The band was already established in 1994 by Rümenapp, Ude and Poschwatta, when the vocalist Sandra Nasic joined later that year. They recorded 3 demo tapes, but their career took off in 1996 after winning the Local Hero contest for unsigned bands. They used the prize money for recording their first hit "Open Your Eyes" and shot a video for that song. They also signed to GUN/Supersonic Records.
"Open Your Eyes" was released as a single (#5 GER) and was followed by their debut album Proud Like a God in 6 October 1997. The album ranked #4 and it was certified platinum in Germany. Two other singles helped the album's popularity and sales: "Rain" (#76 GER) and "Lords of the Boards" (#10 GER). "Lord of the Boards" is performed as the closing song on every Guano Apes concert.
In 1999, they issued the stand alone single "Don't You Turn Your Back on Me" (# 50 GER).
In 2 May 2000, Guano Apes released the sophomore album, Don't Give Me Names. This #1 album in Germany was certifed gold in the same country and it was promoted by four singles: "Big in Japan" (#9 GER, #5 IT), "No Speech" (#75 GER), "Living in a Lie" (#84 GER) and "Dödel Up" (#57 GER).
In 2001, the band credited as Guano Babes featuring Michael Mittermeier, issued the stand alone single "Kumba Yo!" (#3 GER).
Their third album Walking on a Thin Line was released in 3 February 2003. The album peaked #1 and it was certified gold in Germany. Guano Apes released three singles from this album: "You Can't Stop Me" (#10 GER), "Pretty in Scarlet" (#51 GER) and "Quietly" (#51 GER).
After the very long promo tour to the WOATL album, the band decided to take a rest for a while. In 2004 they issued a Best Of album titled Planet of the Apes and the single "Break the Line". The band broke up after a final tour in February 2005. A year later, their label released the compilation Lost (T)apes, which contains previously unreleased demos, originally recorded in 1994 and 1995.
Dennis Poschwatta formed the crossover band Tamoto with his friend G-Ball and released the album Clemenza. Henning Rümenapp worked for Horus Studios in Germany. Sandra Nasic released her solo album The Signal in 2007. In 2006 Dennis, Henning and Stefan formed a new group with singer Charles Simmons, called IO. IO realeased their studio album For the Masses in 2008.
In 2009 Guano Apes reformed and played some dates including Enterro da Gata (Portugal), Rock am Ring (Germany), Nova Rock (Austria), Woodstock Festival (Poland), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania). In Bucharest, Sandra announced the band is working on a new studio album.
Their fourth album Bel Air was released in Spring 2011, preceded by the single "Oh What a Night".
Official site: http://www.guanoapes.org
Diokhan
Guano Apes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or should I call out the name of d.k.
The penetration of my brain is so sick
I feel it every night wounds and licks
Beyond the days of sympathy
A tragic friendship is lost in me
Now pull the nails out of my body
And the mirror shot me
Would you leave my head
I'm inside your crimes
Calling out the name of d.k.
Stand up, don't sit in the dark
You are still creeping here
And drinking another shark
The illustration of your mind
Is just a trick
I smell it everywhere
Rooks tres chique
Beyond the nights of agony
A thousand friendships live in me
I pull the nails out of my body
The beast is a rhythm
And the rhythm got me
Would you leave my head
I'm inside your mind
Calling out the name of d.k.
Vanity is a therapy
In your eyes
No you got to learn how to breathe
Irony is security
In your eyes
No you got to learn how to breathe
Like a spy in my own army
You have come to
March all over me, I turn my back
You took your chance
I feel the knife
Twist and turn in me
The song "Diokhan" by Guano Apes is a dark and intense track that explores themes of betrayal, pain, and self-doubt. The lyrics urge the listener to stand up and face their inner demons, rather than sitting in the dark and letting them consume them. The song refers to "d.k." which could mean different things to different individuals, but it could be interpreted as a metaphor for an inner demon or a person who has caused the singer pain.
The first verse of the song describes how the pain caused by this entity is so severe it feels like a sickness in the singer's brain that they feel every night. The second verse talks about the loss of a tragic friendship and the need to remove the nails from the singer's body, which may be a metaphor for the removal of the things that cause pain. The chorus is a repetition of the urge to stand up and face one's demons.
The third verse describes how the singer can smell the "illustration of your mind," which could be interpreted as the manipulation and deceit perpetrated by the other person. The fourth verse talks about how many friendships live within the singer, and how the "beast" is a rhythm that got them. This could be interpreted as the concept that the singer has been hurt so many times that it has become a pattern that repeats itself again and again.
The song concludes by describing how the person has taken their chance to hurt the singer, and they feel the knife twist and turn in them. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for how the person has inflicted emotional pain on the singer, and how they must learn how to breathe and overcome this pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Stand up, don't sit in the dark
Stop being passive and take action
Or should I call out the name of d.k.
Maybe I should warn people about a danger
The penetration of my brain is so sick
My thoughts are being influenced in a negative way
I feel it every night wounds and licks
I experience the pain of this influence on a regular basis
Beyond the days of sympathy
Past the point where people care about my situation
A tragic friendship is lost in me
I have lost a friend and it has affected me deeply
Now pull the nails out of my body
Remove the sources of pain from my life
The beast is a mirror
What I see in myself is reflected in my surroundings
And the mirror shot me
I was hurt by what I saw
Would you leave my head
Stop manipulating my thoughts
I'm inside your crimes
I know about the bad things you have done
Calling out the name of d.k.
Exposing the person responsible for causing harm
You are still creeping here
You are still causing trouble
And drinking another shark
Taking advantage of others to benefit yourself
The illustration of your mind
Your thought processes are deceptive
Is just a trick
You are not what you seem
I smell it everywhere
I can detect your deceit in all aspects of your behavior
Rooks tres chique
An alternative expression with unclear meaning
Beyond the nights of agony
After suffering for a long time
A thousand friendships live in me
I have many friends who support me
The beast is a rhythm
There is a pattern to the chaos
And the rhythm got me
I have been caught up in this pattern
Vanity is a therapy
Feeling good about superficial things can be a coping mechanism
In your eyes
From your perspective
No you got to learn how to breathe
You need to learn how to cope with real issues
Irony is security
Finding humor in bad situations can be comforting
Like a spy in my own army
Someone who is working against their own interests
You have come to
You are here to harm me
March all over me, I turn my back
I feel vulnerable and helpless
You took your chance
You seized an opportunity to hurt me
I feel the knife
I am aware of the pain being inflicted on me
Twist and turn in me
The pain is causing me to feel unsettled and disoriented
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH
Written by: SANDRA NASIC, DENNIS POSCHWATTA, HENNING RUEMENAPP, STEFAN UDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind