The Ramones - Sheena is a Punk Rocker

I really started liking punk music when I was in my mid to late teens, early twenties. I started out with the Clash. I remember buying London Calling at the Wee Three Records store in the Granite Run Mall. That store is long gone, and from the news I have been hearing lately so might the mall. I would play that record endlessly. I just loved the cover, and side one just was so perfect. Granted, that album would later go on to be in the top 10 of Rolling Stones greatest albums ever made, but at the time it just seemed so right. When I saw the Clash in 1983 I was transfixed. Most of my friends at the time had no interest in the group, or the music. For some reason it just stuck with me. Later I would go on to see bands like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, the Dead Kennedy's, and X.

The Clash introduced me to the Ramones. The Ramones defied the average stereotype of punk rock. They wrote fun, catchy pop numbers with serious punk attitude. “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” is a perfect example of this style. With the chorus “well she’s a punk, punk, a Punk Rocker” throughout it is just so infectious that it’s hard not to like this song. While everyone seems to know “Blitzkrieg Bop”, “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” is my favorite of their hits. When Ella was first born Christine and I would often sing the main chorus to the song, but inserting Ella instead of Sheena.

For this song, I played her a video of the Ramones playing the song live. At first Ella is giving the screen a “what the heck is this” look. While we sang the song to her frequently when she was born, I don’t really think we played it much around the house. So, this was probably the first time hearing the song start to finish. At just over 2 minutes (as is most Ramones songs) it was the perfect length to hold her attention. Whenever Joey would sing Ella would sit still and watch, in those brief moments when there was no singing she didn’t seem all that interested. I think she enjoyed the song, but it won’t go down as one that totally grabs her. Oh well, maybe when she gets older. Just the same, if I were making an Ella mixed tape she would probably have me put this song on there.