Bonzo Goes to Bitburg
Ramones
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You've got to pick up the pieces Come on, sort your trash, you better pull yourself back together Maybe you've got too much cash Better call, call the law When you gonna turn yourself in? Yeah, you're a politician Don't become one of Hitler's children Bonzo goes to bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea As I watched it on TV somehow it really bothered me Drank in all the bars in town for an extended foreign policy Pick up the pieces My brain is hanging upside down, I need something to slow me down Ooh yeah, my brain is hanging upside down and I need something to slow me down Shouldn't wish you happiness Wish her the very best Fifty-thousand dollar dress Shaking hands with your highness See through you like cellophane, you watch the world complain But you do it anyway, who am I, am I to say? Bonzo goes to bitburg then goes out for a cup of tea As I watched it on TV somehow it really bothered me Drank in all the bars in town for an extended foreign policy Pick up the pieces My brain is hanging upside down, I need something to slow me down Ooh yeah, my brain is hanging upside down and I need something to slow me down If there's one thing that makes me sick it's when someone tries to hide behind politics I wish that time could go by fast, somehow they manage to make it last Ooh yeah, my brain is hanging upside down, I need something to slow me down Ooh yeah, my brain is hanging upside down and I need something to slow me down Ooh yeah, my brain is hanging upside down and I need something to slow me down
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Written by: Dee Dee Ramone, Jean Beauvoir, Joey Ramone
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Historical Context"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" was written in direct response to President Reagan's visit to a German military cemetery in Bitburg, where members of the Waffen-SS (Hitler’s elite military force) were buried, in 1985.
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Song CreationThe song was written by Dee Dee Ramone and Jean Beauvoir. Dee Dee was the bassist and a songwriter in the band, whereas Beauvoir was a producer and musician, known for his work with The Plasmatics.
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Name ChangeIn the US, the single was retitled to "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)" for the "Animal Boy" album due to pressure from Johnny Ramone, who was a conservative and a big fan of Ronald Reagan.
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Political CommentaryThis song is one of the few times that The Ramones made a direct political comment in their music. The Ramones were not generally known for being a politically charged band.
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Song Reception"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" received critical acclaim. It was ranked among the top 100 pop singles in a Village Voice poll in 1986 and remains one of the band's most popular songs.
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Music VideoThe music video combines news footage of Reagan's visit to Bitburg with concert footage of the Ramones. It also features bizarre imagery such as cows and skulls, a common theme in punk videos of the time.
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Cultural ImpactThe song's title references the 1951 film "Bedtime for Bonzo", where Reagan, who was a Hollywood actor at the time, starred alongside a chimpanzee named Bonzo.
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Cover VersionsNotable covers of "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" include a rendition by the band Anti-Flag on their album "BYO Split Series Volume IV".
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RecognitionThe song was listed on Rolling Stone magazine's "50 Greatest Punk Songs of All Time" in 2019, at number 38.
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AvailabilityDespite being a fan favorite, "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" has been largely excluded from most Ramones compilation albums due to its political nature. However, it was included in the expanded edition of the best-of compilation "Ramones Mania," released in 2019.
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