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."
The Shape of Things to Come
Ramones Lyrics
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Risin' up angry in the sky
And there's a new voice
Cryin' we're not afraid to die
Let the old world make believe
It's blind and deaf and dumb
But nothing can change the shape of things to come
There are changes
And there are new thoughts
Ready and waiting to explode
When tomorrow is today
The bells may toll for some
But nothing can change the shape of things to come
The future's comin' in, now
Sweet and strong
Ain't no-one gonna hold it back for long
There are new dreams
Crowdin' out old realities
There's revolution
Sweepin' in like a fresh new breeze
Let the old world make believe
It's blind and deaf and dumb
(But) nothing can change the shape of things
Nothing can change the shape of things
Nothing can change the shape of things
Nothing can change the shape of things
To come
The Ramones's song "The Shape of Things to Come" is a powerful anthem of a new era that is ready to emerge, filled with revolution and progress. The song speaks to the idea that even though the old world may still be living in ignorance, the future is inevitable and will bring about inevitable changes. The first stanza of the song depicts the anger and frustration of a new sun that is rising with a new voice that cries out against the fear of inevitable change. The second stanza speaks to the idea that change is all around us, and new thoughts and ideas are ready to take over the old ones.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that nothing can change the shape of things to come, which is a powerful declaration of faith in the inevitability of progress. The future is coming, and it will be strong and sweet, and those who hold it back will soon realize that it cannot be stopped. The final stanza of the song speaks to the dreams that are beginning to crowd out old realities and the revolution that is sweeping in like a fresh new breeze. Despite the world's attempts to ignore the future, the shape of things to come is changing, and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it.
Overall, "The Shape of Things to Come" is a powerful anthem that speaks to the idea that change is inevitable and that the future is coming. The song encourages listeners to embrace progress and revolution and to have faith in the inevitability of a new era.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a new sun
A significant change has taken place
Risin' up angry in the sky
The change is intense and notable
And there's a new voice
There are new ideas and opinions being voiced
Cryin' we're not afraid to die
People are willing to fight for change, even if it means risking their lives
Let the old world make believe
The current system is pretending that everything is fine
It's blind and deaf and dumb
The system is ignoring the need for change
But nothing can change the shape of things to come
Despite resistance, change is inevitable
There are changes
Change is happening
Lyin' ahead in every road
Change is coming from different directions
And there are new thoughts
New ideas and perspectives have emerged
Ready and waiting to explode
These new ideas are powerful and ready to be put into action
When tomorrow is today
The future is already happening
The bells may toll for some
There may be some losses or casualties along the way
But nothing can change the shape of things to come
Change is inevitable, regardless of any setbacks
The future's comin' in, now
The future is happening right now
Sweet and strong
The future is promising and powerful
Ain't no-one gonna hold it back for long
The momentum of change is too strong to be stopped
There are new dreams
There are new possibilities and aspirations
Crowdin' out old realities
New dreams are replacing old ways of thinking
There's revolution
Change is happening on a large scale
Sweepin' in like a fresh new breeze
The revolution is refreshing and powerful
Let the old world make believe
The current system is still pretending everything is fine
It's blind and deaf and dumb
The system is still ignoring change
(But) nothing can change the shape of things
Change is so significant that it cannot be ignored
Nothing can change the shape of things
The course of change is set
Nothing can change the shape of things
Change is inevitable
Nothing can change the shape of things
Despite resistance, change will happen
To come
The future is set and change is coming
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN CRADDOCK, ROBERT MICHAEL PELONI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Racheal Plymale
on I Wanna Be Sedated (Live)
My Alltime favorite band!!!!!!!!! Joey Ramone was yummmy!!!!!