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."
Rock & Roll High School
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I don't care about history
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
'Cause that's not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Well, the girls out there knock me out, you know
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Cruisin' around in my GTO
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I hate the teachers and the principal
Don't wanna be taught to be no fool
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I don't care about history
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
'Cause that's not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
The Ramones’ “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” is an electrifying tribute to the rebellious and carefree spirit of rock and roll, and the antithesis of formal education. The song features straightforward and repetitive lyrics about the singer's disinterest in history class and his love for girls, cars, and rock and roll. The chorus, “rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school,” is an energizing mantra that reflects the attitude of young people who believe that rock and roll is the only thing that matters in life.
The singer conveys a powerful message about his hatred for the teachers and the principal, who he deems as unworthy of teaching him anything. Instead, he wants to have fun, get some kicks, and meet some girls. The song represents a countercultural statement of rebellion against the traditional education system, emphasizing the value of a rock and roll lifestyle over formal learning.
Overall, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is more than just a song; it is a cultural icon that has inspired generations of rebels and rock fans around the world. Its connection to the 1979 movie of the same name solidifies its place in punk rock history and reinforces the message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
The singer is excited about going to a high school that loves rock 'n' roll music.
Well, I don't care about history
The singer is not interested in learning about the past.
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
The singer is still excited about going to a high school that loves rock 'n' roll music.
'Cause that's not where I wanna be
The singer does not want to be in a classroom learning history.
I just wanna have some kicks
The singer just wants to have fun.
I just wanna get some chicks
The singer wants to meet some girls.
Well, the girls out there knock me out, you know
The singer is very attracted to the girls at his high school.
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
The singer is still excited about going to a high school that loves rock 'n' roll music.
Cruisin' around in my GTO
The singer likes to drive his car around the school and show off to the girls.
I hate the teachers and the principal
The singer does not like the authority figures at his school.
Don't wanna be taught to be no fool
The singer does not want to be taught things he considers to be useless.
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
The singer is having fun at his rock 'n' roll high school.
Fun fun, oh baby
The singer is having a great time at his high school.
Fun, fun, fun, fun
The singer is really enjoying his time at his high school.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucas Santos Costa
Lyrics:
Well, I don't care about history
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
'Cause that's not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Well, the girls out there knock me out, you know
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Cruisin' around in my GTO
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I hate the teachers and the principal
Don't wanna be taught to be no fool
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I don't care about history
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
'Cause that's not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, rock 'n' roll high school
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun fun, oh baby
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school
courtneyfshane
Funny how they sing about not liking history cause that's not where they wanna be... But they are! They are part of our Rock history! Wish more bands were like them now
Angel's ASMR Channel
Hell yea they are...
Brian Roberson
The meaning of the line is that to be history, or be in history you have to be dead. Unfortunately that has also come true.
NEW ROCK ORDER
And they used an a-bomb explosion.
Anto
Lol
ENDLESS NAMELESS
What's the 3 chords to this shit super talented 🥴😴
Pedro lucas Cancela
Ramones, nunca irá ser esquecido no Brasil 🇧🇷🤘
itsurmombruh
This kinda has some 50s/60s vibes to it and I love it
itsurmombruh
Red Scorpion I read that too fast and thought you said RnB
la_mia_banca
Red Scorpion very surf rock sound