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.
My Boyfriend's Back
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
When you see him comin', better cut on the double.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
You've been spreading lies that I was untrue.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
So look out now 'cause he's comin' after you.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
And he knows that you've been lyin'.
He's been gone for such a long time.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
Now he's back and things will be fine.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
You're gonna be sorry you were ever born.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
'Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
And he knows about your cheatin',
Now you're gonna get a beatin'.
What made you think he'd believe all your lies?
(Ah-oo, ah-oo.)
You're a big man now, but he'll cut you down to size!
(Ah-oo.)
Wait and see!
My boyfriend's back, he's gonna save my reputation
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
If I were you, I'd take a permanent vacation.
(Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
La-di-la, my boyfriend's back!
La-di-la, my boyfriend's back!
The song My Boyfriend's Back by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes tells the story of a woman whose boyfriend was away for a long time and is now back. She warns her ex-friend to watch out because her boyfriend is coming after her for spreading lies about her being unfaithful while he was away. She emphasizes his physical strength and size by saying, "he's kinda big and he's awful strong," implying that he will use his strength to punish the ex-friend. The lyrics depict a theme of loyalty and devotion in a romantic relationship as the woman is confident that her boyfriend will save her reputation.
The song is an adaptation of the original My Boyfriend's Back by The Angels, released in 1963. The song became a hit for The Angels, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes revamped the old classic by adding their punk rock touch. The song gained popularity and was included in the multiple movie soundtracks, including Father of the Bride Part II and The Simpsons Movie.
The lyrics to My Boyfriend's Back have been interpreted in different ways. Some say that the song depicts female empowerment as the singer refuses to tolerate any defamation of character, while others believe that the song implies a violent response to bullying. Nonetheless, it remains a popular song amongst audiences and has been covered by many artists.
Line by Line Meaning
My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble.
You lied about me being unfaithful so when my boyfriend finds out, you're going to have a problem.
When you see him comin', better cut on the double.
If you see him, you better run away as fast as you can.
You've been spreading lies that I was untrue.
You've been telling people that I was cheating on my boyfriend, which is not true.
So look out now 'cause he's comin' after you.
Be careful because my boyfriend is coming to confront you.
And he knows that you've been tryin',
He knows that you've been making false claims about me and trying to break us up.
And he knows that you've been lyin'.
He knows that you've been deceitful and spreading rumors.
He's been gone for such a long time.
My boyfriend has been away for a long period.
Now he's back and things will be fine.
But now that he has returned, things will go back to normal.
You're gonna be sorry you were ever born.
You'll regret ever messing with me once my boyfriend is through with you.
'Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong.
My boyfriend is a tough guy and you won't be able to handle him.
And he knows about your cheatin',
My boyfriend is aware of the lies you've been spreading about me.
Now you're gonna get a beatin'.
You're going to get punished for your actions.
What made you think he'd believe all your lies? (Ah-oo, ah-oo.)
You're foolish for thinking my boyfriend would believe the rumors you've spread about me. (Ah-oo, ah-oo)
You're a big man now, but he'll cut you down to size! (Ah-oo.)
You may think you're tough, but my boyfriend will show you otherwise. (Ah-oo)
My boyfriend's back, he's gonna save my reputation (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
My boyfriend is back to clear my name and reputation. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
If I were you, I'd take a permanent vacation. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
If I were you, I'd leave town and never come back now that my boyfriend is here to settle things. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back.)
La-di-la, my boyfriend's back! La-di-la, my boyfriend's back!
I'm thrilled that my boyfriend is back and ready to put things right. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend's back!)
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GERALD GOLDSTEIN, BOB FELDMAN, RICHARD GOTTEHRER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind