Editing Rocket to Russia (section)

== Lyrics and composition ==
Compared to the band's previous albums, the songs from ''Rocket to Russia'' were more [[surf music]] and [[bubblegum pop]] influenced. But similar to their previous releases, the lyrics integrated humor,<ref name="bessman 86" /><ref name="true 96" /> specifically [[black comedy]] with themes circling [[mental disorders]] and [[psychiatry]].<ref name="true 95" /><ref name="bessman 86" />
{{Listen|filename=Ramones - Sheena Is a Punk Rocker.ogg|title="Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"|description="Sheena Is a Punk Rocker", a song about a young female punk fan, was said by Joey's brother [[Mickey Leigh]] to have "handily summed up the spirit of the scene and put punk rock on the map.<ref>Leigh 1994, p. 178.</ref>
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The album opens with "Cretin Hop", which pays homage to Ramones fans,<ref name="bessman 86" /> and was inspired by Cretin Avenue of [[St. Paul, Minnesota]], named after former [[bishop]] [[Joseph Crétin]].<ref name="true 96">True 2005, p. 96.</ref> When the piece was performed at concerts, the band would [[Pogo (dance)|pogo]] dance on stage.<ref name="bessman 86">Bessman 1993, p. 86.</ref> "Rockaway Beach" was written by bassist [[Dee Dee Ramone]], and was inspired by the [[Beach Boys]] along with other [[surf music]] bands. The title refers to a neighborhood and beach in [[Queens]] which Dee Dee was a fan of, as confirmed by Tommy and Joey.<ref>True 2005, p. 97.</ref> "I Don't Care" is composed of three chords and features minimal text composition. The song is among the first pieces written by the band and was originally recorded as a demo that was released on the 2001 expanded edition of the Ramones debut album.<ref name="bessman 84">Bessman 1993, p. 84.</ref> "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" was written by Joey, who explains that the lyrics are about a young female outsider named Sheena who strayed away from the popular [[disco]] and surf music and instead visited [[nightclub]]s and listened to punk rock.<ref name="porter 82" /> The mid-tempo song deviates from a three-chord pattern and starts off with Dee Dee shouting "Four!", which, according to engineer [[Ed Stasium]], was the result of Dee Dee starting his iconic countdown before the tape started rolling.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUJCS_r18sY |title=The Rhino Podcast #1: Ramones "Rocket To Russia" with guest Ed Stasium - YouTube<!-- Bot generated title --> |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2018-07-23 |archive-date=2019-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304163254/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUJCS_r18sY&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> This is followed by guitar riffs deemed to have a "raucous" [[Texture (music)|texture]] by author Tom Carson. The author also suggests that these chords "bump[ed]" into each other until the song's fade-out ending.<ref name="m 107">Marcus 2007, p. 107</ref><ref name="m 108">Marcus 2007, p. 108</ref>

"We're a Happy Family" is a caricature of the conditions which 20th-century middle-class American families lived in. The song's lyrics depict a dysfunctional family where the father is a lying [[homosexual]], the mother is [[substance abuse|addicted to prescription drugs]], the infant has [[chills]]. The writing also tells of how the family are friends with the [[President of the United States]] and the [[Pope]] and indicate that the family sells "[[marijuana|dope]]".<ref name="bessman 86" /> The song fades out with various different lines taken from fake dialogue, which illustrate a side of Joey's personality according to his brother [[Mickey Leigh]].<ref>Leigh 2009, p. 353.</ref>

Side B of the album begins with "Teenage Lobotomy", which deals with the brain surgical operation [[lobotomy]]. The lyrics outline how this procedure can cause serious consequences to the brain, with the line "Gonna get my [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D]], I'm a teenage lobotomy."<ref name="bessman 84" /> The composition features more complex melodies than that of other songs from the album, with Stasium proclaiming it to be a "mini-Ramones Symphony".<ref name="true 94" /> ''Rocket to Russia'' is the first album to feature two cover songs: "Do You Wanna Dance?" (originally performed by [[Bobby Freeman]]) and "[[Surfin' Bird]]" (originally performed by [[the Trashmen]]).<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rocket-to-russia-mw0000005209|title=Rocket to Russia – Ramones|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2014-02-08|archive-date=2014-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128100930/http://www.allmusic.com/album/rocket-to-russia-mw0000005209|url-status=live}}</ref>