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 Can't Make It On Time
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't make it on time
I keep tryin' and tryin'
I can't make it on time
I can't hurry and you can't wait
It doesn't matter 'cause we're already late
I can't get off the telephone
You gotta wait wait
Cause you don't need no one
Wait wait
Cause you know that I'm the one
You gotta wait
Hey, hey, hey
The Ramones's "I Can't Make It On Time" is a catchy, punk rock tune that centers around the frustration of being perpetually late. Each verse brings up a new excuse for why the singer is running behind, from trying and failing to hurry, to getting stuck on the phone. The chorus serves as a plea to the subject of the song, asking them to wait despite the inconvenience. It's unclear who the subject is -- perhaps a romantic interest, perhaps a friend -- but it's clear that their patience is being tested.
At its core, this song speaks to a universal experience. Everyone has felt the stress of being late or having someone be late for them. It's a small annoyance, but one that can compound over time. Beyond that, though, the song is a testament to the Ramones's skill as songwriters. It's a simple premise presented in a fun, singable way. There's no grand message or overwhelming emotion, just a catchy tune about a relatable problem.
Overall, "I Can't Make It On Time" is a short, sweet, and entertaining composition that stands as a testament to the Ramones's enduring influence. It's a simple song, but one that showcases the band's signature sound and structure. Listeners can't help but nod their heads and tap their feet along, even as they sympathize with the frustration of being unable to make it on time.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't make it on time
I am unable to arrive at the planned time
I keep tryin' and tryin'
I am making repeated efforts to be on time
I can't hurry and you can't wait
I cannot move any faster and you cannot delay any longer
It doesn't matter 'cause we're already late
Being already late, further delay is inconsequential
I can't get off the telephone
I am unable to disconnect from phone conversations
It always rings when I'm alone
The phone regularly rings when I am unaccompanied
You gotta wait wait
You must exercise patience
Cause you don't need no one
There is no need for anyone else to be involved
Cause you know that I'm the one
You recognize that I am the important individual in this scenario
Hey, hey, hey
Exclamation expressing excitement or emphasis
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@j.c7719
LOVE this song, Joey’s vocals are perfect and one of Phil Spector’s many brilliant productions. “I keep-a tryin’, a-tryin” so great ❤
@tommyjarvis2850
I love joeys vocals in this one
@soyzeus4068
Lo maximooooJoey
@leonelgalasso217
Es un temazo
@scratch5191
Agreed. Joey's vocals are superb here.
@DocWyoming
Every one of their albums from 76 into the 80s shoulda hit #1 on the charts for the entire summer.... imagine the world we'd live in where that happened.
@leonelgalasso217
"I Cant make it on time" esta en el podio de uno de los mejores 5 temas de la historia de LOS RAMONES y el punk rock,sin dudas el mejor del disco [1980]
@mimilini1
My theme-song!
@luchitagarcia3210
Como me encanta esta cancion the ramones
@leonelgalasso217
Es que es una de las mejores canciones de LOS RAMONES por excelencia