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.
Hello
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times
I sometimes see you pass outside my door
Hello, is it me you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted, (and) my arms are open wide
And you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much
I love you
I long to see the sunlight in your hair
And tell you time and time again how much I care
Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow
Hello, I've just got to let you know
'Cause I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?
Tell me how to win your heart
For I haven't got a clue
But let me start by saying
I love you
Hello, I just got to let you know
'Cause I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?
Tell me how to win your heart
For I haven't got a clue
But let me start by saying
Hello
The lyrics to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes's song Hello are a cover of Lionel Richie's classic hit of the same name. The song is a tender ballad about longing for love and connection. The singer admits to being alone with their thoughts of the person they desire, dreaming of kissing them, and seeing them pass outside their door. The chorus, "Hello, is it me you're looking for?" is a direct plea to the person they are yearning for, as they express that they are all they've ever wanted and their arms are open wide.
The second verse continues to express the singer's desire to be with this person, seeing the sunlight in their hair and wanting to constantly reaffirm their love for them. The bridge poses questions about the person's whereabouts and whether they are loved by someone else or feeling lonely. The singer admits to not knowing how to win their heart, but starts by expressing their love.
Overall, the lyrics of Hello are a vulnerably honest expression of one's desire for love and connection. It showcases the power of simply expressing one's feelings and being open to vulnerability to potentially win over the heart of someone one desires.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been alone with you inside my mind
I have spent a lot of time thinking about you and imagining being with you.
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times
In my dreams, I have imagined kissing you many times.
I sometimes see you pass outside my door
I catch glimpses of you passing by my home.
Hello, is it me you're looking for?
Hello, are you searching for me?
I can see it in your eyes
I can tell from your eyes.
I can see it in your smile
I can tell from your smile.
You're all I've ever wanted, (and) my arms are open wide
You are everything I have ever desired, and I am ready to embrace you.
'Cause you know just what to say
Because you always say the right things.
And you know just what to do
You know exactly how to act.
And I want to tell you so much
There are so many things I want to tell you.
I love you
I love you.
I long to see the sunlight in your hair
I wish to see the sunlight shining on your hair.
And tell you time and time again how much I care
I want to express to you repeatedly how much I care for you.
Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow
At times, my heart feels like it will burst with emotion.
Hello, I've just got to let you know
Hello, I need to tell you.
'Cause I wonder where you are
Because I am curious where you are.
And I wonder what you do
And I wonder what you are doing.
Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?
Are you feeling lonely somewhere, or are you being loved by someone else?
Tell me how to win your heart
Explain to me how I can win your affection.
For I haven't got a clue
Because I don't know what to do.
But let me start by saying
But I want to begin by telling you
I love you
that I love you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Lionel Richie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Crimson_Ghost
such a beautiful rendition of a timeless love song.
Incy Vortex
have loved this band forever
Sigmund Hightower
+Incy Vortex (LoserInc)
Me too!
WeAreAllOne ExceptForThatGuy
A great cover and a Three Stooges hello - where have these guys been all my life!
StauntonCivilWar
Who in the hell are these guys and why don't I already know and love them? Well, I do now.
TNT_Greifers
I <3 this song
Kitt Powell
2020 and still rocking it
Cia Indeed
Those pig squeals man!
Reminds me of James Brown's Scream.
cody gibson
Godly !
Neil Evans
HELLO!!!