The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated

This song was released in 1978 on The Ramones album “Road to Ruin.” It has no chart history in Billboard but is one of the Ramones best-known songs. The Ramones were to the point, no solos, no frills… just about the song.

I’ve heard them described as punk, bubblegum, rock, heavy rock and everything in between. They were a great underappreciated band in their time.

In an interview with Joey Ramone, he talked about the creation of the song.

It’s a road song. I wrote it in 1977, through the 78. Well, Danny Fields was our first manager and he would work us to death. We would be on the road 360 days a year, and we went over to England, and we were there at Christmas time, and in Christmas time, London shuts down. There’s nothing to do, nowhere to go. Here we were in London for the first time in our lives, and me and Dee Dee Ramone were sharing a room in the hotel, and we were watching The Guns of Navarone. So there was nothing to do, I mean, here we are in London finally, and this is what we are doing, watching American movies in the hotel room.

From Rolling Stone magazine

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-ramones-songs-21392/1-i-wanna-be-sedated-79797/

When Joey Ramone wrote the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Sedated,” he was not joking. The band was on tour in New Jersey in 1977 when the singer badly burned his face and chest with scalding water from a vaporizer he was using soothe his throat. He somehow finished the show, then went to the hospital with second and third degree burns. They pulled a bunch of shows while he recovered, and when they returned to the road in Europe he was still in constant pain. “I Wanna Be Sedated” was scribbled down in London around Christmas, and the band cut it for their 1978 LP Road to Ruin. Needless to say, it didn’t make any sort of impact on the charts, but today it’s one of their most played songs on the radio. Joey often cited it as his single favorite Ramones song, and many fans feel the same way. 

 

I Wanna Be Sedated

Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, no where to go o,
I wanna be sedated

Just get me to the airport, put me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane
I can’t control my fingers, I can’t control my brain
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, no where to go o,
I wanna be sedated

Just put me in a wheelchair, get me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane
I can’t control my fingers, I can’t control my brain
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, no where to go o,
I wanna be sedated

Just put me in a wheelchair, get me to the show
Hurry hurry hurry, before I go loco
I can’t control my fingers, I can’t control my toes
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go
I wanna be sedated
Nothing to do, no where to go o,
I wanna be sedated

Just put me in a wheelchair, get me to the show
Hurry hurry hurry, before I go loco
I can’t control my fingers, I can’t control my toes
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Ba ba baba, baba ba baba, I wanna be sedated
Ba ba baba, baba ba baba, I wanna be sedated
Ba ba baba, baba ba baba, I wanna be sedated
Ba ba baba, baba ba baba, I wanna be sedated

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

37 thoughts on “The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated”

  1. The first four albums by The Ramones were perfection. Saw them a few times- I don’t think they took a breathe during the entire concert- rapid fire songs one ended and the next began. All gone too soon.

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    1. I never got to see them. 2 minute songs and they got their point across…and catchy on top of everything else. I don’t try to classify them.

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      1. With The Ramones- no jamming–and 10 minute guitar solos- they got to the point and stayed on point- for their 2 minutes.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Off Topic… Now Brian Dozier has an abnormal EKG and Ashford has a fracture… The bullpen without Jansen is terrible. It isn’t looking too well.

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      5. This just looks like a year when it’s not going to work- they have had injuries all season to the pitching and now health problems.. and its kind of late to boost the bullpen.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Plus they don’t have the money…to stay under the tax to take someone that goes unclaimed. I’m looking forward to good playoff games regardless.

        Liked by 1 person

      7. They are not out of the hunt. I think my Pirates pretty much are. Since the winning streak ended they are 8-9. Not the kind of play needed to catch other teams ahead of you.

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      8. Yea now is the time to pour it on…there is a lot of time left… I have to tell myself that sometimes…
        baseball is a hard game to follow. I know some people who like baseball but have an NFL mentality about winning…I tell them you can’t do that or you will drive yourself crazy.
        If Jansen comes back they will be ok…if they don’t get too far behind.

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      9. Oh I agree with you- some people take each game like it is the NFL-I see posts places where people post after their team lost a game- throwing a fit– kind of the George Steinbrenner- a former assistant football coach at Purdue took— baseball is indeed a game of patience. No one is going to go 162-0. I also think nowadays patience isn’t what it used to be with people.

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      10. No because we get everything instant…You and I use to buy newspapers to get box scores…a lot of the fans never went through that… Of course our whole society is about having it now..Now if it is a game 7…ok I get it. I’m having to teach my son that. The Dodgers lose a game in July and he is down…I tell him it’s alright.

