The Embodiment of Underground Punk

Despite being ranked #92 out of 500 by the Rolling Stones on their definitive list of greatest songs of all time, “Blitzkrieg Bop” remained an underground punk song until modern media began to popularize it.

By taking rock music and cutting it down to just the essentials, the Ramones then amplified those sounds, used a catchy melody, and boosted the tempo to create “Blitzkrieg Bop.” The songwriting was bare, but the chorus chanting of “Hey ho, lets go” was easy to remember. Chanting created a sense of heightened energy and invited people to join in, building a sense of community among any group that listens to the song. When everyone is chanting there is no judgement, just the crows and the music. The name Blitzkrieg refers to the speed and swiftness of the German airstrike technique, hence the tempo. Described by the Ramones, the song is about kids rushing to go to a concert, full of high energy and intensity.

They didn’t care about fame, and at the early stages of their career, they couldn’t exactly afford to do so. Johnny Ramone played on his $50 guitar, and the budget for the entire self-titled 1976 Ramones album was only $6,400 (Rombes 2005, p. 69.). Producer Craig Leon said he was “glad it sounded raw at first listen, but it was calculated to be that way,” per an interview with the New York Times.

It took 38 years for their that debut album to go gold, which is the certification of receiving 500,000 record sales. One of the biggest reasons for “Blitzkrieg Bop,” and the Ramones in general, not gaining popularity was their association with Nazis. Blitzkrieg was a German Nazi phrase, and on the same album Joey Ramone sang the words “I’m a Nazi schatze, you know I fight for the Fatherland.” Even for the time, this music was aggressive and edgy, which kept it mostly on the underground scene. A line like “shoot ’em in the back now” from  “Blitzkrieg Bop” could relate to a few things, and it isn’t a stretch to compare it to warfare. Members of the Sex Pistols attended a 1976 London concert from the Ramones, who would later show to be heavily influenced by them in the punk genre. The Sex Pistols would also achieve greater commercial success as the years went on and audiences were more open to edgier songs.

Britannica Academic, s.v. “The Ramones,” accessed February 18, 2020,                          https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/the-Ramones/99071.