The KKK Took My Baby Away is a song by the Ramones from their 1981 album, Pleasant Dreams. There are several stories as to how the song came about, with three of them offered here for your consideration.
Ramones tour manager Monte Melenick said that it seemed clear to him that Joey was taking a not-so-subtle shot at Johnny, who used to tease Joey for being Jewish, for stealing his girlfriend Linda.
However, Joey's brother Mickey has disagreed, saying that the song had been written before Joey learned of Johnny and Linda's affair. He explains that the song was written about Joey's relationship with a black woman whose parents disapproved of their interracial relationship. When asked what happened to the girl, Joey responded by saying "the KKK took my baby away."
A third version of the story has former drummer Marky Ramone saying the song was inspired by Joey's experience at a mental institution where Joey had befriended an African-American woman. A few days after meeting her, the woman left the institution, leaving Joey depressed, with the song being written about that episode.
Now, reading the many stories about the Ramones over the years, I'm going with the first story as it's pretty well documented that Johnny and Joey hated each other (they both took grudges against one another to their graves). Whatever story you choose to believe was the inspiration, it made for a catchy tune.
Enjoy!
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