How the Bay City Rollers inspired the greatest Ramones anthem
With their dodgy haircuts, leather jackets and chainsaw guitars, the Ramones rose as one of the foremost punk bands, offering a new formula that would inspire everyone from The Smiths to Nirvana. Blending pop melodies with the fury of a disillusioned generation brought up amid social strife and the Cold War, the quartet carved out a distinctive space that continues to be widely influential.
Although primarily a punk outfit, the Ramones would not have become the pioneers they are now recognised as without the significant influence of pop acts. Whether this be British Invasion staples, The Beatles and The Kinks, or girl groups such as The Ronnettes and The Shangri-Las, the pop charts formed a vital part of the Ramones’ operation.
It was through this aspect that the group managed to appeal to so many, with the anthemic nature of frontman Joey Ramone’s vocals acting as a perfect foil for Johnny Ramone’s gritty guitar and the frenetic energy of their rhythm section. The Ramones embodied a rebellious spirit. Their rejection of mainstream norms and embrace of outsider status struck a chord with a generation disillusioned by societal expectations. They sang about teenage angst, alienation, and the desire for freedom—themes that resonated deeply.
However, despite that reputation, we know well that the Ramones embodied the outsider spirit but leant on the commercial side of the music business to pinch from its success. According to the group, their signature phrase from their best-loved song was inspired by an unlikely pop act: Scottish boy band and teen idols, Bay City Rollers. The idea for the classic chant “Hey, Ho, Let’s Go!” from the New York quartet’s 1976 debut single ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ emerged after the Ramones heard ‘Saturday Night’ by the Bay City Rollers, which includes the chant, “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, Night”.
Ironically, despite originating from a pop environment courtesy of the Bay City Rollers, this boisterous hook made ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ one of the ultimate punk songs and is central to it and the band’s success.
Joey Ramone once explained: “I hate to blow the mystique, but at the time, we really liked bubblegum music, and we really liked the Bay City Rollers. Their song ‘Saturday Night’ had a great chant in it, so we wanted a song with a chant in it: ‘Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!’. ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ was our ‘Saturday Night’.”
Interestingly, the songwriting credits on the song go to Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone. The latter recalled: “I wrote ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, but Dee Dee contributed the title, and he changed one line. There was a line that went, ‘They’re shouting in the back now.’ He changed it to ‘Shoot ’em in the back now’, which is a non sequitur. But to him, it made sense.”
Listen to ‘Bliztkreig Bop’ below.
