Pet Sematary

Ramones

About Pet Sematary

"Pet Sematary" is a single by American punk rock band Ramones, from their 1989 album Brain Drain. The song, originally written for the Stephen King 1989 film adaptation of the same name, became one of the Ramones' biggest radio hits and was a staple of their concerts during the 1990s. King is a huge Ramones fan and invited the band to his Bangor, Maine home as they played in New England. During the visit, he handed Dee Dee Ramone a copy of his Pet Sematary novel, and the bassist retreated to the basement. One hour later, Dee Dee returned with the lyrics to "Pet Sematary". Shortly afterwards, drummer Marky Ramone said that Dee Dee's attitude that day showed that he could achieve his plans to leave the band and attempt a career at hip hop music. He likened Dee Dee to King, saying that both wrote things people could relate to because they "penetrated to the curiosity, fears, and insecurities carried around with them and couldn't put into words."Producer Daniel Rey became a co-writer by assisting with the structure of the song, while producer Jean Beauvoir of the Plasmatics helped give the song a more commercial style fit for radio play and film inclusion. As "Pet Sematary" sounded closer to the rock ballads of the period, it was a struggle for Johnny Ramone to play the arpeggios and chords, despite Dee Dee's guidance. The music video for "Pet Sematary" was filmed at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in the eponymous New York village. Shot on a cold night in January 1989, the video features black and white shots of the Ramones walking through the graveyard, as well as color footage of the band and various others miming to the song alongside an open grave. The video ends with the band playing on a hydraulic platform placed inside the open grave, which is gradually lowered until a group of undertakers covers the grave with a headstone that reads "The Ramones." It was the last video featuring Dee Dee Ramone, who would depart the band and be replaced with C. J. Ramone. The video features cameos by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, as well as members of The Dead Boys. An alternate edit of the video features the aforementioned scenes interspersed with scenes from the film, with the opening footage of the band walking through the graveyard now appearing in color. Reception for the song was not entirely positive, as it was nominated for the now-defunct Razzie Award for Worst Original Song in 1989. 


Year:
1990
112 
#2

Lyrics currently unavailable…


Ramones

The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group. Despite achieving only limited commercial success, the band was a major influence on the punk rock movement in both the United States and the United Kingdom. more »

3 fans


11 facts about this song

Band Origin
"Pet Sematary" was recorded by The Ramones, an American punk rock band that was formed in Queens, New York in 1974.
Movie Soundtrack
This song was written for the movie adaptation of Stephen King's 1983 novel, "Pet Sematary."
Song Release
It was released as a single in 1989, becoming one of the band's biggest radio hits, despite it never charting in the United States.
Creation Influence
The song was written by the band's vocalist, Dee Dee Ramone, and their producer, Jean Beauvoir. It was said to be inspired by Stephen King's book, which Dee Dee read during the band's tour.
Music Video
The music video for "Pet Sematary" was filmed at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York and features scenes from the movie.
Album Inclusion
It notably is featured on their 11th studio album called "Brain Drain" that was released in 1989.
Song Popularity
Despite the band not finding mainstream success during their active years, "Pet Sematary" has become a cult hit and remains one of their most popular songs.
Cover Versions
Over the years, numerous artists including Starcrawler and Plain White T's have covered "Pet Sematary."
Stephen King's Involvement
Stephen King was a longtime fan of the Ramones, and he invited them to his Bangor, Maine, home as they were passing through during a tour. It is reported that this is where he handed Dee Dee a copy of the novel "Pet Sematary."
In Television
The song has appeared in a number of TV series, including "The Walking Dead," where it was used in a trailer for the show's ninth season.
Grammys Recognition
In 2002, "Pet Sematary" was one of the songs included on the "Ramones Anthology" that got nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Packaging" category.

Discuss the Pet Sematary Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Pet Sematary Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1190663/Ramones/Pet+Sematary>.

    Missing lyrics by Ramones?

    Know any other songs by Ramones? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Pet Sematary

    17.3M
    146.4K     0

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    Which band sings the song "Smile" in the "For Ever" album?
    A Young Fathers
    B Ed Sheeran
    C Jungle
    D Katy Perry

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Ramones's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Ramones tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    Pet Sematary

    »