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Rating:
Ramones - "Rocket To Russia" (1977)
From a historical perspective.
Notoriously, the true inventors of punk are the American Ramones, in a demented and euphoric version, before the British made it depressing with nihilism and political commitment. The musical roots of the Ramones are indeed in the good time music of the Beach Boys, the girl groups of Phil Spector (Ronettes), and so on. Their name, as declared by a member, comes from a pseudonym used by Paul McCartney during the early years of his career (Paul Ramon).
From a disc perspective.
A dense sequence of little songs filled with riffs and catchy choruses, played with brisk guitar passion at two minutes per track.
Apparently, all they want is to be cheerful and feel good ("I Wanna Be Well"), and the wise method they use to achieve this end is cretinism. An anthem to cretinism, bearer of lightheartedness, indeed seems to be the opening track ("Cretin Hop"), and on similar tones, there is also an appreciation of psychiatric techniques of a surgical type ("Teenage Lobotomy"), while when reality gets really tough, the way of cretinism chooses drugs, with a particular penchant for "improper drugs" (specifically, DDT seems to elicit notable enthusiasm in them). Elsewhere, the euphoria is entirely musical, while the lyrics rattle off neuroses in a merely demented manner, making things darker with a naive, cartoon-horror approach, which seems to reassuringly transform them into a B-movie seen on TV, after which everything can continue as before ("Why Is It Always This Way?").
Associations.
Teenagers in the city in the summer, with long hair but not too long, flared pants, and sneakers, while zombies invade a shopping mall. But it’s all normal.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Cretin Hop (01:56)
There's no stoppin' the cretins from hoppin'
you gotta keep it beatin'
for all the hoppin' cretins
cretin! cretin!
I'm gonna go for a whirl with my cretin girl
my feet won't stop
doing the cretin hop
cretin! cretin!
1 - 2 - 3 - 4
cretins wanna hop some more
4 - 5 - 6 - 7
all good cretins go to heaven
(Repeat)
02 Rockaway Beach (02:06)
Chewin' out a rhythm on my bubble gum
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow
They blast out the disco on the radio
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway beach
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway beach
Chewin' out a rhythm on my bubble gum
The sun is out and I want some
It's not hard, not far to reach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Up on the roof, out on the street
Down in the playground, the hot concrete
Bus ride is too slow
They blast out the disco on the radio
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
Rock, rock, Rockaway Beach
We can hitch a ride
To Rockaway Beach
05 I Don't Care (01:39)
"I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
About this world
I don't care
About that girl
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
About these words
REPEAT "
06 Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (02:49)
Well the kids are all hopped up and ready to go
They're ready to go now
They got their surfboards
And they're going to the Discotheque Au Go Go
But she just couldn't stay
She had to break away
Well New York City really has it all
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker now.
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker now.
She's a punk punk, a punk rocker
Punk punk, a punk rocker
Punk punk, a punk rocker.
Well the kids are all hopped up and ready to go
They're ready to go now
They got their surfboards
And they're going to the Discotheque Au Go Go
But she just couldn't stay
She had to break away
Well New York City really has it all
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker now.
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker
Sheena is a punk rocker now.
She's a punk punk, a punk rocker
Punk punk, a punk rocker
Punk punk, a punk rocker.
07 We're a Happy Family (02:31)
We're a happy family
we're a happy family
we're a happy family
me mom and daddy
We're a happy family
we're a happy family
we're a happy family
me mom and daddy
Sitting here in Queens
eating refried beans
we're in all the magazines
gulpin' down thorazines
we ain't got no friends
our troubles never end
no Christmas cards to send
Daddy likes men
Daddy's telling lies
baby's eating flies
mommy's on pills
baby's got the chills
I'm friends with the president
I'm friends with the pope
we're all making a fortune
selling daddy's dope
Sitting here in Queens
eating refried beans
we're in all the magazines
gulpin' down thorazines
we ain't got no friends
our troubles never end
no Christmas cards to send
Daddy likes men
We're a happy family
we're a happy family
we're a happy family
me mom and daddy
We're a happy family
we're a happy family
we're a happy family
me mom and daddy...
08 Teenage Lobotomy (02:01)
Lobotomy, lobotomy, lobotomy, lobotomy!
DDT did a job on me
Now I am a real sickie
Guess I'll have to break the news
That I got no mind to lose.
All the girls are in love with me
I'm a teenage lobotomy.
Slugs and snails are after me
DDT keeps me happy
Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
That I got no cerebellum.
Gonna get my Ph.D.
I'm a teenage lobotomy.
REPEAT
11 I Can't Give You Anything (02:01)
You better know what you want you know how little I got
I can't give you anything I can't give you anything I can't give you anything
You better know what you want you know how little I got
I can't give you anything I can't give you anything I can't give you anything
You think I'm real cute but who's gonna bring home the loot?
Make up your mind about hope you don't doubt, that
I can't give you anything I can't give you anything I can't give you anything
You better know what you want You know how little I got
I can't give you anything I can't give you anything I can't give you anything
You think I'm real cute but who's gonna bring home the loot?
Make up your mind about hope you don't doubt, that
I can't give you anything I can't give you anything I can't give you anything
12 Ramona (02:37)
hey jonny hey dee dee, little tom and joey.
you know its coming over. sweet sweet little ramona
it's getting better an better.things getting easier than ever.
hey you kids in the craud you know you like it whn the music is laud.
sweet sweet little ramona she allways tries to come over.
sweet sweet little ramona I think i'll try to fone her.
I let her in, if you wondering why.
cos shes a spy for the BBI
I let her in and I started to cry.
and then I knew I whanted to die..
uuuuh uh uh little ramona
13 Surfin' Bird (02:37)
Well everybody's heard about the bird
Bird is the word
Don't you know about the bird well everybody knows that the bird is a word
Bird is a word
14 Why Is It Always This Way? (02:15)
Hey hey hey why is it always this way? Hey hey hey why is it always this way?
Last time I saw her alive she was wavin', wavin' bye bye
She was contemplating suicide now she's lying in a bottle of formaldehyde
And oh, I just don't know why I can't let her go oh I just don't know
Hey hey hey why is it always this way? Hey hey hey why is it always this way?
Last time I saw her alive she was going to the wash and dry
She was outside hitchin' a ride now she's lying in a bottle of formaldehyde
And oh, I just don't know why I can't let her go oh I just don't know
Hey hey hey why is it always this way? Hey hey hey why is it always this way?
Hey hey hey why is it always this way? Hey hey hey why is it always this way?
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