Bassist for the trailblazing punk outfit the Ramones, Dee Dee Ramone was the band’s bedrock not only when it came to providing a fast and ferocious rhythm, but also where hit-making was concerned. He was the group’s principal songwriter, penning the lyrics to some of their most enduring works, like “53rd & 3rd,” “Commando,” “Wart Hog,” and “Rockaway Beach.”
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Throughout his musical career, he lent his songwriting talents to other rockers as well, helping them to craft equally poignant hits. Find a couple of them below.
1. “Chinese Rocks” – The Heartbreakers (1975)
Written by Dee Dee Ramone and Richard Hell
Somebody called me on the phone / They said, “Hey, is Dee Dee home? / Do you wanna take a walk? / Do you wanna go and cop? / Do you wanna go and get some Chinese rocks?,” plays the 1975 sturdy rocker “Chinese Rocks.”
Ramone penned the tune with the help of ex-Television member Richard Hell for his new band The Heartbreakers. The opening lines of “Chinese Rocks” name drops the punk songsmith as the song is supposedly a semi-autobiographical telling of his struggles with heroin.
The song became a staple for the Heartbreakers and would soon become a Ramones classic when they recorded and released their own version of the tune in 1980.
2. “Poison Heart” – Stiv Bator (1990)
Written by Dee Dee Ramone and Daniel Rey
I just want to walk right out of this world / ’cause everybody has a poison heart, sings new wave punk rocker Stiv Bator.
The song “Poison Heart” may have been originally released by the Ramones in 1992, but Bator was the first to record the Dee Dee-penned tune in 1990. However, his version was only ever released posthumously in 1996.
Ramone wrote the song with longtime Ramones collaborator Daniel Rey after he had already retired as the band’s bassist. He continued to write songs for the band until they themselves called it quits in 1996.
