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."
Needles & Pins
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was the face I loved, and I knew
I had to run away
And get down on my knees and pray, that they go away
Still it begins
Needles and pins
Because of all my pride
The tears I gotta hide
Didn't think I'd do, but now I see
She's worth to him than me, let her go ahead
Take his love instead, and one day she will see
Just how to say please
And get down on her knees
Oh that's how it begins, she'll feel those needle and pins
Hurtin' her, hurtin' her
Why can't stop, and tell myself I'm wrong, I'm wrong, so wrong?
Why can't I stand up, and tell myself I'm strong?
Because, saw her today, I saw her face
It was the face of love, and I knew
I had to run away, yeah
And get down on my knees and pray, that they go away
Still it begins
Needles and pins
Because of all my pride
The tears I gotta hide
Hey, needles and pins
Needles and pins
Needles and pins
The Ramones's song Needles & Pins is a ballad about heartbreak and regret. The singer reflects on how he saw his former lover and had to run away because he couldn't bear to see her with someone else. He admits to himself that he stole her heart and didn't believe he would pay the price for it. He now realizes that she's happier with the other guy and he has to let her go. However, he can't help but feel the needles and pins of heartbreak and the tears he has to hide.
The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak and lost someone they loved. The imagery of needles and pins convey the physical pain of heartbreak and how it can feel like being stabbed repeatedly. Moreover, the lyrics are quite poetic and describe the feelings of heartbreak in a thoughtful and evocative manner.
Overall, the song is a poignant ballad about love, loss, and regret that anyone who has experienced heartbreak can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her today, I saw her face
The singer saw the person they love today and it reminded them of their strong feelings for them.
It was the face I loved, and I knew
The singer immediately recognized the person's face and knew their affection for them was still strong.
I had to run away
The singer felt overwhelmed by their feelings and had to remove themselves from the situation.
And get down on my knees and pray, that they go away
The artist is desperate for their feelings of love to disappear.
Still it begins
Even though the artist wants their feelings to go away, they cannot help but think about the person they love.
Needles and pins
The singer is experiencing emotional pain similar to that of being pricked by needles and pins.
Because of all my pride
The singer is too proud to show their vulnerability and the pain they are experiencing because of their unrequited love.
The tears I gotta hide
Despite the emotional pain they are feeling, the artist is hiding their tears and keeping their feelings to themselves.
Oh, I thought I was smart, I stole her heart
The artist thought they had won over the person they love, but it turns out that the person chose someone else.
Didn't think I'd do, but now I see
The artist never expected to fall so hard for the person they love.
She's worth to him than me, let her go ahead
The person the singer loves is more important to the other person in the love triangle.
Take his love instead, and one day she will see
The other person will eventually realize that the artist loved them more.
Just how to say please
The person will learn to be more affectionate and express their love to those who care for them.
And get down on her knees
In order to mend the heartbreak caused by the love triangle, the person will need to apologize and beg for forgiveness.
Oh that's how it begins, she'll feel those needle and pins
The person will begin to understand the emotional pain the singer is feeling if they experience the same kind of heartbreak.
Hurtin' her, hurtin' her
The artist is feeling a deep sense of guilt for causing repeated emotional hurt to the person they love due to their actions.
Why can't stop, and tell myself I'm wrong, I'm wrong, so wrong?
The artist is questioning why they cannot stop themselves from falling for the person they know they should not love.
Why can't I stand up, and tell myself I'm strong?
The singer is struggling to find the strength to move on from their unrequited love.
Hey, needles and pins
The phrase 'needles and pins' represent the emotional pain felt by the singer due to their unrequited love.
Needles and pins
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the continuous and lasting emotional pain experienced by the artist.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Nitzsche, Sonny Bono
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!