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.
I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
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He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is winding low
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
Where time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The lyrics in Me First and the Gimme Gimmes's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" tell the story of a person who is consumed by grief and loneliness. The opening verse describes the sound of a whippoorwill, a bird known for its melancholy call, and a train that seems to be winding down in the distance. These sounds serve to deepen the sadness of the singer as they express their feelings of isolation and despair.
The second verse emphasizes the length and depth of the dark, lonely night. The moon disappears behind a cloud, symbolizing the singer's sense of being hidden from the world and forgotten. The falling star in the third verse provides a moment of fleeting beauty but also serves as a reminder of the person the singer has lost. As the song draws to a close, the refrain repeats the phrase "I'm so lonesome I could cry" several times, emphasizing the overwhelming sense of isolation and sadness that the singer is experiencing.
Overall, the song depicts the intense pain that comes with loneliness and losing someone you love. The use of natural imagery throughout the song, such as the whippoorwill and the falling star, underscores the raw emotions that the singer is grappling with. The repetition of the refrain throughout the song also drives home the message that the singer is truly and deeply alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the lonesome whippoorwill
Listen to the sad whippoorwill singing all alone in the darkness.
He sounds too blue to fly
The bird sounds so sad that it's hard to imagine it spreading its wings and taking flight.
The midnight train is winding low
A train can be heard in the distance, its sound echoing through the night like the singer's loneliness.
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The singer is overwhelmed with sadness and heartache, feeling like crying is the only release.
I've never seen a night so long
The singer has never experienced a night that seems to stretch on forever, without any comfort or relief.
Where time goes crawling by
Time seems to move at a sluggish pace, making the singer feel even more trapped and alone.
The moon just went behind a cloud
The moon, a symbol of hope and light, is obscured by a cloud, leaving the singer in darkness.
To hide its face and cry
The moon seems to be crying, like the singer who is also trying to hide their tears from the world.
The silence of a falling star
The peacefulness of a shooting star falling from the sky is in stark contrast to the singer's turbulent emotions.
Lights up a purple sky
The beauty of the night sky is emphasized by the fleeting brightness of the shooting star.
And as I wonder where you are
The singer is consumed by thoughts of someone they miss, making their loneliness even more poignant.
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The singer is so desolate and alone that they feel like crying is the only way to express their feelings.
I'm so lonesome I could cry
Repeating the line emphasizes the intensity of the singer's loneliness and emotional pain.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind