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."
It's Not My Place
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting very un-exciting to get a good job
You need the proper schooling now who the
Hell do ya think you're fooling
But it's not my place oh-no no it's not my
Place no no no it's my-not my-not my place
In the nine to five world and it's not my place
And it's not my place with nine to five girl
It's not my place in the nine to five world
Hangin' out with Lester Bangs you all and
Phil Spector really has it all Uncle Floyd
Shows on the T.V. Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, 10cc
But it's not my place
But it's not my place
Don't want to be a working stiff lose my identify
Cause when it comes to working nine to five there
Ain't no place for me ain't my reality, to me
Vin Scelsa's on the radio Ramones are hangin'
Out in Kokomo Roger Corman's on a talk show
With Allan Arkush and Stephen King you know
But it's not my place But It's not my place
The Ramones's song, "It's Not My Place," is about the struggles of conformity to societal expectations of establishing a successful career to maintain a stable livelihood. The lyrics paint a picture of a dissatisfied narrator who has observed the routine of their parents' unhappy marriage and the unfulfilling consequences of working an average nine to five job. The lyrics "My mom and dad are always fighting, and it's getting very unexciting," suggest that the singer comes from an unhappy home, which has shaped their views on life. Additionally, the lyrics question the relevance of proper schooling as a means of gaining employment, "To get a good job, you need the proper schooling now who the hell do ya think you're fooling."
The chorus serves as a statement of nonconformity; the singer makes it clear that they do not fit nor desire to fit into the nine to five world of corporate careerism. The lyrics assert, "But it's not my place, oh no no, it's not my place, not my-not my-not my place in the nine to five world." The repetition in these lines emphasizes the singer's declaration and the realization that the pressures of societal norms do not align with their desires.
In the bridge and final verse, the lyrics refer to influential figures in culture and creativity. The writer mentions Uncle Floyd's TV shows and people from the entertainment industry such as Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Phil Spector, Lester Bangs, Allan Arkush, and Stephen King. These references further emphasize the singer's rejection of conformity since they associate themselves with people who share the same unconventional ideals. The song ends with a final "But it's not my place" chorus.
Line by Line Meaning
My mom and dad are always fighting and it's Getting very un-exciting to get a good job
The constant fighting between my parents is becoming very monotonous and uninteresting, especially since it's necessary to undergo proper schooling to get a job.
You need the proper schooling now who the Hell do ya think you're fooling
It's clear that one requires the necessary education to secure a good job, so why try anything else?
But it's not my place oh-no no it's not my Place no no no it's my-not my-not my place In the nine to five world and it's not my place In the nine to five world
The nine to five world of working hard to earn a living is simply not the environment I want to be in, and it's not a world where I belong either.
And it's not my place with nine to five girl It's not my place in the nine to five world
I don't have any interest in being with someone who's focused on working nine to five, nor do I belong in the world of conventional jobs.
Hangin' out with Lester Bangs you all and Phil Spector really has it all Uncle Floyd Shows on the T.V. Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, 10cc
I'm more interested in spending time with brilliant people like Lester Bangs and Phil Spector. I watch Uncle Floyd's show and appreciate the talents of actors like Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood.
Don't want to be a working stiff lose my identify Cause when it comes to working nine to five there Ain't no place for me ain't my reality, to me
I don't want a job that will define me as just another working stiff, nor will I sacrifice my individuality for one. Working a nine to five job doesn't feel real to me, and it's not my reality.
Vin Scelsa's on the radio Ramones are hangin' Out in Kokomo Roger Corman's on a talk show With Allan Arkush and Stephen King you know
I prefer listening to the radio shows of Vin Scelsa and spending time with the Ramones in Kokomo. I watch talk shows featuring the likes of Roger Corman, Allan Arkush, and Stephen King.
But it's not my place But It's not my place
Once again, the working world isn't where I should be or belong. It's not my place, and it never will be.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEE DEE RAMONE, DOUGLAS COLVIN, JEFFREY HYMAN, JOEY RAMONE, JOHN (RAMONE) CUMMINGS, JOHNNY RAMONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!