I am not a huge Ramones fan by any stretch of the imagination. I do not believe I even have one song of theirs on my iPod. They were a punk band before my my time really. And as a South Bronx girl I was not that exposed (if at all) to the Ramones. I do believe that during College, on one of the many ’80s night celebrations, I danced to the Ramones. I specifically remember dancing like a mad woman to their song, which was supposedly their most famous one, “I want to be Sedated“.   The lyrics were silly and the beat was mega fast. You just wanted to rock out and dance into the walls. After college, I didn’t really listen to the Ramones, other than at other clubs that had ’80s nights.

Then this past year happened. My year of insanity. My year of non-stop movement. My year, where nothing stood still around me. I was going non-stop and the world just kept pounding away at my head. Three jobs in three cities. Learning the ropes over and over again. Meeting new people. Turning things around.

One day where everything was insane, where staff were throwing tantrums, and partners were making crazy demands, the Ramones came into my head. I was on a call with partner 3,000 miles away  when all of a sudden I started humming “I want to be sedated.” Then I starting saying the lyrics.

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go I wanna be sedated
Nothin’ to do and no where to go-o-oh 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 no no no no

I had never in my life felt a song to be so appropriate to a moment I found myself in. I looked at everyone around me and I started laughing. I kept thinking “these people are insane”. I shook my head and started  pacing I kept singing the song.

Hurry hurry hurry before I go loco
I can’t control my fingers I can’t control my toes
Oh no no no no no
Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go..

Everyone stopped and asked me what I was singing. I looked at them and scrunched up my nose.  I asked “you don’t know this song?”   I took a second and noted that of course my singing voice is not the greatest. I gave them latitude on that. I told them that I was singing the Ramones I want to get sedated. Everyone just looked at me blankly. No one had ever heard of the song.  I quickly googled it and played it for them. But not a single person recognized it. I was aghast and a bit depressed. I mean, hasn’t it been part of pop culture for 30 years or so?  Furthermore, the song was perfect for the workplace. How could people that work in the non-profit world want to be sedated?

I am still singing it but I have a feeling that a few people in Los Angeles might actually know it….