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!!!
Trampled Down Pathways
Guadalajara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so much to see so little time
why always hurry up and wait
slow down and then accelerate
why flog a dead horse with work others can do
lean back, nothing more, nothing less to do
If these are the footprints I should step in
To walk the trampled down pathways
Society's mainstream wants me to
Fathers invest vitality
That their companies work well
While families just break apart
Values are produce and sell
Whats a pile of money for
When there's no one to share with
A lack of souvenirs
of experiences
The lyrics of Guadalajara's song Trampled Down Pathways speak to the pressures that society puts on individuals to conform to certain standards, particularly with regards to work and success. The first verse questions the traditional 9-to-5 workday and the rush to accomplish everything in a limited amount of time. The line "why flog a dead horse with work others can do" suggests that sometimes work can be meaningless and it may be more beneficial to sit back and let others take over. The overall message is that life is about more than just work and success, and sometimes it is important to slow down and appreciate other aspects of life.
The second verse focuses on the idea of success and how it can often come at a cost to family and relationships. The line "fathers invest vitality that their companies work well, while families just break apart" suggests that the pressure to succeed in work can come at the expense of personal relationships. The line "what's a pile of money for, when there's no one to share with" emphasizes the idea that success is not just measured by monetary gain, but also by the quality of relationships and experiences. In essence, the song encourages individuals to carve their own path in life, one that prioritizes personal fulfillment and relationships over societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Why working in a job from nine to five
Questioning the traditional work schedule and limited time to explore the world
so much to see so little time
The world is vast and time is short, making it difficult to experience all it has to offer
why always hurry up and wait
Being rushed to complete tasks and then waiting around, leading to a chaotic schedule
slow down and then accelerate
Take a break before diving back into work, to avoid feeling overwhelmed
why flog a dead horse with work others can do
Why continue to work on something already completed by someone else, when there are other tasks to tackle
lean back, nothing more, nothing less to do
Take some much-needed relaxation time, with no specific tasks, to recharge
If these are the footprints I should step in
If these are the societal norms I am expected to follow
I probably wear the wrong shoes
I may not be well-suited to conforming to these societal expectations
To walk the trampled down pathways
To follow the well-worn path of societal norms
Society's mainstream wants me to
Society expects me to conform to its norms and standards
Fathers invest vitality
Fathers work tirelessly to ensure their companies perform well
That their companies work well
Fathers work long hours to ensure their companies are successful
While families just break apart
The long work hours lead to a breakdown of familial relationships
Values are produce and sell
Values and morals are being commoditized and used as a means of profit
Whats a pile of money for
What is the value of wealth if one has no one to share it with?
When there's no one to share with
Having an abundance of money is meaningless without people to share it with
A lack of souvenirs
A lack of experiences
of experiences
Adventures and moments worth cherishing that one can look back on fondly
Contributed by Logan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.