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."
Strength To Endure
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeling heavy and hopeless
And wonderin' how I ever will see through this darkness
Every drop of blood can be so beautiful
And I sure was bleedin' the drops by the bucketful
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
I have the strength to endure because, because
Ride a hurricane through the fast lane
Always looking over my shoulder
She said, "There's something about you
And neon lights always glow hot
Baby we can see this through, just give me
All the strength you've got"
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
I have the strength to endure because, because
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
I have the strength to endure because, because
I'm not afraid to tell her just how things work
Ride a hurricane through the fast lane
Always looking over my shoulder
She said, "There's something about you
And neon lights always glow hot
Baby we can see this through, just give me
All the strength you've got"
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
I have the strength to endure because, because
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
I have the strength to endure because, because
The Ramones' "Strength To Endure" lyrics paint a picture of a person who is going through a tough time, feeling hopeless and lost while walking through the fire of their own heart. The imagery of bleeding by the bucketful highlights the intensity of the pain this person is experiencing. However, despite the heavy burden, the person has the strength to endure because they have a love that is so pure. The lyrics suggest that the person's love for someone else gives them the motivation to keep going.
The song's lyrics also highlight the importance of being honest about how things really work, and not being afraid to share those feelings with others. The line, "I'm not afraid to tell her just how things work", suggests that the person values open and honest communication, and is willing to be vulnerable in order to connect on a deeper level. The song then shifts to a hurricane metaphor, suggesting that even in the chaos and turmoil of life, the person has someone in their corner, offering support and encouragement. In the end, the song suggests that the person's love and inner strength will see them through any obstacle.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking through the cross fire heart
Moving forward through immense emotional pain
Feeling heavy and hopeless
Carrying a great burden of despair
And wonderin' how I ever will see through this darkness
Questioning how to overcome the darkness
Every drop of blood can be so beautiful
Recognizing the beauty in pain and struggle
And I sure was bleedin' the drops by the bucketful
Suffering greatly and losing a lot
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
Believing in oneself and possessing pure love to overcome the pain
Because I'm not afraid to tell her just how things work
Having the courage to communicate openly and honestly
Ride a hurricane through the fast lane
Tackling challenges with great force and speed
Always looking over my shoulder
Remaining vigilant and cautious
She said, "There's something about you
Being valued and appreciated by someone
And neon lights always glow hot
Finding beauty and excitement in life
Baby we can see this through, just give me all the strength you've got"
Encouragement from a loved one to persevere and give it your all
I have the strength to endure and all the love so pure
Reiterating the ability to overcome and the power of pure love
I have the strength to endure because, because
Emphasizing the importance of endurance and perseverance
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dee Dee Ramone, Daniel Rey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!