"Gimme Three Steps" is a song by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on their 1973 debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd). It was written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant.
The song is based on a real-life experience Ronnie Van Zant had at a biker bar in Jacksonville known as The Pastime, having a gun pulled on him for dancing with another man's woman, and thus inspiring him to write the lyrics on his way home. It is memorable for its opening riff and engaging narrative of how the singer was dancing with a girl named Linda Lou at a bar called The Jug when a man, probably the girl's boyfriend or husband, enters with a loaded .44 and catches them, angrily believing her to be cheating.
The song's title refers to the chorus, where the interloper begs for a head start out of the bar: "Won't you give me three steps / Give me three steps, mister / Give me three steps towards the door? / Give me three steps / Give me three steps, mister / And you'll never see me no more."
Lyrics
I was cutting the rug
Down at a place called The Jug
With a girl named Linda Lu
When in walked a man
With a gun in his hand
And he was looking for you know who.
He said, "Hey there fellow,
With the hair colored yellow,
What you tryin' to prove?
'Cause that's my woman there
And I'm a man who cares
And this might be all for you."
I said, "Excuse me."
I was scared and fearing for my life.
I was shakin' like a leaf on a tree.
'Cause he was lean, mean,
Big and bad, Lord,
Pointin' that gun at me.
Oh "Wait a minute, mister,
I didn't even kiss her.
Don't want no trouble with you.
And I know you don't owe me
But I wish you'd let me
Ask one favor from you."
"Oh, won't you give me three steps,
Gimme three steps a-mister,
Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps
Gimme three steps a-mister,
And you'll never see a-me no more
For sure."
Well the crowd cleared away
And I began to pray
And the water fell on the floor.
And I'm telling you son,
Well, it ain't no fun
Staring straight down a forty-four.
Well he turned and screamed at Linda Lu
And that's the break I was looking for.
And you could hear me screaming a mile away
As I was headed out towards the door.
"Oh, won't you give me three steps,
Gimme three steps a-mister,
Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps
Gimme three steps a-mister,
And you'll never see a-me no more."
Show me the back door.