Many Ramones fans claim that the song was penned by Joey after Ramones' guitarist Johnny Ramone "stole" Joey's ex-girlfriend Linda from him, although he claims that he wrote the song years before the incident. The KKK supposedly refers, in an extremely exaggerated fashion, to Johnny Ramone's politically conservative views. Johnny first started to cheat on his girlfriend at the time, to see Linda. When he wanted to see one girl he would claim to visit his uncle in Philadelphia. To add insult to injury, Johnny eventually married Linda, while his relationship with Joey never recovered—even when Joey was stricken with cancer.
The KKK Took My Baby Away
Ramones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said she's going to L.A.
But she never got there
She never got there
She never got there, they say
She went away for the holidays
Said she's going to L.A.
She never got there
She never got there, they say
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
Hey ho
Hey ho
I don't know where my baby can be
They took her from me
They took her from me
I don't know where my baby can be
They took her from me
They took her from me
Ring me, ring me ring me up
The President
Find out where my baby went
Ring me, ring me, ring me up
The FBI
And find out if my baby's alive
Yeah, yeah, yeah
oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
She went away for the holidays
Said she's going to L.A.
But she never got there
She never got there
She never got there, they say
She went away for the holidays
Said she's going to L.A.
But she never got there
She never got there
She never got there, they say
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took my girl
They took my baby away
The Ramones' song "The KKK Took My Baby Away" is about a betrayed lover whose girlfriend leaves for Los Angeles but never arrives, and he later finds out that she has been taken by the KKK. The song was written by Joey Ramone about his relationship with Linda Daniele, who was also the band's manager and Joey's girlfriend. Daniele had apparently cheated on Joey with the band's lead guitarist, Johnny Ramone, who Joey believed had links to the KKK.
The lyrics themselves reflect Joey Ramone's feelings of loss and betrayal, with the repetitive lines "She went away for the holidays, said she's going to L.A. But she never got there, she never got there, she never got there, they say" creating a somber and almost hypnotic effect. The chorus, "The KKK took my baby away, they took her away, away from me" is a direct accusation against Johnny and his alleged affiliation with the KKK. The bridge of the song is a plea for help to the United States President and the FBI to find out what happened to his girlfriend.
Line by Line Meaning
She went away for the holidays
My girlfriend left for vacation during the holiday season
Said she's going to L.A.
She told me she was headed to Los Angeles
But she never got there
Unfortunately, she never reached her destination
She never got there
She didn't make it to LA
She never got there, they say
I heard rumors that she didn't arrive at her intended location
The KKK took my baby away
The KKK, a white supremacist group, abducted my girlfriend
They took her away
The KKK forcefully took her and she was not able to escape
Away from me
She was taken away from me and I couldn't do anything to stop it
Hey ho
Chant-like expression meant to convey disappointment and sadness
I don't know where my baby can be
I'm unsure of her location and safety after being taken by the KKK
They took her from me
The KKK took her away from my life
Ring me, ring me ring me up
Call me, call me immediately
The President
The leader of the United States government
Find out where my baby went
Determine her location and safety
Ring me, ring me, ring me up
Call me, alert me to any updates
The FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
And find out if my baby's alive
Determine if my girlfriend is still alive after being taken by the KKK
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Chant-like expression meant to convey urgency or importance
The KKK took my girl
The KKK took away the love of my life, my girlfriend
They took my baby away
The KKK forcefully and erroneously removed my significant other from my life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arsipepicroll2519
[LYRIC]
She went away for the holidays
Said she's going to L.A.
But she never got there
She never got there
She never got there, they say
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away
Away from me
Now I don't know
Where my baby can be
They took her from me
They took her from me
I don't know
Where my baby can be
They took her from me
They took her from me
Ring me, ring me ring me
Up the President
And find out
Where my baby went
Ring me, ring me, ring me
Up the FBI
And find out if
My baby's alive
Yeah, yeah, yeah
o o o o o o
o o o o o o
She went away for the holidays
The KKK took my baby away
They took my girl
They took my baby away
@SFCvalente
Ramones = The legend
@edermanriquez7996
Ramones >sexpistols÷dead keneddys%black Flag =. l.
@Tyler-nz5lv
The legends
@gwynnielsen5081
You've got to respect the Ramones for their memorable lyrics.
@seanbrewer1232
it's a little-known federal law that every American citizen is required to have one favorite Ramones song and one favorite David Bowie song.
This is my favorite song by The Ramones.
@lindsaybaugh4916
Mine is Beat in the Brat
@seanbrewer1232
@Lindsay Baugh great choice!
@nurcoxinha9509
mine is needle and pins
@Slammerworm1
'Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World' (Uncensored Version)
@Morbidous
That doesn't make sense since Bowie wasn't american.