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 Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to go down to the basement
There's somethin' down there
I don't want to go
Hey, Romeo
There's somethin' down there
I don't want to go down to the basement
I don't want to go down to the basement
There's somethin' down there
I don't want to go
Hey, Romeo
There's somethin' down there
I don't want to go down to the basement
Hey, daddy-o
I don't want to go down to the basement
There's somethin' down there
I don't want to go
Hey, Romeo
There's somethin' down there
I don't want to go down to the basement
The Ramones's song "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement" is an anthem of paranoia and anxiety. The song starts with the singer declaring that he doesn't want to go down to the basement, foreshadowing the fear and dread that will fill the rest of the song. The use of "daddy-o" and "Romeo" give the song a retro feel, but the lyrics truly convey a sense of unease. The repetition of the same lines creates a sense of urgency, indicating that whatever is in the basement is not to be trifled with.
The lyrics of the song suggest that there is something lurking in the basement, and that the singer is afraid of what it might be. The fact that the Ramones never reveal what exactly is in the basement leaves the listener to fill in the blanks with their own fears and phobias. It could be a monster, a ghost, or any number of horrors that are just too scary to even think about. The song hits a nerve with listeners who have their own anxieties to deal with, and offers a cathartic release for those fears.
Overall, "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement" is a classic song that captures the essence of the Ramones's sound and attitude. With its catchy melody and sing-along chorus, it's a song that still resonates with listeners today. For anyone who has ever been afraid of what might be lurking in the dark, this song offers a reminder that they're not alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, daddy-o
Addressing someone older in a casual manner
I don't want to go down to the basement
I don't want to go to the basement
There's somethin' down there
There is something present in the basement which is concerning
I don't want to go
I really don't want to go to the basement
Hey, Romeo
Addressing someone romantically, but sarcastically
There's somethin' down there
There is something present in the basement which is concerning
I don't want to go down to the basement
I do not want to go to the basement
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings, Thomas Erdelyi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kelsey Cain
Been listening to this for over 25 years. Still makes the hairs on my arms stand up. Such a great band.
Welder Martins
just like me , yeah, The Ramones are the best.
Dyn Jarren
One of the greatest songs ever done! A classic burst of Punk rock energy that doesn’t let up! The first time I heard it I thought WTF is this? I was shocked because of the relentless pace! Now I know this is greatness!
Thanks Ramones!
RIP Ramones
Chan Jackie
yeah, its about horror movies
Glenn Danzig's employee (please help me)
Lol not insulting The Ramones, this song kicks ass but if u think this is fast then listen to Minor Threat
sensación sombría
@Glenn Danzig's employee (please help me) Ramones play faster than Minor Treath, around 270 bpm in the live shows
Alexandre Do prado
Essa música é algo extraordinário!
Dipanjan Bose
That bassline is badass
Agustín Flores
The magic of Dee Dee!
1967PONTIACGTO
@Agustín Flores and David Bowie... listen to Hang On To Yourself from Diamond Dogs