Delta Rhythm Boys and The Andrews Sisters - Gimme Some Skin My Friend (Videos & Lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases videos and lyrics of the 1940s Jazz song "Gimme Some Skin, My Friend" that was first sung by the African American group The Delta Rhythm Boys and then adapted & sung by the Anglo-American trio The Andrews Sisters. Both of these songs appear to be instructional in nature, implying that "giving some skin" may have been a new custom, at least outside of African American communities.

This content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners.

My thanks to the composers, vocalists, musicians, and producers of these film clips. My thanks also to the uploaders of these clips.

FEATURED VIDEOS
The Delta Rhythm Boys - Gimme Some Skin My Friend



Uploaded by SyberkaPL on Nov 15, 2008

Next excellent song by the Delta Rhythm Boys!
-snip-
This recording by The Delta Rhythm Boys song was first released in March 1940.
Source: http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/delta_rhythm_boys.html

LYRICS: GIMMY SOME SKIN MY FRIEND
(Composer ?; as sung by The Delta Rhythm Boys)*

Spoken: Voice #1: I dig this jive now, man
Voice #2: Yeah! Yeah!
Voice #3 Come on who's this [?]

[Sung]
Ah gimmy some skin.
You dig me.
Gimmy some skin.
It’s easy.
Ah gimmy some skin.
All you do, Jack
Is slip your hand in mine.

Well gimmy some skin.
Hold hands out.
Gimmy some skin.
Then you’ll shout
Ah gimmy some skin.
You’ll know you
met a pal that’s really fine, boys.
Shakin hands is all taboo
when you come to Harlem town.
Boy!
There is one thing you must do.
Don’t be ah break down.

Gimmy some skin.
Do uptown.
Gimmy some skin.
To your gal.
Gimmy some skin.
Now you know how.
Come on and fall in line.

Voice #1 [spoken] Yeah!
Voice #2 [spoken/rapping] – Now the thing is very graceful [?] and is easy to do.
Why do you ball uptown and meet some jive and do [?]
You’ll find the hep cats do’s it and even squares
If you don’t dig it, you ain’t nowhere.
If you said something clever or tell a big lie
Or catch a fly wink from ah chick passin by.
When you know you’re so sharp in the game that you play.
You’re so smooth, they got to say

Well, gimmy some skin.
You dig me.
Ah gimmy some skin.
It’s easy.
Ah gimmy some skin.
All you do, Jack, is slip your hand in mine.

Well gimme some skin.
Hold hands out.
Gimmy some skin
then you’ll shout
Gimmy some skin
You’ll know you
met a pal that’s really fine, boy.

Oh who would ever knew that shaking hands was so taboo.
No matter who
They all give skin.
Soon in Argentina and in Porta Catalina
They’ll all be sayin

Well gimme some skin
Well in a while it will be the style
Gimmy some skin
The whole world hip to a fad that is the style.
Gimmy some skin.
It’s the new beat
It’s the swing when you sing
My pal, my gal
My skin.
And you are my friend
Gimmy some skin!

-snip-
*Transcription by Azizi Powell, 7/11/2012 from the video. Corrections and additions are welcome. A question mark within brackets means that I'm uncertain what was said or sung. I used the spelling "gimmy" for the word "gimme" (give me) as it was spelled that way in the title given in the film clips.

-snip-
I consider the spoken lines in this song to be an early example of rap.

Notice the backhanded "low five" (skin) at 1:50.

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FEATURED VIDEO: Andrews Sisters - Gimme Some Skin, My Friend



Uploaded by aSmokersDelightI on May 8, 2007
-snip-
This film clip is from the 1941 American movie In The Navy starring Abbott & Costello.

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LYRICS: GIMME SOME SKIN MY FRIEND
Gene Vincent De Paul (music) Don Raye (lyrics), 1941
as recorded by The Andrews Sisters, 1941

You like my smile,
You like my style,
Well, why don't you make me know it?
You like my walk,
You like my talk,
Well, there's only one way to show it!

If you want to shake my hand
like they do it in Harlem,
Stick your hand right out and shout,
"Gimme some skin, my friend!".

Step right up and take your stand,
You don't have to be timid!
Stick your hand right out and shout,
"Gimme some skin, my friend!".

Smack it!
Wack it!
Let your hand rotate.
Show it!
Blow it!
Put it in your pocket till a future date!

If you want to shake my hand
like they do it in Harlem,
Stick your hand right out and shout,
"Gimme some skin, my friend!".

If you like my style,
Well show it!
If you like my smile,
Let me know it!
If you like my walk,
Please tell me!
If you like my talk,
Well, skin me papa, skin me!

If you want to shake my hand
like they do it in Harlem, baby,
Stick your hand right out and shout,
"Gimme some skin, my friend!".

Step right up and take your stand,
You don't have to be timid, baby!
Stick your hand right out and shout,
"Gimme some skin, my friend!".

Smack it!
Wack it my friend!
Let your hand rotate.
Show it!
Blow it!
Put it in your pocket till a future date!

Step right up (what for?) and shake my hand,
Like they do it in Harlem today, (how do they do it?)
just stick your hand out and give out with the shout,
"Gimme some skin, my friend!".

If you want to shake my hand
like they do it in Harlem,
Stick your hand right out and shout,
"Gimme some skin,
Gimme some skin,
Gimme some skin, my friend!".

Source: http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/g/gimmesomeskinmyfriend.shtml

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html Five On The Black Hand Side [Part I of a four part series on African American hand shakes].

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