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."
On The Beach
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach, we can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow, they blast out the disco on the radio
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow, they blast out the disco on the radio
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
The Ramones' "Rockaway Beach" is a high energy, fast-paced song about a group of teenagers who are eager to leave their neighborhood behind and spend a day at the beach. The opening line, "Chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum," sets the tone for the carefree, youthful sentiment of the song. The singer describes how they want to escape the city streets and soak up the sun on the hot sand. They suggest hitching a ride to Rockaway Beach, a popular beach in Queens, New York that was a favorite spot for both surfers and families.
In the verses, the singer sings about the different places they might spend their day - on the roof, out on the street, or down in the playground - but ultimately, they all lead to the same destination: Rockaway Beach. The bridge of the song emphasizes the band's excitement and anticipation for the day ahead. The repetition of the phrase "Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach" and the driving guitar riffs create a feeling of pure adrenaline, as if the band members are cheering each other on.
Overall, "Rockaway Beach" captures the essence of summer fun and youthful recklessness. The Ramones' punk rock style and energetic performance make this song an anthem for anyone who has ever craved escape from their daily routine.
Line by Line Meaning
Chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum
I'm anxiously tapping my foot and chewing gum out of anticipation
The sun is out and I want some
I'm yearning for some sun and fun
It's not hard, not far to reach, we can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach isn't far away and we can easily catch a ride there
Up on the roof, out on the street
We can party on the roof or in the streets
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
We can hang out and dance on the hot concrete playground
Bus ride is too slow, they blast out the disco on the radio
I can't stand the slow bus ride and prefer to listen to disco music on the radio
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach is where the party's at
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Let's go to Rockaway Beach and have some fun
It's not hard, not far to reach
Rockaway Beach is close and easily accessible
Chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum
I'm still tapping my foot and chewing my gum eagerly
The sun is out and I want some
I'm still craving for some sun and good times
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Let's grab a ride and head to Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
The party can either be on the roof or out in the streets
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
We can groove to the beat on the hot concrete playground
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach is where the good times happen
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Let's go to Rockaway Beach and enjoy the party
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach, here we come!
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach, we're ready to rock with you
Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach, the place where we belong
We can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach
Let's grab a ride and hit the beach
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings, Thomas Erdelyi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!