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!!!
The Great Ape Venture
Guadalajara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even smarter than the brain
Alltime ready to pull his gun
George W. was his name
More war less education is his effort
Continuing his predecessors job
Just waiting for another war opportunity
The dictator of the cultureless
The rocketman for the wealth
The leader of all braindead robots
He is Texas most famous cowboy
His father was a dick
And so is he
Dickness is a part of his whole family
Justified in the name of god
Another senseless war he fought
The Great Ape Venture by Guadalajara is a politically charged song that talks about George W. Bush and his role as a notorious bully. The lyrics paint a picture of George as someone who is smarter than the average person and always ready to pull his gun. He is someone who is more interested in war than education and is always waiting for an opportunity to start a new war. The song accuses him of keeping the population scared and being the leader of all braindead robots. He is dubbed as the most famous cowboy in Texas, but his father and he have been described as being "dicks" and that "dickness" runs in their family. The senseless war that he fought is justified in the name of God.
The song is a clever commentary on the politics of the time and highlights the music band's ability to not only create catchy tunes but also write sharp and provocative lyrics. The song is a reminder of the political climate of the early 2000s and the role of the United States in the world's politics. It is a critical comment on the Bush administration and their policies, reflecting the opinion of many across the globe.
Line by Line Meaning
He was the schoolyard bully of the world
He was a dominant and aggressive figure on the world stage, much like a bully in a schoolyard.
Even smarter than the brain
He possessed intelligence exceeding that of the brain, making him a shrewd and cunning leader.
Alltime ready to pull his gun
He was always prepared to use force, often resorting to violence as his first solution.
George W. was his name
The individual being referred to by the previous lines is former US President George W. Bush.
More war less education is his effort
His focus was on pursuing military conflicts rather than prioritizing education.
Continuing his predecessors job
He continued with the policies and actions of those who came before him, particularly with regards to foreign wars and military intervention.
Just waiting for another war opportunity
He was always looking for an opportunity to engage in warfare, almost eagerly awaiting the next conflict to arise.
While keeping the population scared
He was successful in instilling fear among ordinary people, in part by using the threat of terrorism as a pretext for war.
The dictator of the cultureless
He was seen as an authoritarian figure who lacked an appreciation of the cultural diversity and richness of the world.
The rocketman for the wealth
He was perceived as a promoter of corporate interests and wealth accumulation, often at the expense of the working class and impoverished.
The leader of all braindead robots
He had a group of followers who were loyal to him almost blindly, without much independent thought or questioning.
He is Texas most famous cowboy
As a native of Texas, he was often associated with the state's cowboy culture, but his policies and actions were seen as antithetical to this image.
His father was a dick
The singer is referring to George W. Bush's father, former US President George H.W. Bush, whom they view negatively.
And so is he
George W. Bush is also viewed negatively by the singer, for similar reasons as his father.
Dickness is a part of his whole family
The singer suggests that the Bush family has a history of exhibiting traits such as arrogance and lack of empathy for others.
Justified in the name of god
He often invoked religion as a justification for his actions, particularly in the context of the war on terror.
Another senseless war he fought
The artist sees the wars that George W. Bush engaged in during his presidency as unnecessary and lacking a clear rationale.
Contributed by Gabriella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.