"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.