10 Rock Songs That People Have Completely Misunderstood
1. Ramones - The KKK Took My Baby Away
There has been no shortage of dysfunctional bands in the history of music, but Ramones managed to break into new territory by sticking together through it all. The original members clashed over style, political differences and each other's love lives, yet the Ramones stuck it out as a consistently performing group for 22 years.
Forming in New York with the original line-up of Joey, Johnny, Tommy and Dee Dee, the members all agreed to change their last name to ‘Ramone’ as a reference to Paul McCartney’s former persona, Paul Ramon. It is also rumoured that the members selected the same surname to poke fun at The Osmonds, though this has been questioned by fans. ‘The KKK Took My Baby Away’ featured on ‘Pleasant Dreams’ (1981), the band’s sixth studio album, by which time Marky had replaced Tommy on the drums. Initially thought to be a song about racism in the United States, it turns out the song may have had an entirely different meaning.
In the late '70s and early '80s, Joey Ramone was dating Linda Daniele (now Linda Ramone). Joey was head over heels for Linda, which is why it must have come as a huge shock when she left him for fellow bandmate, Johnny, in the early '80s. As the story goes, ‘The KKK Took My Baby Away’ is actually about this love triangle, with Joey making jives at Johnny’s right-wing political beliefs by comparing him to the KKK.
Linda and Johnny officially married in 1984, staying together until Johnny’s death in 2004. Meanwhile, Joey Ramone stayed single (in the public eye, at least) until he passed in 2001 aged 49.