Gabba Gabba Hey
Encyclopedia
"Gabba Gabba Hey" is a catchphrase associated with the punk rock band the Ramones
. The phrase is included in the song "Pinhead
" (1977), which contains the lyrics: "Gabba gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us." The song ends with: "Gabba gabba hey, gabba gabba hey!..."
, in which the title characters chant the line "Gooble, gobble, we accept her, we accept her, one of us, one of us!" (The Ramones saw Freaks at an art house cinema on a rare day off when an outdoor event they were to perform at was canceled due to bad weather.) One of Freaks main characters is a microcephalic, or "pinhead," named Schlitzie
.
In Allan Arkush
's film, Rock 'n' Roll High School
, during a Ramones concert at the The Roxy
, a character in a Schlitzie mask appears on stage carrying a large sign with the phrase "Gabba Gabba Hey." Afterwards, the band felt it necessary to the live experience, and a roadie, usually Mitch "Bubbles" Keller, would appear on stage in a pinhead mask, hand the sign to Joey Ramone
, and perform a dance on stage, colloquially referred to as the "jerk dance." In later years, Keller updated the "pinhead" with a brightly colored, mismatched, polka-dotted dress sewn together for him by an employee of the Ritz
.
Sometimes celebrity guests (such as Eddie Vedder
) would don the mask and/or costume on stage. The pinhead would usually leave after the song was finished, but sometimes would appear for promotional purposes, such as live performances on television or music videos. To this day, the pinhead, along with the Ramones Presidential Seal is an emblematic symbol of the band and appears on many items of Ramones merchandising.
In 1991, a Ramones tribute album called Gabba Gabba Hey
was released.
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...
. The phrase is included in the song "Pinhead
Leave Home
Leave Home is the second studio album by American punk rock band The Ramones. It was released on January 10, 1977 through Sire Records. The album features the classic Ramones songs "Pinhead" and "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment"...
" (1977), which contains the lyrics: "Gabba gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us." The song ends with: "Gabba gabba hey, gabba gabba hey!..."
History
The phrase comes from a scene in the 1932 motion picture FreaksFreaks
Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
, in which the title characters chant the line "Gooble, gobble, we accept her, we accept her, one of us, one of us!" (The Ramones saw Freaks at an art house cinema on a rare day off when an outdoor event they were to perform at was canceled due to bad weather.) One of Freaks main characters is a microcephalic, or "pinhead," named Schlitzie
Schlitzie
Schlitzie , possibly born Simon Metz, and legally Schlitze Surtees, was an American sideshow performer and occasional actor, best known for his role in the 1932 movie Freaks and his life-long career on the outdoor entertainment circuit as a major...
.
In Allan Arkush
Allan Arkush
Allan Arkush is an American cult film and television director and frequent collaborator of Joe Dante....
's film, Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
, during a Ramones concert at the The Roxy
The Roxy
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.-Brief history:...
, a character in a Schlitzie mask appears on stage carrying a large sign with the phrase "Gabba Gabba Hey." Afterwards, the band felt it necessary to the live experience, and a roadie, usually Mitch "Bubbles" Keller, would appear on stage in a pinhead mask, hand the sign to Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
, and perform a dance on stage, colloquially referred to as the "jerk dance." In later years, Keller updated the "pinhead" with a brightly colored, mismatched, polka-dotted dress sewn together for him by an employee of the Ritz
Ritz (rock club)
-History:The Ritz was founded in 1980 by Jerry Brandt on 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. Formerly a ballroom known as Webster Hall, The Ritz still retained some of its previous incarnation's Art Deco style. As a venue, it focused...
.
Sometimes celebrity guests (such as Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
) would don the mask and/or costume on stage. The pinhead would usually leave after the song was finished, but sometimes would appear for promotional purposes, such as live performances on television or music videos. To this day, the pinhead, along with the Ramones Presidential Seal is an emblematic symbol of the band and appears on many items of Ramones merchandising.
In 1991, a Ramones tribute album called Gabba Gabba Hey
Gabba Gabba Hey: A Tribute to the Ramones
Gabba Gabba Hey: A Tribute to the Ramones is the title of the first Ramones tribute album released in 1991 by Triple X Records. It is named after the famous Ramones slogan Gabba Gabba Hey, from the song "Pinhead".-Track listing:...
was released.
Music
- On The CasualtiesThe CasualtiesThe Casualties are an American street punk band from New York City, New York, formed in 1990.-Biography:The Casualties members aimed to return to what they viewed as the "golden era" of street punk, embodied by bands such as The Exploited, Charged GBH , which they believed had disappeared by...
album Die HardsDie HardsDie Hards is the fourth album by hardcore punk rock band The Casualties. It was released in 2001.- Track listing :#Nightmare - 2:58#City Council - 2:05#Ruining It All - 1:26#Get Off My Back - 2:17#Victims - 2:58#This Is Your Life - 2:25...
(2001), in the song "Made in NYC," they repeat the phrase throughout the chorus as a tribute to The Ramones.
- On Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's album OctavariumOctavarium (album)Octavarium is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 7, 2005, it was the band's final release with Atlantic Records. Recorded between September 2004 and February 2005, the album holds the distinction of being the last album ever recorded at The...
(2005), in the song of the same name, "Gabba Gabba Hey" is referred to in a stanza that is a play on words with some of the band's influences.
