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
Don't You Turn Back on Me
Guano Apes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your funny smile
My heart is beating loud as hell
I'm diving in your eyes
My whole life is upside and down
When you're chasing down my skin
The more I run away from you
Take me to the edge of feeling
Heart against my skin
Show me places I have longed for
In sanctity and sin
Locked intense inside my head
Your touch will set me free
I hold on til the sun comes up
If you'll be there for me
I wonder if you let me down [Repeat x4]
Don't you turn your back on me
Take a look at where you want to be
Don't be scared of what you see
The only thing that's killing you is me
Now you're leaving me
With your angry eyes
My love gets lost with you
I was saving you last night
Locked intense inside my head
Your trust will set us free
The more you run away from me
The closer I draw near
I wonder [Repeat x4]
Don't you
turn your back on me is a song from Guano Apes' debut album Proud Like a God that was released in 1997. The lyrics describe the powerful feelings that come with falling in love and the fear of losing that love. The chorus begs the listener not to turn their back on the singer, imploring them to embrace the love they share and not be afraid of what they might see. The verses are more introspective and describe the singer's intense connection to their lover, how their touch can set them free from the worries that plague their mind.
The song begins with the singer describing the effect their lover has on them, with their "funny smile" sending their heart "beating loud as hell." They describe their whole life being "upside and down" and their constant feeling of being chased by their lover. The love they share is intense, as they long to be taken to "the edge of feeling" and shown "places...in sanctity and sin." The chorus repeats the plea not to turn away, emphasizing that the only thing that can ruin their love is if the lover gives up on it.
The second verse switches perspective, with the singer addressing their lover directly as the one who is leaving with "angry eyes." They beg for their trust and describe how the more the lover runs away, the closer the singer draws near. The song ends with a final plea to not turn away and abandon the love they share.
Line by Line Meaning
Boy you're killing me
Your charming smile is driving me crazy.
With your funny smile
Your funny, attractive behavior is driving me insane.
My heart is beating loud as hell
I am overwhelmed with emotions and my heart is pounding out of my chest.
I'm diving in your eyes
I am mesmerized and lost in your beautiful eyes.
My whole life is upside and down
Everything seems to be different and unusual when I'm around you.
When you're chasing down my skin
Your touch is so powerful that it feels like you're pursuing every inch of my skin.
The more I run away from you
The more I try to avoid my feelings for you,
The closer you draw near
The more you become an important part of my life.
Take me to the edge of feeling
Push me to explore the extremes of love and passion.
Heart against my skin
Feelings against my physical body, as well as emotions.
Show me places I have longed for
Introduce me to all the things I have ever wanted in life.
In sanctity and sin
In both purity and impurity, love is unconditional.
Locked intense inside my head
My strong emotions are trapped inside my mind, making it hard for me to think clearly.
Your touch will set me free
Your affection and touch have the power to heal my emotional wounds and make me feel liberated.
I hold on til the sun comes up
I'll be with you with all my heart and soul, no matter how long it takes.
If you'll be there for me
But I want you to be by my side, to help me conquer all the fears and insecurities.
I wonder if you let me down [Repeat x4]
I guess I will always remain curious about whether you will disappoint me or not.
Don't you turn your back on me
Don't abandon me or leave me alone in the face of adversities.
Take a look at where you want to be
Think about the importance and value of our relationship and where you want it to go.
Don't be scared of what you see
Do not be afraid of facing the harsh realities of life, because love will always triumph.
The only thing that's killing you is me
The only obstacle in your way of happiness is me, because I am not letting you go.
Now you're leaving me
Your departure has made me feel vulnerable and shattered.
With your angry eyes
You seem to be upset and furious with me.
My love gets lost with you
My love has nowhere to go, now that you have left me.
I was saving you last night
I believed that I could help you in your troubles and bring you to safety.
Your trust will set us free
If you trust me and rely on me, our relationship will be stronger and happier.
The more you run away from me
The more you try to avoid me,
The closer I draw near
The closer I feel to you and the more I want to be with you.
I wonder [Repeat x4]
I'll continue to question and ponder about our relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: HARVEY FRIEDMAN, DANI LEVY, SANDRA NASIC, DENNIS POSCHWATTA, NICK REISER, HENNING RUEMENAPP, STEFAN UDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind