I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone

Album: Call the Doctor (1996)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Joey Ramone, born Jeffrey Ross Hyman, was the lead singer and a founding member of the iconic punk rock band, the Ramones. His charismatic voice and stage presence were a big part of the band's success.

    Ramone's charisma and awkward cool resonated deeply with three young women in Olympia, Washington: Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein, and Laura MacFarlane. They titled this Sleater-Kinney song after the iconic vocalist.

    "On 'Joey Ramone' we allowed ourselves to dream about what could happen if a band like us could be something people looked up to," Tucker told Uncut magazine. "It's so important to have those creative aspirations. We chose Joey because he was just the coolest. He was different looking, he was awkward and we related to that, he seemed kind and gentle. It seemed very fitting."
  • "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" is a track on Sleater-Kinney's second album, Call the Doctor. Recorded in a whirlwind four days with producer John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Nada Surf), the album crackles with raw energy. Distorted guitars, pummeling drums, and Tucker's soaring vocals create a sonic assault that captures the Ramones' youthful ambition.
  • Call The Doctor received positive reviews, with critics praising the band's tight musicianship and Tucker's powerful vocals. The album's impact only grew with time, landing at #49 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the '90s in 2010.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

Fire On The Stage

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.

Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa CarltonSongwriter Interviews

The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.