This month brings one of the instantly recognizable cries from the beginning of punk. "Hey ho, let's go!" was for me like the American version of the later British call, "Oi Oi Oi!"
Formed in 1974, the Ramones are often called the godfathers of the genre. Over 22 years the band toured almost non-stop and included 8 different members, all giving themselves the last name Ramone.
For a long time the New York based band made most of their money on their iconic tee shirts designed by Arturo Vega. The president of the United States seal was the basis for the logo, inspired by a trip to Washington D.C. Customizations include replacing the olive branch with an apple tree branch that symbolizes that the Ramones were as American as apple pie, and because Johnny was a baseball fanatic the eagle is clutching a baseball bat instead of the presidential seal arrows. The scroll in the eagle's beak that used to read "Look out below" was changed to "Hey ho let's go" from their first single, Blitzkrieg Bop. The band names replaced the words "Seal of the President of the United States" that encircled the eagle. Video of Blitzkrieg Bop here. Lyrics here.
Unlike many of the bands I've featured so far, all the original members of the Ramones have now died, but they were all present when inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
I’ve chosen some favorite short phrases of punk song lyrics to flourishly illustrate these expressions that were of such importance to me and my generation. I’m calling the series #PunkLyric and offering them as free desktop calendar downloads each month. [see full explanation here]
Click image to download for your desktop and please enjoy… and, go discover some new/old music!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Note: These cannot be used elsewhere or commercially. The artwork is mine and the lyrics are ownership of the original songwriters and bands. Artist and writer Emily McDowell explains the intellectual property copyright limitations for us really well right here.
