The origins of the Ramones phrase “Gabba Gabba Hey”
New York punks the Ramones were much more than terrible haircuts, leather jackets and the three chords they are primarily remembered for. Unlike many of their peers from the scene, their music contained a genuine lyrical density, drawing on a wide array of topics that draws them closer to their fellow New Yorkers, The Velvet Underground, than it does fellow CBGB mainstays Blondie and Talking Heads.
The Second World War, the KKK and The Guns of Navarone all inspired fan favourites by the quartet in what is a testament to their knack for writing songs that all fit within their clearly defined artistic umbrella. However, their creations had a genuine variance in subject matter, which is not something that many outfits can claim to do.
One of the group’s most lauded songs is the thunderous ‘Pinhead’ from 1977’s Leave Home. One of their heavier tracks, the chainsaw guitar is exquisite, but it is not this that has made the song so revered. Instead, it is actually the catchphrase “Gabba Gabba Hey” that carries it.
Notably, the track contains the line, “Gabba gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us,” and concludes with, “Gabba gabba hey, gabba gabba hey!” and since it was released, the words have been one of the band’s most memorable catchphrases.
It transpires that the song was inspired by one of the strangest films ever released, the 1932 silent movie Freaks, directed by Tod Browning. The title followed the lives of circus “freaks”, including dwarfs, the strongman and, of course, pinheads.
The story goes that the song is titled ‘Pinhead’ because the “gabba gabba, we accept you” and “one of us” lines are similar to what one of the pinheads in the film says. The band were great fans of Browning’s movie, and often, when they played the track live, they would be accompanied by someone dressed as a pinhead, holding a placard that read: “Gabba Gabba Hey”.
Longtime fans of the band will remember that sometimes celebrity guests would wear the mask and outfit onstage, with one of the most prominent figures to do so being Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Although the pinhead would typically depart the stage after the song concluded, on occasion, they would stay, and on other live performances such as on TV or in music videos, they would also crop up.
The pinhead became so critical to the Ramones that it remains one of their most memorable symbols, second only to their Presidential Seal, featuring on many items of merchandise.
