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.
Sodomy
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fellatio
Cunnilingus
Pederasty
Father, Why do these words sound so nasty?
Masturbation
Join the holy orgy
Kama Sutra
Everyone!
The lyrics to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes's song "Sodomy" are controversial to some listeners, but the song's message does bear a deeper meaning that can be interpreted through a lens of sexual liberation. The chorus lists out various sexual acts, including sodomy, fellatio, cunnilingus, and pederasty. The singer of the song asks their father why these words sound so nasty, which suggests that the singer has been taught that these acts are shameful and taboo. The bridge then goes on to suggest that masturbation can be fun, and that everyone should join the holy orgy.
While the lyrics may seem sacrilegious to some, the song is actually a commentary on sexual repression and religious teachings that often demonize sexuality. The line "join the holy orgy" is a direct challenge to religious institutions that preach sexual abstinence and shame those who engage in non-monogamous or non-heteronormative sexual behavior. The song also calls for people to embrace their sexual desires and explore them without shame.
Line by Line Meaning
Sodomy
Engaging in anal sex
Fellatio
Performing oral sex on a penis
Cunnilingus
Performing oral sex on a vulva
Pederasty
Sexual activity between a man and a boy
Father, Why do these words sound so nasty?
Asking why society has deemed these sexual acts as taboo or dirty.
Masturbation
Sexual stimulation of one's own genitals
Can be fun
Masturbation is a normal and healthy part of sexuality
Join the holy orgy
Participate in group sex, where it is consensual and all parties are aware
Kama Sutra
An ancient Indian text which describes human sexual behavior
Everyone!
All people can embrace and explore their sexuality, as long as it is safe, legal, and consensual
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GALT MAC DERMOT, GEROME RAGNI, JAMES RADO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind