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.
Stairway to Heaven
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh,
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
Ooh, ooh,
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
Aah, aah,
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
In these lyrics, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover Led Zeppelin's classic hit "Stairway to Heaven." The song opens with a description of a woman who believes that all that glitters is gold and is buying a stairway to heaven. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for someone who believes that material possessions and wealth will bring them happiness and allow them to reach some sort of higher state of being. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that this woman may be misguided in her quest for enlightenment.
The lyrics suggest that the woman believes that she will be able to obtain whatever she wants with a single word, indicating a sense of entitlement and privilege. However, there is a sense of uncertainty in the lyrics, as the woman is not sure if the stores will be closed when she reaches her destination. This could symbolize the unpredictability of life and the fact that even those who have wealth and power are not immune to setbacks or disappointment.
The second verse introduces the idea that words can have multiple meanings, which further highlights the ambiguity and complexity of the woman's journey. She may be seeking something deeper and more meaningful than simple material possessions, but she is unsure how to articulate or achieve this goal. Ultimately, the song suggests that the woman's quest for enlightenment may be a futile one, as she is focused on the wrong things and does not fully understand what she is seeking.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
There is a woman who firmly believes that anything that shines is valuable and desirable.
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
She is attempting to purchase the way to paradise, despite the fact that it is not for sale.
When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed
She is confident that she will be able to get what she wants when she arrives, even if the usual avenues are unavailable.
With a word she can get what she came for
She has a special power to obtain anything she wants by merely speaking it into existence.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
Once more, she is attempting to buy her way into paradise, despite the fact that it is impossible.
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
There is a warning or guidance displayed, but she wants to confirm for herself that she is following the correct path.
Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
She suspects that people may be using language in a way that is open to interpretation, deliberately misleading her or concealing certain truths.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
Once more, she is attempting to use her wealth to enter paradise and is doomed to failure.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY PAGE, ROBERT PLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind