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.
Rainbow Connection
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
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What's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection
Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it
Look what it's done so far
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
What do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me
All of us under its spell
We know that it's probably magic
Have you been half-asleep, have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
It may be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm supposed to be
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me
The song "Rainbow Connection" by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, originally performed by Kermit the Frog in The Muppet Movie, explores the concept of hope and finding a deeper connection to the world around us. The song opens with the question "Why are there so many songs about rainbows?" suggesting that a fascination with rainbows is universal, perhaps because they seem to hold so much promise of beauty and magic. However, the lyrics also acknowledge that rainbows are simply illusions, created by light and water, and in reality, they have nothing to hide.
The lyrics then hint at a lack of faith in the societal understanding that dreams and wishes will be answered. The line "Who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on the morning star?" suggests that there is doubt about whether or not dreams will come true, despite popular belief. Yet, despite doubt and disbelief, the song suggests that the desire to hope and believe in something magical or greater than ourselves is an essential part of what makes us human. The final verse, "Have you been half-asleep, have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name. Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? It may be one and the same" links together a sense of personal longing with a nautical metaphor suggesting that the search for deeper meaning is universal and enduring.
Line by Line Meaning
Why are there so many songs about rainbows?
Why do people write so many songs about rainbows?
What's on the other side?
What is on the other end of a rainbow?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions
Rainbows are seen, but they are not real.
And rainbows have nothing to hide
Rainbows do not have any secrets.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
People have told us that rainbows are illusions and some believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see
I believe that the people who think rainbows are just illusions are wrong.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection
One day, we will discover the true meaning and importance of rainbows.
The lovers, the dreamers, and me
Everyone who believes and dreams will find the rainbow connection.
Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
Who said that every wish would come true?
When wished on the morning star?
When we make a wish upon a star in the morning?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it
Someone came up with the idea that wishing on a star makes wishes come true and people believed it.
Look what it's done so far
Look at what has been achieved from believing in this idea so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
What is so incredible that makes us keep looking at the stars?
What do we think we might see?
What are we hoping to discover when we look at the stars?
All of us under its spell
All of us are captivated by the allure and charm of the stars.
We know that it's probably magic
We understand that there is most likely something magical happening.
Have you been half-asleep, have you heard voices?
Have there been times when you were half-awake and heard sounds?
I've heard them calling my name
I have heard these sounds calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
Is this the same sound that calls sailors to the sea?
It may be one and the same
It's possible that these sounds come from the same source.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
I have heard these sounds too many times to simply ignore them.
It's something that I'm supposed to be
I feel like I am destined to understand this phenomenon.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection
One day, we will discover the true meaning and importance of rainbows.
The lovers, the dreamers, and me
Everyone who believes and dreams will find the rainbow connection.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kenny Ascher, Paul Hamilton Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind