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.
Take It On The Run
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around
They say you got a boy friend
You're out late every weekend
They're talkin' about you and it's bringin' me down
But I know the neighborhood
And talk is cheap when the story is good
But I'm telling you, babe
That I don't think it's true, babe
And even if it is keep this in mind
You take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't want you around
I don't believe it
Not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the run
You're thinking up your white lies
You're putting on your bedroom eyes
You say you're coming home but you won't say when
But I can feel it coming
If you leave tonight keep running
And you need never look back again
You take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't want you around
I don't believe it
Not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the run
(2x)
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around
The lyrics of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes's song "Take It On The Run" revolve around a message of distrust and betrayal between lovers. The singer has heard rumors that their partner has been cheating on them, and they question the validity of these rumors by acknowledging how quickly rumors can spread and how often they can grow in their details. Despite their initial doubt, the singer ultimately reveals their fear of being lied to by their partner and tells them to leave, making it clear that they don't want to be around them anymore. The lyrics are catchy and upbeat, but there is an underlying feeling of sadness and disappointment that is portrayed through the words.
The lyrics also touch on the concept of betrayal in relationships, showcasing how it can damage one's trust and create distance between loved ones. The singer is hurt and frustrated by their partner's behavior, and they cannot help but question the validity of the rumors. The song concludes with the singer giving their partner an ultimatum, telling them to leave if they are guilty of cheating but ultimately leaving that decision up to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Heard it from a friend who
I heard the rumor from a friend of mine
Heard it from a friend who
That friend heard it from someone else
Heard it from another you been messin' around
The gossip is that you have been cheating on me
They say you got a boy friend
Rumor has it that you have a boyfriend
You're out late every weekend
People have noticed that you stay out late every weekend
They're talkin' about you and it's bringin' me down
The rumors about you are affecting me emotionally
But I know the neighborhood
I am familiar with the neighborhood and its gossip
And talk is cheap when the story is good
People love to spread juicy rumors even when they are untrue
And the tales grow taller on down the line
Rumors tend to become more exaggerated as they are passed on
But I'm telling you, babe
However, I am telling you
That I don't think it's true, babe
I don't believe the rumors are true
And even if it is keep this in mind
But even if they are true, remember this
You take it on the run baby
If you are cheating, take the consequences and leave
If that's the way you want it baby
If that is what you have chosen
Then I don't want you around
I don't want you in my life
I don't believe it
I do not believe the rumors
Not for a minute
Not even a little
You're under the gun so you take it on the run
If you are guilty, you are under pressure and should take responsibility
You're thinking up your white lies
You are coming up with lies to cover up your actions
You're putting on your bedroom eyes
You are trying to be seductive to avoid conflict
You say you're coming home but you won't say when
You're saying you'll be home soon but not giving a specific time
But I can feel it coming
I sense that something is not right
If you leave tonight keep running
If you leave tonight to continue cheating, don't come back
And you need never look back again
You can forget about your old life and start anew
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Randall Tyer
I'm 51, heard many a cover, and I firmly believe that making a cover song successful, is for the band covering it to make that song THERE OWN! These guys have done just that!!!
Jay
I'm glad this version exists!
bigemoney31
These guys are awesome!
Anna Greenlee
A lot of drunken nights listening to this.
DerZwerg811
this version is great...
Danick Cowboy
\m/ Thx for uploading
Gus
this song is making me thirsty
Sabine Mielke
Ahhhh <3 <3 <3