Beat logo

Best Songs by The Ramones

They only play three chords, but they have some good lyrics.

By Heather WilkinsPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
Like
The Ramones movie clip from CBGB (2013) [credit: Youtube]

Not many people know about The Ramones or they are not interested in their music. After watching the movie CGBG, which was about a famous bar that set the stage for stardom for bands like Blondie, The Police, The Ramones, and the brief history of The Dead Boys.

As a local group of friends who grew up in the Queens neighborhood of New York, there was Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy. They wrote many good songs, using the same three chords, and never landed a number one hit. But here are some songs that they wrote that I think are some of their best work. This list will not include "Blitzkrieg Bop" because of it's popular use in many movies.

"53rd & 3rd"

This song is iconic with the way the gang traveled around New York. Bassist for the band Dee Dee Ramone wrote about this popular destination for male prostitutes and homosexuals spanning from the 1970s and well into the 1990s. The intersection of 53rd & 3rd was nicknamed "the Loop." It is speculated that Dee Dee Ramone was familiar with the area because he might have been a hustler at one of the gay bars.

"Ramona"

This song by the Ramones is one of the best songs from their album Rocket to Russia. The song is about a woman named Ramona who works for the British Bureau of Intelligence ("Cause she's a spy for the BBI"). It talks about how infatuated he was when he saw her. However because she was a spy, it led him to feel confused and frustrated over his feelings for her because he didn't know if they were faked or if she did it to get information.

"Oh Oh I Love Her So"

This song is great for any holiday of the year, particularly Christmas or Valentine's. This song is about meeting a woman at a local fast food restaurant and falling head over heels. They go to Coney Island and enjoy various things together. It is a song about young love, but it definitely one everyone would enjoy.

"Suzy is a Headbanger"

This song is iconic with The Ramones. It is about a girl named Suzy who would go to their shows and head bang away. Her mother was not satisfied with her daughter's interest into punk rock music and is often mentioned as a geek throughout the entire song. She liked their music so much, the whole band joined in wanting to write about her and her love for their music.

"Listen to My Heart"

The song was about Dee Dee's breakup with a girl. This song stems from the longing and chasing of girls. Sometimes they weren't the right pick and sometimes he knew they were the right ones after all.

"Rock 'n' Roll Radio"

A tribute to rock music and how many of it's branched counterparts have distorted or made rock music similar in song and composition. The song is one of The Ramones' greatest classics of all time featuring multiple instruments and inspiration from great musicians like T-Rex and John Lennon to name a few.

"Loudmouth"

This song may have been inspired by "Chatterbox" by the New York Dolls, which was one of Dee Dee's favorite songs from the group. The song was written about a girlfriend who just couldn't shut up or stay quiet for long.

"Outsider"

This song was the first song I got hooked onto the Ramones because I was practically an outsider when I was in college because I wasn't from Miami. The song is about being someone who just doesn't fit in anywhere.

Whether or not you are a big Ramones fan as I am, their music is classic with the golden age of punk bands.

70s music
Like

About the Creator

Heather Wilkins

Born in South Carolina, raised in Florida. I enjoy writing for therapy or stress release. Enjoy my ramblings or any updates on cities where I live.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.