The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were… Read Full Bio ↴The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were active through 1996. They are peers with Screeching Weasel, The Queers and other bands from the era, they are also heavily-influenced by the Ramones. Joey Vindicitive's characteristic nasal melodies often told the story of alienation, psychosis, social-ills, and contiunally rejected rules of politeness. The lyrics are often intelligent outrages communicated through intentionally immature self defeating soliloquies.

They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Billy Blastoff (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), P.J. Parti (drums) and Erik Elsewhere (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 albums until July of 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on. Luckily for him, he overcame his ailments to re-form the band in 2000, cutting a new album and overseeing the re-release of a significant part of their catalog. Dr. Bob died in 2003 due to a heroin overdose. Their song "The Invisible Man" was featured in the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs, where it attracted attention to restart the band once more in 2013, releasing a new EP titled Mono-Flexi, and to remaster most of their previous songs as Songbooks coming in volumes starting from I to III.

The Vindictives' website is currently down indefinitely.

Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
The Vindictives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Originally by Ramones]

I was feeling sick I was loosing my mind I heard about these treatments
From a good friend of mine he was always happy smile on his face
He said he had a great time at the place

Peace and love is here to stay and now I can wake up and face the day
Happy happy happy all the time shock treatment, I'm doing fine

Gimme gimme shock treatment Gimme gimme shock treatment
Gimme gimme shock treatment I wanna, wanna shock treatment

I was feeling sick I was loosing my mind I heard about these treatments
From a good friend of mine he was always happy smile on his face
He said he had a great time at the place

Peace and love is here to stay and now I can wake up and face the day
Happy happy happy all the time shock treatment, I'm doing fine

Gimme gimme shock treatment Gimme gimme shock treatment
Gimme gimme shock treatment Gimme gimme shock treatment

Gimme gimme shock treatment Gimme gimme shock treatment
Gimme gimme shock treatment I wanna, wanna shock treatment

Overall Meaning

The Vindictives's song Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment is a cover of the original song by Ramones. The lyrics describe the singer's experience of feeling sick and losing their mind. They heard about shock treatments from a friend who always seemed happy and had a smile on his face. The singer decides to try the shock treatment and finds that they feel much better. They are now happy all the time and can face the day with ease. The singer's desire for "gimme gimme shock treatment" is a clear indication of how desperate they were to feel better and find relief from their mental illness.

The song is a dark commentary on the use of shock treatment as a form of treatment for mental illness. The singer's experience is presented as an extreme and desperate situation that led them to try a controversial and often dangerous form of therapy. The repetition of the phrase "gimme gimme shock treatment" creates a sense of urgency and desperation, highlighting the singer's need for relief.

Although some may interpret the song as glorifying the use of shock treatment, others see it as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unregulated and untested forms of therapy. The lyrics suggest that the singer's experience is not necessarily typical and that shock treatment may not be the best or safest treatment option for mental illness.

Line by Line Meaning

I was feeling sick I was loosing my mind I heard about these treatments
I was struggling mentally and my friend told me about a treatment.

From a good friend of mine he was always happy smile on his face
The friend who recommended the treatment was always happy and had a positive outlook on life.

He said he had a great time at the place
My friend had a positive experience at the treatment center.

Peace and love is here to stay and now I can wake up and face the day
After receiving shock treatment, I feel better and more prepared to face daily life.

Happy happy happy all the time shock treatment, I'm doing fine
The shock treatment has improved my mental state and made me feel happy.

Gimme gimme shock treatment Gimme gimme shock treatment
I want to receive shock treatment because I believe it will help me.

Gimme gimme shock treatment I wanna, wanna shock treatment
I really want to receive shock treatment because I believe it will be beneficial for me.

Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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