Chinese Rocks
"Chinese Rocks" or "Chinese Rock" is a song written in 1975 by New York punk rock musician Dee Dee Ramone with contributions from Richard Hell. Inspired by Lou Reed's "Heroin", the song openly details the day-to-day struggles of a heroin addict, and is based on Dee Dee's real-life experiences.
| "Chinese Rocks" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers | |
| from the album L.A.M.F. | |
| Released | October 3, 1977 |
| Recorded | March 1977 |
| Genre | Punk rock |
| Label | Track (original album) Jungle (most reissues) |
| Songwriter(s) | Dee Dee Ramone, Richard Hell |
| Producer(s) | Speedy Keen, Daniel Segunda, Mike Thorne |
| "Chinese Rock" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Ramones | |
| from the album End of the Century | |
| Released | February 4, 1980 |
| Recorded | May 1979 |
| Genre | Punk rock |
| Length | 2:28 |
| Label | Sire |
| Songwriter(s) | Dee Dee Ramone, Richard Hell |
| Producer(s) | Phil Spector |
Authorship of the track is heavily disputed. Hell made several claims that it is his, though it is generally accepted as mostly Dee Dee's work. The song was first recorded by Hell's band the Heartbreakers, and later by Dee Dee's band the Ramones. The Ramones' recorded version and the version they initially performed at live shows changed the words "is Dee Dee home?" to "is Arty home?", although the earlier version was sometimes used after Dee Dee left the Ramones' lineup. In live performances, the Heartbreakers, but not the Ramones, also sometimes substituted sexual references for some of the mentions of "Chinese rocks".