Guadalajara was founded in 1999. In 2001, they attain 2nd place at the "Aus… Read Full Bio ↴Guadalajara was founded in 1999. In 2001, they attain 2nd place at the "Austrian Newcomer Band contest" at the Orpheum in Graz. 2002 the band records its first full length album "All you can dance". Singer Ernesto leaves the band shortly afterwards because of private reasons. Guitarist Volker Schaffler takes over the microphone and now does both jobs. Trumpeter Bernhard Kaufmann and singer/guitarist Volker Schaffler write the lyrics.

In 2003 "Austria's best Ska band"(Slamzine 03) tours through Austria and Germany together with 3 Feet Smaller, And the winner is (D) and Cheek Dakota. After being discovered by Austrian alternative radio stations, their single "Mondays", a Bob Geldof cover, is on heavy rotation and Guadalajara becomes an insiders' tip. Finally, the song can be found in several radio charts and in the year's charts of Radio Soundportal 97, 9 FM.

In 2004 Guadalajara plays, besides a multitude of club gigs, at 2 two of the biggest Austrian rock festivals, the "2 Days A Week" festival in Wiesen and the "Frequency Festival" at the Salzburgring with bands like Velvet Revolver, The Offspring, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, Die Ärzte, Seeed, Shortly afterwards, Thomas Rathkolb, the long standing bassist, leaves the band to spend more time on his job. Together with temporary bassist Gerald Zollner the band records its 2nd album at the studio of Naked Lunch bassist Herwig "Fuzzman" Zamernik in December 2004.

Early in March 2005 the current album named "Trampled Pathways" (Acute Music/ Edel) is released and followed by a headliner tour through Austria with an average number of 300 visitors. "Trampled Pathways" is voted "record of the week" by Radio Soundportal 97, 9 FM and the first single "Short Time Romance" goes straight up to the 2nd place of the Soundportal charts. The song is on first place of the independent-club user charts for 2 weeks and stays at the Top Ten of the Campus Radio charts for some weeks. Additionally, the song is on rotation on Fm4 radio. From February to September 2005, Guadalajara plays about 50 gigs, for example at the "Aerodrome" festival with bands like Rammstein, Slipknot, The Hives, Asian Dub Foundation, as well as on the radio Fm4 stage at the Donauinselfest in Vienna. The Guadalajara-live-train is rolling and it seems to be unstoppable!!!

Is It
Guadalajara Lyrics

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Is it your smile or it's your hairstyle?
Is it the way you think you are
You think there is no end of yourself
Attitude as a remaining scar

You are as thick as two short planks
You're at the ground of all social ranks
Don't be offended let's shake our hands

I could kick your ass day in day out
I could kick your ass day and night

You are a mad prick
And I'm the best bad ass kicker
In the whole small town
and everywhere around
If I meet you and your friends
Shouting out your rallying cries

I'm gonna knock the stuffing out'ya
Smash you down to pocket size

Overall Meaning

The song "Is It" by Guadalajara is a catchy and upbeat tune with somewhat insulting lyrics that may leave the listener scratching their head. The lyrics contain a mix of compliments and insults, and the message overall seems to encourage the listener to re-evaluate their self-importance. The first verse suggests that the person being addressed may believe that they are better than others due to their smile or hairstyle, or perhaps their general attitude. The line, "Attitude as a remaining scar," may imply that the person's attitude stems from past experiences that have left them with emotional scars.

The second verse of the song, however, takes a more aggressive turn. The line, "You are as thick as two short planks," is a British insult meaning that the person is not very smart. The following line, "You're at the ground of all social ranks," suggests that the person being addressed is at the very bottom of the social ladder. Despite these seemingly harsh words, the chorus seems to be saying that there is no hard feelings and that the two should shake hands. The last verse of the song is the most aggressive, with the singer threatening to "kick [the listener's] ass day in and day out" and "smash [them] down to pocket size" if they and their friends continue to act like bullies.

Overall, "Is It" seems to be a song about self-importance and bullying. The lyrics suggest that it's okay to take pride in oneself but not at the expense of others. The chorus indicates that there is no real animosity between the singer and the person being addressed, and the threats of violence at the end are perhaps a tongue-in-cheek way of driving the point home.

Line by Line Meaning

Is it your smile or it's your hairstyle?
Do I find you attractive because of your smile or your hairstyle?

Is it the way you think you are
Do I find you attractive because of your self-confidence?

You think there is no end of yourself
You have an inflated sense of self-worth

Attitude as a remaining scar
Your bad attitude is a lasting negative trait

You are as thick as two short planks
You are very unintelligent

You're at the ground of all social ranks
You have the lowest social status

Don't be offended let's shake our hands
Let's forget our differences and make peace

I could kick your ass day in day out
I could beat you up repeatedly

I could kick your ass day and night
I could beat you up at any time

You are a mad prick
You are crazy and unpleasant

And I'm the best bad ass kicker
I am great at fighting and intimidating others