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."
Questioningly
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her eyes looked at me
And then she spoke
Aren't you some one I used to know
And weren't we lovers a long time ago?
Looked at her close
Forced her into view
Yes, I said, you're a girl
But I don't love you anymore
What do you want to talk to me for?
You should have just let me walk by
Memories make us cry
In the morning, I'm at work on time
My boss, he tells me
That I'm doing fine
When I'm going home
Whiskey bottle
Movie on TV
Memories make me cry
And I'm alone
Just me
Just me
Questioningly
But I don't love you anymore
Why do you want to talk to me for?
You should have just let me walk by
Memories make us cry
Looked at her close
Forced her into view
Yes, I said
You're a girl
That I, once may have knew
Questioningly
Her eyes looked at me
And then she spoke
Aren't you someone that I used to know
And weren't we lovers a long time ago?
The Ramones' song "Questioningly" is a poignant reflection on past relationships and the power of memories to evoke strong emotions. The song is written from the perspective of the lead singer who encounters an old flame, and the encounter triggers memories of their past relationship. The singer acknowledges that he once knew the woman and that they may have been lovers, but he also admits that he no longer loves her. The chorus questions why she wants to talk to him and suggests that memories can be painful.
The first verse describes the encounter between the singer and his former flame. She recognizes him and asks if he is someone she used to know. He confirms that they knew each other in the past and that they may have had a romantic relationship, but he also admits that he no longer feels the same way about her. The chorus repeats the questions asked in the first verse and suggests that memories can be difficult to confront.
The second verse unfolds as the singer goes about his daily life. He is successful in his job, but memories of his past relationship still weigh heavily on his mind. As he goes home to watch movies and drink whiskey, he is reminded of his loneliness and the memories that continue to haunt him. The song ends with a reprise of the first verse, emphasizing that the encounter with his former lover has left him questioning the impact of their past relationship on his present.
Line by Line Meaning
Questioningly
The song's title, expressing confusion and questioning
Her eyes looked at me
The woman in question made eye contact with the singer, initiating conversation
And then she spoke
The woman spoke, addressing the singer
Aren't you some one I used to know
The woman asks if the singer is someone she knew in the past
And weren't we lovers a long time ago?
The woman asks if the singer and her had a romantic relationship in the past
Looked at her close
The singer takes a closer look at the woman, trying to place her
Forced her into view
The singer coerces the woman to appear clearer in his memory
Yes, I said, you're a girl
The singer confirms the woman's gender
That I, once may have knew
The singer admits to the possibility of knowing the woman in the past
But I don't love you anymore
The singer declares that he no longer loves the woman
What do you want to talk to me for?
The singer questions the woman's motive for speaking to him
You should have just let me walk by
The singer feels that it would have been better if the woman had not engaged him in conversation
Memories make us cry
The singer reflects on how memories can evoke sadness and emotion
In the morning, I'm at work on time
The singer goes to work and is punctual
My boss, he tells me
The singer's boss provides feedback
That I'm doing fine
The singer's boss acknowledges his good performance
When I'm going home
The singer is on his way back home
Whiskey bottle
The singer drinks alone at home
Movie on TV
The singer watches a movie to pass the time
Memories make me cry
The singer is again reminded of the woman and how memories can be painful
And I'm alone
The singer is in solitude
Just me
The singer is fully aware of his isolation and loneliness
Just me
The singer repeats this phrase to emphasize his isolation
Questioningly
The song ends with a repetition of its title, underscoring the confusion and questioning of the situation
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!