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."
Locket Love
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could use a little of
Hang a chain around you
You're hangin' too
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Lovely lovely locket love
Try to expose you
For what you put me through
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Never never can tell
How hard you fell
Lovely lovely locket 'cause
The best poison of
Lovely lovely locket love
You got a pocket of
Lovely little tricks you do
Now I'm hangin' too
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
The Ramones were known for their fast, hard-driving punk rock, but "Locket Love" is a bit of a change of pace. Musically, the song is still firmly in the punk rock genre, but it's a bit slower and more melodic than some of their other songs. Lyrically, the song is about a toxic relationship. The singer is warning his lover that she's going to drive him crazy, but he's also kind of addicted to her. He describes the relationship as being like a locket that hangs around his neck, always present and always a reminder of her.
The song begins with the lines "Lovely lovely locket love / You could use a little of / Hang a chain around you / You're hangin' too." Here, the "locket love" is a metaphor for the relationship. The singer is saying that the girl needs a little bit of love, but he's also reminding her that he's hanging on for dear life. He's warning her that she's dragging him down with her.
Later in the song, the singer says "Lovely lovely locket love / Cause a picture never does / Try to expose you / For what you put me through." Here, the "picture" is a reference to the locket. The singer is saying that the locket isn't the same as the real thing, and that the girl is hiding behind a facade. He's calling her out for the way she's treating him.
Overall, "Locket Love" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of being in a toxic relationship. The singer is warning his lover that she's going to drive him crazy, but he's also admitting that he's kind of addicted to her. The song is musically and lyrically a departure from the Ramones' usual style, but it's still a great example of their ability to craft catchy, memorable punk rock tunes.
Line by Line Meaning
Lovely lovely locket love
The singer is addressing a person or thing, referring to it as 'lovely locket love'. This could be a term of endearment, or sarcasm.
You could use a little of
The singer believes that whoever or whatever they are addressing could benefit from 'a little' of something. This could be referring to anything, including love or sympathy.
Hang a chain around you
The singer is speaking literally, suggesting that the addressed person or thing could benefit from wearing a chain or necklace.
You're hangin' too
The addressed person or thing is already 'hangin', which could mean they are in trouble or dealing with a difficult situation.
Hang on a little bit longer
The singer is encouraging the addressed person or thing to wait or persevere, suggesting that things may get better with time.
Hang on you're a goner
Despite the singer's encouragement to persevere, they also suggest that the addressed person or thing may be doomed ('a goner') regardless.
Cause a picture never does
A 'picture' (or representation) of the addressed person or thing could never truly capture or describe it adequately.
Try to expose you
The singer has attempted to reveal the addressed person or thing's true character or actions to others.
For what you put me through
The singer has experienced negative consequences or emotions as a result of the addressed person or thing's actions or behavior.
Never never can tell
The singer emphasizes the unpredictability of a situation or person, suggesting that even they cannot predict what will happen next.
How hard you fell
The singer acknowledges the addressed person or thing's fall from grace, suggesting that they experienced some form of failure or hardship.
Lovely lovely locket 'cause
The singer repeats the phrase from earlier, possibly as a reminder of the addressed person or thing's original charm or allure.
The best poison of
The 'best poison' is something that is both toxic and alluring, similar to the addressed person or thing's nature.
You got a pocket of
The addressed person or thing possesses or carries something ('a pocket of') that the singer may be envious of or desire.
Lovely little tricks you do
The addressed person or thing has a talent or skill ('tricks') that the singer finds charming or impressive, despite any negative consequences they may have experienced.
Now I'm hangin' too
The singer has now become involved or invested ('hangin') in the addressed person or thing's situation or behavior.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUGLAS COLVIN, JEFF HYMAN, JOHN CUMMINGS, THOMAS ERDELYI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@skullbones6282
Lyrics:
Lovely, lovely locket love
You could use a little of
Hang a chain around you
You're hangin' too
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Lovely, lovely locket love
'Cause a picture never does
Try to expose you
For what you put me through
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Never never can tell
How hard you fell
Lovely, lovely locket 'cause
The best poison of
Lovely, lovely locket love
You got a pocket of
Lovely little tricks you do
Now I'm hangin' you
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Never never can tell
How hard you fell
Lovely, lovely locket 'cause
The best poison of
Lovely, lovely locket love
You could use a little of
Hang a chain around you
You're hangin' too
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
@skullbones6282
Lyrics:
Lovely, lovely locket love
You could use a little of
Hang a chain around you
You're hangin' too
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Lovely, lovely locket love
'Cause a picture never does
Try to expose you
For what you put me through
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Never never can tell
How hard you fell
Lovely, lovely locket 'cause
The best poison of
Lovely, lovely locket love
You got a pocket of
Lovely little tricks you do
Now I'm hangin' you
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
Never never can tell
How hard you fell
Lovely, lovely locket 'cause
The best poison of
Lovely, lovely locket love
You could use a little of
Hang a chain around you
You're hangin' too
Hang on a little bit longer
Hang on you're a goner
@jamesheath7601
Brilliant song
@Rockym100
Awesome. Saw them twice in ‘77.
@zildapeixoto5421
E bom guardar memórias dos anos de estudo em escolas...que nem existem mais.
@hamneggs345
Fucking hell ! Where is everyone. This is fucking awesome
@carlitos5984
I come here to listen to it time and time again but I don’t even check comments I have it playing in the background
@zephead843
This is power pop heaven. Nobody did it better. First four albums are as good and every bit as original as The Beatles or Led Zeppelin's first four albums. (somebody had to say it)
@hamneggs345
@@zephead843 youtube has the Ramones New Years gig at the Rainbow Finsbury Park, it is so amazing. One of my 'go to' bands always, one of the very best bands
@zephead843
@@hamneggs345 Yes, I've seen it many times over the years. That was a big gig for them at the time. They did not disappoint. One of their best performances ever. Also check out a gig they played in Germany called Musikladen (?) from 1978 or 1979 with Marky on drums. Another great one.
@giancarlodrei4857
great ramones