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 Just Wanna Have Something to Do
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eating chicken vindaloo
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight
Well allright
Wait-Now
Wait-Now
'Cause I don't want to be with anybody else
I just want to be with you
I just want to have something to do
Tonight
The Ramones's "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do" is a punk rock anthem that speaks to the angsty and rebellious soul of teenagers, young adults, and anyone who feels bored and stuck in their mundane routine. The song starts with the singer hanging out on Second Avenue, a gritty street in Lower Manhattan known for its bars, restaurants, and cultural diversity. The singer is eating chicken vindaloo, a spicy Indian dish that reflects the city's immigrant influence and the singer's adventurous appetite. However, the singer is not content with just food and scenery. The singer declares, "I just want to be with you / I just want to have something to do," expressing a combination of longing and restlessness. The singer does not specify who the "you" is, but it could be interpreted as a romantic interest, a friend, or even the listener.
As the chorus kicks in, the singer repeats "tonight" six times, emphasizing the urgency and immediacy of their desire. The singer then adds a reassuring nod to their own freedom, saying "Well, all right." The song then enters a brief pause before the singer transitions to a solo and disconnected state. The singer declares, "Hanging out all by myself / 'Cause I don't want to be with anybody else." This sudden shift in tone and perspective highlights the singer's inner conflict and paradoxical nature. On one hand, the singer wants to connect with someone or something beyond themselves. On the other hand, the singer feels alienated and independent, refusing to compromise their own will and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Hanging out on Second Avenue
I am spending time in a specific location, namely Second Avenue.
Eating chicken vindaloo
I am currently consuming chicken vindaloo, a spicy Indian dish.
I just want to be with you
I desire companionship and wish to be in your presence.
I just want to have something to do
I am bored and in need of an activity or occupation to fill my time.
Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight
I am emphasizing the urgency of my desire to find something to do or someone to be with during the current evening hours.
Well allright
I approve of the situation, activity, or conversation that is currently happening.
Wait-Now
I am urgently requesting to pause or halt the current activity or conversation.
Wait-Now
I am urgently requesting to pause or halt the current activity or conversation.
Hanging out all by myself
I have ended up in a situation where I am alone without anyone else's company.
'Cause I don't want to be with anybody else
I do not desire the company of anyone besides you.
I just want to be with you
I desire companionship and wish to be in your presence.
I just want to have something to do
I am bored and in need of an activity or occupation to fill my time.
Tonight
I emphasize again that my desire for companionship and something to do is pressing and relevant to the current evening hours.
Writer(s): Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone Copyright: Taco Tunes, WB Music Corp.
Contributed by Brooklyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!