- The phrase "I do-diddly-diddly-diddly — gobble-gobble-gobble-gabba-gabba-hey" can be heard in the intro to the song "The Nebbish Route" (2005) by ShpongleShpongleShpongle is an English psychedelic downtempo/psybient music project formed in 1996. The group includes Simon Posford and Raja Ram . Their musical style combines eastern ethnic instruments and vocals with contemporary western synthesizer-based psychedelic music...
, as a reference to The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer '", also known as The Mysterious Voyage of Our Homer, is the ninth episode of the eighth season of The Simpsons, which originally aired January 5, 1997...
" (season 8, episode 9, 1997).
- The phrase appears in the lyrics of "The United Vibe", a song from ScooterScooter (band)Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
's album The Ultimate Aural OrgasmThe Ultimate Aural OrgasmThe Ultimate Aural Orgasm is the twelfth studio album by Scooter. Two singles were released from it: "Behind The Cow" and "Lass Uns Tanzen". This is the first album released with new member Michael Simon...
(2007).
- In the song "War on Errorism CommercialThe Longest EPThe Longest EP is a compilation album by the American punk rock band NOFX, which was released on August 17, 2010. Despite the title, it is not actually an EP; it is a compilation of songs from 1987 to 2009, plus rarities, out of print stuff and previously unreleased outtakes...
" (2010) by NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, El Hefe welcomes the fans with the phrase "Gabba Gabba Hey, punk rock fans!".
- La Vida BohèmeLa Vida BohèmeLa Vida Bohème is an alternative independent band from Caracas, Venezuela, formed by Rafael Perez, Daniel De Sousa, Sebastian Ayala, and Henry D'Arthenay in late 2006 and mid 2007. The band takes influence from late '80s punk, disco, funk, electronic music, jazz, salsa, reggae and dance music...
a VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n band, repeats "Gabba, Gabba Hey!" constantly in their song "Radio Capital" (2010).
Television
- In a 1994 Christmas episode of Space Ghost Coast to CoastSpace Ghost Coast to CoastSpace Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
, "A Space Ghost Christmas", ZorakZorakZorak is a fictional character who first appeared in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Space Ghost. Zorak appeared as a 7 foot tall green mantis and is a foe of the show's titular superhero.-Space Ghost:...
replaces the chorus of "Deck the Halls" (traditionally "fa la la la la") with "gabba gabba hey". In the earlier episodes of the show Zorak is shown to be a huge fan of the Ramones.
- In The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer '", also known as The Mysterious Voyage of Our Homer, is the ninth episode of the eighth season of The Simpsons, which originally aired January 5, 1997...
" (season 8, episode 9, 1997), Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
eats some "Guatemalan insanity peppers" that cause him to hallucinate. When running to Ned FlandersNed FlandersNedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
for help, Homer begins to hallucinate, and one of the phrases that Ned says is "Gabba gabba gabba gabba hey".
- The Simpsons episode "C.E. D'ohC.E. D'oh"C.E. D'oh" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons’ fourteenth season.-Plot:A sleepy Marge is too tired on Valentine's Day to have sex with an eager and well-prepared Homer, who dejectedly leaves the house. He sees a billboard for a school offering extension courses. He goes to the school and...
" (season 14, episode 15, 2003) features the following dialogue: "So my husband goes to a bar every night. Whoop dee doo. Who gives a bibble? Gabba-gabba hey."
- In EurekaEureka (TV series)Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011...
episode "E=MC...?" (season 2, episode 8, 2007), Sheriff Jack Carter and a veterinary scientist are talking to a chicken farmer about cloned chicken, and the vet states that a protein is a GABAGabâGabâ or gabaa, for the people in many parts of the Philippines), is the concept of a non-human and non-divine, imminent retribution. A sort of negative karma, it is generally seen as an evil effect on a person because of their wrongdoings or transgressions...
blocker . The Sheriff says something like, “It’s a what blocker?" Vet: "Gabba!" Sheriff: "Gabba ... hey!"
- The title of children's show Yo Gabba Gabba!Yo Gabba Gabba!Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...
, which debuted in 2007, pays homage to "Gabba Gabba Hey!
Video games
- In the 1995 computer game DescentDescent (video game)Descent is a 3D first-person shooter video game developed by Parallax Software and released by Interplay Entertainment Corp. in 1995. The game features six degrees of freedom gameplay and garnered several expansion packs...
, typing the phrase "gabbagabbahey" on the keyboard during gameplay unlocks the cheat mode, after which other cheat codes (infinite weapons, infinite health, et cetera) could be entered. In the game's sequel, Descent IIDescent IIDescent II is a 3D first-person shooter video game noted for popularizing the use of true 3D rendering technology and providing the player with six full degrees of freedom to move and to look around....
, typing "gabbagabbahey" lowers a player's health and shield to 1%. In both games, typing the cheat code results in the computer announcer's voice admonishing the player with: "Cheater!"
- In-game characters are customizable in the music video gameMusic video gameA music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
Rock Band 2Rock Band 2Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
. One of the hair styles available is named "Gabba Gabba Hair," and is reminiscent of the Ramones' distinctive hair style.
Other
- In the MarvelMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic book The Sensational She-Hulk, the letters page is called "Gamma Gamma Hey," after the gamma radiation-irradiated blood that caused She-Hulk's initial transformation.
- Humphry Slocombe, a San Francisco ice creamIce creamIce cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
parlor, named one of their most popular flavors "Gabba Gabba Hey."