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.
The Longest Time
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a suspect device that left two thousand dead
If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write
What else could I do
I'm so inspired by you
That hasn't happened for the longest time
Once I thought my innocence was gone
Now I know that happiness goes on
That's how you found me
When you put your arms around me
I haven't been there for the longest time
Whoa, oh, oh
For the longest time
Whoa, oh, oh
For the longest
I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall
And the greatest miracle of all
Is how I need you
And how you needed me too
That hasn't happened for the longest time
Maybe this won't last very long
But you feel so right
And I could be wrong
Maybe I've been hoping too hard
But I've gone this far
And it's more than I hoped for
Who knows how much further we'll go on
Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone
I'll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven't been there for the longest time
Whoa, oh, oh
For the longest time
Whoa, oh, oh
For the longest time
Whoa, oh, oh
For the longest time
Whoa, oh, oh
The song "The Longest Time" by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a ballad about love and inspiration. The opening lyrics describe an explosive device that caused significant destruction, suggesting that the singer may have experienced trauma or loss. However, despite this, the singer is inspired, and if their lover were to leave them, they would still have music to write because of the inspiration they have received. This shows that even in the darkest times, there is still hope and inspiration to be found.
The second verse describes how the singer once believed their innocence was gone, but that happiness goes on. This is likely a reference to a past trauma or heartbreak that they had previously experienced. The chorus repeats the phrase "for the longest time," emphasizing that the singer has not experienced these feelings of love and inspiration for a long time. The third verse talks about the power of love and how it brings two people together in a miraculous way. The singer expresses how much they need their lover and how much their lover needs them in return. They also acknowledge that this type of connection is rare and special, which is why they haven't felt this way in the longest time.
Overall, "The Longest Time" is a powerful and emotional song about love, inspiration, and hope. It emphasizes that even in the darkest moments, there is still a chance for happiness and inspiration to be found, and that the power of love can overcome even the greatest difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Inflammable material's implanted in my head
My mind is on fire with passion and inspiration
It's a suspect device that left two thousand dead
The explosiveness of my creative ideas can have a powerful impact
If you said goodbye to me tonight
Even if you were to leave me now
There would still be music left to write
I would still have plenty of inspiration to create art
What else could I do
There would be no other option for me than to continue creating
I'm so inspired by you
Your influence on me is immense
That hasn't happened for the longest time
I have not felt this creatively engaged in a very long time
Once I thought my innocence was gone
I believed my creative drive was lost
Now I know that happiness goes on
But now I know that creative passion doesn't have to fade away
That's how you found me
You helped me rediscover my artistic drive
When you put your arms around me
By embracing me, you ignited my creativity once again
I haven't been there for the longest time
It has been so long since I felt creative passion like this
Whoa, oh, oh
Expressive interlude
For the longest time
For so long
I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall
I am that creative voice that echoes through your mind
And the greatest miracle of all
The most incredible thing of all
Is how I need you
Is my need for your inspiration to fuel my creativity
And how you needed me too
And how you need my art to bring meaning to your life
That hasn't happened for the longest time
I have not experienced this level of mutual artistic inspiration in ages
Maybe this won't last very long
Perhaps our creative spark is fleeting
But you feel so right
But right now, you are the perfect muse
And I could be wrong
But it is entirely possible that my creative inspiration could be misguided
Maybe I've been hoping too hard
It is possible that my yearning for inspiration has blinded me
But I've gone this far
But I am too invested in this moment to turn back
And it's more than I hoped for
And the depth of creativity that has arisen is even more than I expected
Who knows how much further we'll go on
Who knows what incredible art we might create together in the future
Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone
Perhaps looking back, I will regret how much I relied on your inspiration
I'll take my chances
But for now, I am willing to embrace the inspiration you bring
I forgot how nice romance is
I had forgotten how wonderful it is to be creatively in love
I haven't been there for the longest time
It has been so long since I felt creative passion like this
Whoa, oh, oh
Expressive interlude
For the longest time
For so long
Whoa, oh, oh
Expressive interlude
For the longest time
For so long
Whoa, oh, oh
Expressive interlude
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY JOEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind