In 1985, The Ramones penned “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg,” a song that’s obviously not as popular as “Blitzkrieg Bop” or “I Want To Be Sedated.” In fact, The Ramones, at the time, were in their wilderness years, hopping from producer to producer and releasing albums with the hope that one would “break” them. They wanted to be popular and live the good life. As we all know, it didn’t happen that way.
The Ramones were not known to take on causes or make strong opinions on serious matters, but “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg” was an exception. The track was inspired by Ronald Reagan’s visit to a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, where many Waffen-SS soldiers are buried. Reagan’s discourse during his visit was that, while he didn’t excuse the systematic mass murder of millions of people, these soldiers were “victims” or just “simply following orders.” To many ears, the then President was making excuses for genocide.
The Ramones were notorious for their occasional use of Nazi symbols — thanks to main songwriter Dee Dee’s fascination with WWII memorabilia — but this time, the band didn’t joke about Nazis in love. While Joey was Jewish and helped pen the song, it is said that Dee Dee was the one who wanted to say that there was no excuse for that kind of demonstration. The track is also notable song because it criticizes a Republican politician, something they had stayed away from since Johnny became a supporter of the conservative party. (Johnny plays on the song, but he requested it be renamed to “My Brain is Hanging Upside Down” for Animal Boy.)
The story of the Ramones is filled with clashes of personality that (arguably) held them back during their lifetime, but it’s amazing that a song so polarizing to the various individuals could not only happen, but also become one of their finest moments.