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.
Stand By Me
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
Well I won't be afraid, No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
So darling, darling
Stand by me, won't you stand by me
Stand by me
When the sky that we look upon tumble and falls
And the mountains crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
So darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
I won't cry no, I won't cry no
I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you fuckin stand by me
So darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
When the sky that we look upon crumble and falls
And the mountains tumble to the sea
I won't cry no, I won't cry no
I won't be afraid
Just as long as you fuckin stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by
hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
The lyrics of the song Stand by Me by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes convey a message of dependability and support. The lyrics talk about how, even in the darkest times, the presence of a loved one can give hope and strength. The first part of the song sets the ambiance of darkness and only the moonlight to give some light. The singer sings about how they won't be afraid as long as their loved one stands by them. The second verse talks about how the world around them may crumble or fall apart, but as long as their loved one is there, they will not cry or shed a tear. The song's chorus repeats the message that the singer needs their loved one to stand by them.
The opening lines set the tone of uncertainty and despair. The singer is looking for reassurance and support as they navigate the dark and uncertain passage of life. The song's message of support and encouragement resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. The song invites listeners to find a shoulder to cry on and someone to stand by them for a sense of comfort and hope. The song's lyrics are an example of how music can speak to people's emotions and provide a source of strength through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
When the night has come
When darkness engulfs us
And the land is dark
And the world around us is shrouded in darkness
And the moon is the only light we'll see
And the only source of light is the moon
Well I won't be afraid, No I won't be afraid
But I won't be afraid, no matter what
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
As long as you support me, I will have the courage to persevere
So darling, darling
My beloved
Stand by me, won't you stand by me
Please stand by me
When the sky that we look upon tumble and falls
If the world falls apart
And the mountains crumble to the sea
And mountains erode into the ocean
I won't cry, I won't cry
I will remain strong
No I won't shed a tear
I won't let my emotions consume me
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
As long as you stand by my side and support me
So darling, darling
My beloved
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Please stand by me and give me strength
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Be there for me, now and always
When the night has come
When darkness engulfs us
And the land is dark
And the world around us is shrouded in darkness
And the moon is the only light we'll see
And the only source of light is the moon
I won't cry no, I won't cry no
I will remain resilient, I won't break down
I won't shed a tear
I won't let sadness overcome me
Just as long as you fuckin stand by me
If you stand by me, I will face anything without fear
Darling, darling
My beloved
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Please stand by me and support me
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Stay with me through thick and thin
When the sky that we look upon crumble and falls
If the world falls apart
And the mountains tumble to the sea
And mountains erode into the ocean
I won't cry no, I won't cry no
I will remain resilient, I won't break down
I won't be afraid
I won't let fear consume me
Just as long as you fuckin stand by me
As long as you are there for me, I can overcome anything
Darling, darling
My beloved
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Please stand by me and give me the strength to endure
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Stay with me always, through thick and thin
Darling, darling
My beloved
Stand by me, oh won't you stand by me
Please stand with me and give me the courage to face anything
Oh won't you stand, won't you stand, stand by me
Be my support and stay with me now and forever
hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
A joyful, upbeat refrain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Benjamin Earl Nelson, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind