The studio core comprises Spike Slawson on vocals, bassist Fat Mike, Joey Cape on guitar and backing vocals, Dave Raun on drums, and Chris Shiflett on guitar (his brother Scott of Face To Face/Viva Death fills in for Chris on tour). Touring members have included Brian Baker (Bad Religion/Minor Threat), Barry DaLive (Crosstops/RKL), Eric Melvin (NOFX), Matthew MacNasty (bagpipes player from the Real McKenzies), and Warren Fitzgerald (The Vandals).
Originally a themed 7" singles project, now each of their full length albums covers a different genre of music spanning the 50's to the 90's. Their first release in 1997 was entitled Have a Ball, followed by Are a Drag in 1999. In 2001 they released Blow in the Wind and two years later released Take a Break. Almost immediately after the release of Take a Break the released a live album Ruin Johnny's Bar Mitzvah The genres they've butchered now include country, on Love Their Country featuring covers of songs made popular by The Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash and others. Their most recent release is a collection of B-sides from their album Have a Ball, simply titled Have Another Ball.
The Gimme Gimmes perform to entertain themselves as much as for the entertainment of their fans. Their albums and concerts are some of the most lighthearted and off the wall musical experiences in the punk world. Concerts are often interrupted between songs to freshen cocktails at the on stage tiki bar. CD liner notes relate the hardships of recording such as Fat Mike getting so caught up in "Wild World" that he believed he was Fat Stevens, a guitar-toting Islamic Extremist, so that when Spike sang "All My Lovin" he mistook it for "Allah my Lovin" and condemned Spike to death for heresy.
The Gimmes are also known for their costumes. Each album has a 'theme' for which they all dress up for the cover art and live shows. Some themes include red suits, metallic suits with fezzes, cheerleader outfits, drag (each Gimme dressed as a character from a musical they took songs from on the cover of Are a Drag: Chris Shiflett was Columbia and Spike was Dr Frank N. Furter from Rocky Horror, Joey Cape was Annie, Fat Mike was Sandy from Grease and Dave Raun was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz). During a Warped Tour they dressed as AFI, to the confusion of many fans. Most recently they have been dressing as cowboys, but are possibly best known for their lurid Hawaiian shirts.
Or their live album, "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah", the band performed for a crowd of 30 at a Bar Mitzvah. The CD contained video of the actual event and the liner notes were written by attendee Benjamin Rosenblatt who describes the events: "They made a lot of mistakes. They even started a song then stopped, then started again." -track 7 "Strawberry Fields Forever" on the CD.
Country Road
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze
[Chorus]
Country roads, take me home
To the place where I belong
Take me home, country roads
All my memories gathered 'round her
Miner's lady stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye
[Chorus]
I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me
Radio reminds me of my home far away
Driving on the road I get a feeling that I
should have been home yesterday, yesterday
[Chorus]
Take me home, country roads
Take me home, yeah country roads
Take me home
Country roads, yeah
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Whoo!
The song "Country Road" by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a cover of the original song by John Denver. The lyrics paint a picture of a place that is almost paradise, West Virginia. The singer describes the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River and the old life of the place. The mountains have been there for a longer time than anything else, and the life there is growing like a breeze. The chorus revolves around the theme of "Country roads, take me home, to the place where I belong" which describes the desire to go back to where one is from.
The second verse is about the memories gathered around the singer's home in West Virginia. The miner's lady and strange water is a reference to the coal mining industry in the state. The description of the sky being painted dark and dusty resonates with a lot of people from the countryside. The mention of moonshine, which was and still is being illegally produced in the mountains of West Virginia is again very relatable. The teardrop in the singer's eyes is probably because of the bittersweet memories of home.
The third verse is about the singer's yearning to go back home. The morning voice of someone calling and the radio reminding them of home. They get a feeling of belonging and wish they were there yesterday. The chorus repeats the same theme, asking the famous West Virginia country roads to take them home.
Line by Line Meaning
Almost heaven, West Virginia
West Virginia is a beautiful place, where life is peaceful, and almost feels like paradise.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
West Virginia has amazing mountain ranges and rivers - The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River are two examples of the incredible beauty of the state.
Life is old there, older than the trees
Life in West Virginia is ancient; it's been around for centuries and has many stories and legends to tell.
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze
West Virginia's landscape is always changing, and it is getting younger and beautiful day by day, like the sweet smell of a breeze.
Country roads, take me home
Take me to West Virginia, where I belong, where I feel safe.
To the place where I belong
My heart belongs to West Virginia, my true home.
West Virginia, mountain momma
West Virginia is home to rugged mountains and almost feels like a mother to me.
All my memories gathered 'round her
All of my cherished memories are tied to West Virginia, it's where my loved ones and beloved memories are kept.
Miner's lady stranger to blue water
West Virginia has many interesting personalities, like the miner’s lady and others, that lend it a unique identity.
Dark and dusty painted on the sky
West Virginia is characterized by dark and dusty landscapes that are beautifully displayed in the sky.
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye
The nostalgic taste of moonshine and memories are so powerful that they can sometimes bring a tear to my eye.
I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me
Every morning when I wake up, I can hear West Virginia calling me back home.
Radio reminds me of my home far away
Whenever I listen to the radio or music, it reminds me of my sweet home in West Virginia, which seems so far away.
Driving on the road I get a feeling that I
When driving along the road, I can feel a sense of longing for my home in West Virginia.
Should have been home yesterday, yesterday
I feel a sense of regret for not having been able to go back to West Virginia sooner, especially yesterday.
Take me home, yeah country roads
Take me home, to the mountains and the country roads that will lead me back to my beloved West Virginia.
Take me home
Take me back to West Virginia, it’s where I belong.
Country roads, yeah
Country roads of West Virginia, they are the roads to my heart.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: John Denver, Mary Catherine Danoff, Taffy Nivert Danoff, William Danoff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Howard
I was just listening to the original again. Then I thought , this would sound badass in a punk cover. I found this and was not disappointed. Thank you.
JohnMcClane23
Congratulations on discovering this amazing band after 23 years of career. Now go check out their whole discography!
Andrew Wright
I thought the same thing for Cat Stevens "Wild world"!
9 vanilla
Survival of the fattest was the first cd I ever bought. Shit ain't been the same since
Jerry Henson
I love this. I wonder what John Denver would think about this cover.
A K
I grew up listening to John Denver bc my mom loved his music. Never really appreciated his music and lyrics until I was in my 20s. This cover is awesome .
Tim Hick
I'm sure John Denver would be proud of this cover
paul truskowski
Played this song on an acoustic guitar with 2 other dorks in front of my 5th grade class in 1971. Didn't sound like this. Awesome cover.
Alex Peraza
One of the best punk guitar solos of all time.
Skeletal Wreck
Don’t listen to much punk do you lol