I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

Album: Ramones (1976)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tommy Ramone (from Hey! Ho! Let's Go! The Ramones Anthology by David Fricke): "I wrote 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' because we had all these other songs with 'I Don't Wanna' - 'I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You,' 'I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement.' The only other positive song we had was 'Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.'

    One thing we all had in common was we were frustrated. We escaped from our anger with humor. A lot of that came from Dee Dee's sensibility, this Dada sensibility that got squeezed into 'I Don't Wanna.'"
  • There were some unusual instruments used on this song, including 12-string guitars, tubular bells and a glockenspiel. Studio musicians were brought in to play them. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Katie - Goulburn, for above 2
  • A track from the first Ramones album, this was their second single, following "Blitzkrieg Bop." Like "I Remember You," it's a love song, just a very straightforward one.
  • Per Gessle of Roxette recorded this for the 2001 Ramones tribute album The Song Ramones the Same. Released as a single in his native Sweden, the song made #44.

Comments: 4

  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI saw mention of a twelve-string guitar used in this song. Could that be why the guitars have such a chiming/jingling sound?
  • Rodrigo from Somewhere In, --It has a really catching melody and Joey's voice is greattt
  • Joe from Chicago, Arthis song is awesome..........sure even though i am a huge ramones fan i might point out that the lyrics are a little bit lame..........but it's such an addicting and catchy song i just have to love it. Plus it shows that you don't have to be angry and swear in every one of your songs to be punk.
  • Christina from Arnold, MdIf Joey ever dedicated this to me, I would gladly be his girlfriend.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa CarltonSongwriter Interviews

The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces