I'd encourage you to listen to the song and read through the lyrics before diving into the post.
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Bbq’n chicken on da charcoal fire
Sumthin’ in da kitchen and it smell so nice
Grandma Harrell made the pretzel jello cream pie
Gimme Gimme five on the Blackhand side
Cookie say she comin Auntie Ann outside
Even uncle Larry said he finna stop by
Afros corn rows everybody fly
Gimme Gimme five on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
All the nephews is hoopin’
Nieces is jumpin’ rope
Old Folks gettin’ loud slappin’ down bones
Gene and Uncle Polk out back wit’ a smoke
Uncle Lin is sippin’ on somethin’ and crackin’ jokes
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Bottles in the sky
Pour it to the ground
Remember the joy, the happiness and the smiles
Remember to love the ones that are still around
Gimme Gimme shuga like it’s goin’ out of style
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme my roses while I’m still alive, yeah
I said Gimme my roses while I’m still alive, yeah
I said Gimme my roses while I’m still alive, yeah
Rest in peace Grandma Harrell
Rest in peace Cousin Cookie
Rest in peace Auntie Anne
Uncle Larry
Grandma Gene
Uncle Polk
Rip Uncle Lin
If you love your peoples
Betta let ‘em know while you still can
I said Gimme my roses while I’m still alive
12 - Gimme Gimme Shuga
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Bbq’n chicken on da charcoal fire
Sumthin’ in da kitchen and it smell so nice
Grandma Harrell made the pretzel jello cream pie
Gimme Gimme five on the Blackhand side
Cookie say she comin Auntie Ann outside
Even uncle Larry said he finna stop by
Afros corn rows everybody fly
Gimme Gimme five on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
All the nephews is hoopin’
Nieces is jumpin’ rope
Old Folks gettin’ loud slappin’ down bones
Gene and Uncle Polk out back wit’ a smoke
Uncle Lin is sippin’ on somethin’ and crackin’ jokes
The album “A Time Like This” addresses a lot of heavy topics, particularly issues of race in America. Despite centuries of outside forces trying to demoralize and destroy our community, black Americans have developed a rich and beautiful culture. “Gimme Gimme Shuga” is a celebration of black culture as a whole, as well as a tribute to my particular black family. Asking for shuga (sugar) is a southern American way of asking for a kiss, usually on the cheek between family, but it can also refer to romantic kisses between lovers. My paternal grandmother is from Prentiss, Mississippi. Every single time I saw her her as child, she would say “Gimme some shuga.”
Asking for a high five “on the blackhand side” is a way of celebrating blackness. A traditional high five or handshake is done with the palm of your hand. For most black people, the skin of the palm is much lighter than the backside of the hand. When we slap hands on the blackhand side, it simultaneously affirms friendship between the two individuals, as well as affirming the beauty of black identity and solidarity in the black community.
The lyrics of verses one and two paint the scene of a typical black family barbecue, also known as a cookout. Someone is grilling chicken in the backyard while others are preparing food in the kitchen. People show up wearing hairstyles that embrace the natural texture of black hair, “afros, corn rows (braids that lay flat on the head) , everybody fly.” The children are playing games popular among black youth. “All the nephews is hoopin’ (playing basketball), nieces is jumpin’ rope, (more specifically double dutch, a jump rope game that involves jumping between two revolving jump ropes). Old folks gettin’ loud slappin’ down bones.” The term “bones” is what black people call the game of dominoes. “Slappin’ bones” refers to the enthusiastic way someone lays a domino down on the table when they are excited. The card game of spades is also well loved by older generation black folks particularly. Spades is not in the lyrics of the song but needed to be mentioned in order to do the black family cookout justice.
Verses one and two are also filled with personal references to my family. “Grandma Harrell made the pretzel jello cream pie.” I have never known the actual name of this dessert, but my maternal grandmother has made a pretzel jello cream pie thing-a-ma-jig all my life. In recent years she taught my sister how to make it as well. This is the recipe which was being discussed in the intro to the song. All of the names mentioned in verses one and two are actual members of my family. Their various activities reflect them as individuals. My Grandma Gene and Uncle Polk both smoke cigarettes regularly. “Uncle Lin is sippin on somethin’ and crackin’ jokes.” My Uncle Lin is the family comedian with a contagious laugh. You don’t even have to know what he’s laughing about, you will just laugh because his laughter make you so happy. Everybody is gettin’ and givin’ shuga in this song.
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Bottles in the sky
Pour it to the ground
Remember the joy, the happiness and the smiles
Remember to love the ones that are still around
Gimme Gimme shuga like it’s goin’ out of style
In verse three, I honor members of the black community who have passed away. In black american culture, when a friend or family member dies, it is common to pour the first sip of a newly opened drink on the ground (usually some sort of alcohol), in honor of the recently deceased. Growing up, I was aware of this tradition, but never knew where it came from. I never questioned it either. Black folks just seemed to do it instinctively. A few years back I was able to take a trip to west Africa. While I was in Ghana, I met with professor Irene at the University of Accra. While she was talking, she explained that in local tribes, whenever a significant life event happens, like a family moving into a new home, or a marriage, people will gather while someone pours drink on the ground. This action is intended to call on the spirits of the ancestors to come and bless the new endeavor. My face lit up! I raised my hand and explained how black Americans pour drink on the ground for the recently deceased. I asked her if she thought this may have been a morphing of the west african ancestral blessing passed down through the centuries, especially considering that many American slaves came from the region of Ghana. She was unaware of the practice in black America before I told her, but she enthusiastically agreed with my hypothesis. She went on to explain a field of study called Africanisms, which explores traditions in the african diaspora, and makes connections back to african cultures. Black people in North and South America, the Caribbean, and all over the world have habits and traditions that they might not realize came from their roots in the motherland.
This verse is a reminder that we do not get to enjoy our loved ones forever. It is not only important to remember the dead, but to value the living, because the moments spent with them are precious and temporary.
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
on the Blackhand side
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme shuga
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme Gimme five
Gimme my roses while I’m still alive, yeah
I said Gimme my roses while I’m still alive, yeah
I said Gimme my roses while I’m still alive, yeah
Rest in peace Grandma Harrell
Rest in peace Cousin Cookie
Rest in peace Auntie Anne
Uncle Larry
Grandma Gene
Uncle Polk
Rip Uncle Lin
If you love your peoples
Betta let ‘em know while you still can
I said Gimme my roses while I’m still alive
The end of the song has an unexpected twist. The final chorus changes from “Gimme Gimme five on the blackhand side,” to “Gimme my roses while I’m still alive.” I then begin to list family members who have passed away. The listener might notice that every name mentioned at the end of the song was also mentioned earlier in verses one and two. The picture I painted of my family bbq is bittersweet. The song is upbeat and the cookout is going strong, but everyone in attendance has already passed away. This is not revealed until the end of the song. The song then goes from a mere celebration of black culture and black family to a piercing reminder to hold your loved ones tight while you still can. Let people know you appreciate them while they can still feel your love. Give them roses while they can still smell them. Gimme my roses while I’m still alive.
Grace and Peace,
Micah
