Oh, Johnny.
I could go on and on about the Ramones and about how in a just world they would have been much richer than they were. I could rehash the story about Phil Spector pulling a gun on them during the recording of End of the Century. I could mention that my favorite Ramones song is the underrated “Every Time I Eat Vegetables, It Makes Me Think of You.” I could talk about how I almost cried when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, how I didn’t because I was laughing too hard at Dee Dee saying “I’d like to thank myself,” and how that just made me sadder when I heard that Dee Dee had OD’d on heroin. I could even point out that any band mentioned in songs by Motorhead and the Human League is a band well admired and adored.
If I do that, though, we’ll end up with an encyclopedia here, so instead I will put on my jeans and sneakers and go back to Vince Lombardi High, or at least the rubble of it, anyway.
Well I don’t care about history
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
‘cause that’s not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Well the girls out there knock me out, you know
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Cruisin’ around in my GTO
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
I hate the teachers and the principal
Don’t wanna be taught to be no fool
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun, oh baby, fun fun, oh baby
Fun fun fun fun
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Well I don’t care about history
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
‘cause that’s not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun rock’n’roll high school
Fun fun, oh baby, fun fun, oh baby
Fun fun fun fun
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock’n’roll high school
In all seriousness, if you loved the Ramones like I did, go buy or rent Rock & Roll High School. If you live in a city showing the new Ramones docco End of the Century, go see it. I’m going on Monday.