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      11. Every team will have a good stretch and a bad stretch during the season. I see comments of fans wanting the heads of Boone because the Yankees have lost contact with the Red Sox now- I don’t know I don’t follow the Yankees day to day- but I do know Boone is a rookie manager with no past managing anywhere- be patient. … Yes exactly- society wants results and results right now- no tomorrow. People also overreact- remember when the Mets were on fire the first two weeks of the season? I enjoyed reading Met fans comments- they were already booking tickets to the Series. IT’s a long year.

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      12. Lol yes those Mets tickets are worth about as much as a 1972 phone book now…
        Yes its the 1/3 rule… lose a third, win third…and it’s what you do with the other third.
        Boone has a lot to learn…I remember Mattingly making dumb mistakes like going to the mound twice in one inning…that is what you get when you get a rookie…but that doesn’t mean he isn’t good. Look at Dave Roberts…same situation a few years ago.

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      13. I recall I think it was in the first game or maybe week 1- when Kapler made the mistake of going to the mound twice with no one warming up.. they were ready to fire him then… i think he is certainly doing well and possibly manager of the year!

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      14. That is who the Dodgers were going to hire but went to Roberts instead. He is a bright guy and the Phillies will do well with him. He is a progressive thinker and The Dodgers miss him being involved in their minor league system.

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      15. Being a Pirates fan I dislike anything Philadelphia especially the Phillies but I am glad to see him do well because I like his thinking on how to manage. I like the stats- analysis- etc. Looks like he will be a successful manager. On paper I don’t know how the Nats haven’t run away with the division but they aren’t going anywhere.

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      16. I was going to ask you about the Nationals. What the heck is going on with them? They have the talent but like we all know…you gotta play the games.

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      17. I think they are suffering from the curse of the baseball gods- that year when they sat Strasburg at the end of the year when they made the playoffs- they were arrogant thinking well we will win next year.. nothing is guaranteed.

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      18. You take the shot when you have it. I hate saying it but they did really well under Dusty… Dusty is good for the players unless you are a pitcher…or young.

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      19. I thought this team needed a veteran manager- they were built for the past two years- not that they don’t have a future but they need an experienced manager. They should have kept Davey all those years ago. I am not a big fan of Dusty but he did fine with them. I wonder of Soto would even be in the majors though? Dusty playing a 19 year old?

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      20. Dusty is a guy I would like to hang out with for an evening at a bar but not manage my team. They are built to win now no doubt.
        He does not trust young players so I doubt it. Matt Williams was a disaster…Davey did fine…I don’t know what happened there.

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      21. You never know when you hand the controls to someone who has never done it before- back in the later 60’s early to mid 70’s there were always articles about how Maury Wills if given the opportunity would be a great manager- when his chance came- he is in the running for worst manager ever!! If handing it off to a new guy I like how the Pirates did it 30 some years ago- Jim Leyland was a baseball lifer- did more than his time in the minors as a manager then was 3rd base coach for LaRussa in Chicago- he was ready.

        Liked by 1 person

      22. Managers should be nurtured in my opinion like you just said about Leyland…I really like that man…. Same thing with quarterbacks…but that is a different argument.
        Just like players…managers need to learn from bottom up…it doesn’t have to be years…just some to season them.

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      24. He must have broken some of his habits after Harpo since he had a show and got out more….I need to check the Nashville Library for that book.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. I’m a huge Ramones fan. I remember when Joey got burned. I subscribed to Cream magazine and they had pics of him performing with a melting face. I surmised he got burned free basing. Something was going on. His face literally looked as if it was melting! Great song. 53rd and 3rd. Rock N Roll High School. Blitzkrieg Bop. Fantastic, condensed rock anthems.

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    1. They have so many good songs. No jams, solos or adlibbing… just right to the point… I just wish they were appreciated more when they were together.

      I got a copy of Pelham 123 (1974)… I hope to watch it within a week.

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      3. My son and I just got finished watching it. We loved it. The final look on Walter Matthau’s face is priceless. It was a great thriller and I love the look of the film…that gritty New York look.

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      5. I like Matthau…such a natural actor. That was a good scene…what I never will forget is after the sneeze and the look that Matthau gave…priceless.

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  3. My favourite Ramones song! I know – there are loads of ‘favourites,’ but this one has easy to hear lyrics and is even more encouraging of a sin-a-long than the others. It has a great chugging rhythm also.
    I was lucky enough to see them at a small show in Glasgow back in 1977 … when apparently Talking Heads were support! (I must have been in the bar … or drunk. I have no recollection!) 😉

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    1. I’m jealous…I would have loved to see them at least once. LOL those are the best concerts sometimes….there is a Tom Petty concert that I remember some.

      It is a great song from a band that had many. No frills rock and roll with no long solos…just to the point.

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