal, the artist firmly believes it occurred
I am comfortable in times like this (times like this)
The artist is at ease with strange occurrences such as sightings of extraterrestrial objects
When I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth
The singer is in the process of brushing their teeth
I can't look in to the mirror - too light lamp
Due to a bright light, the artist is unable to look into the mirror
Oh oh yeah
Repeating vocalization with no particular meaning
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL REY, DEE DEE RAMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Osuna
Joey, Dee Dee... solo una ultima vez, bajen a la tierra y den un ultimo concierto... LOS EXTRAÑAMOS :(
Ariel Abeldaño
Habría que llevarlos al pet cemetary
Nicolas Vargas
no sabes como se extrañan , aca era fiesta cdo venian
Share.0106
La voz de Joey en este tema es simplemente hermosa. Grande Joey. Te extraño
Sandra Bosso
@Share.0106 ...Joey..l love...
Share.0106
@Sandra Bosso Ciao Sandra, sin ninguna duda! 🤩
Sandra Bosso
Share....eh. Si. La voce di Joey...stratosferica...unica. Sexy...
Erica Rivas
Decir que los amo es poco... Era muy chiquita cuando se separaron pero pensar que jamás los voy a ver a todos juntos me hace llorar... Me queda escuchar su música que no es poco..♥️🇦🇷
Roberto A
Lo que te perdiste, pero siempre estarán juntos y al mismo tiempo con todos nosotros 👍🍻
Walter Aranda
La melodía y la voz de Joey en esta canción son maravillosas. Dee Dee y sus composiciones tan particulares y geniales. Aguante Ramones.