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
Kiss the Dawn
Guano Apes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pants are tight
You are ready to use
Searching for some trouble
Who's gonna be the one
And try to feed your hunger
Empty eyes
Leading your own sorrow
None to roll over this night honey
The lavatory is open
As you blocked his head away
Twenty-one is such a good number
Conversation lost its weight anyway
We are walking on a thin line
No you better stay away from this
And shut your mug
And read my lips
We are just kids
Do you talk to me
Pull the string
So I can be a doll
You won't cover me up
Cause I'm the girl who kisses the dawn
Kiss the dawn
Kiss the dawn
Rebel mad and broken
Why do you throw your days away
Twenty-one was not a good number
Conversation lost its hate anyway
You are walking on a thin line
And you better avoid the risk
So shut your mug
And read my lips
We are just kids
Do you talk to me
Pull the string
So I can be your doll
You won't cover me up
Cause I'm the girl who kisses the dawn
Don't you talk to me
Pull the string
Don't want to be your doll
You won't cover me up
Because I'm the girl who eats the scrub
The lyrics of Guano Apes' "Kiss the Dawn" paint a vivid picture of a young, restless soul who's craving for excitement and adventure. The singer, most likely a girl or young woman, is "loaded forecast" with anticipation for something to happen, as if waiting for a storm to break. The imagery of "pants are tight" conveys a sense of readiness, as if she's gearing up for a night out, ready to use her charm and wits to find some trouble to get into. The line "searching for some trouble, who's gonna be the one" implies that she's in control of her fate and is actively seeking out risky situations. Her "empty eyes" suggest a sense of emptiness or lack of direction, perhaps looking for something to fill the void.
The verse also conveys a sense of detachment from the consequences of her actions, as the line "none to roll over this night honey" implies that there won't be anyone to answer to if things go awry. The "lavatory is open" line could mean that the singer is reckless and impulsive, acting on her desires without much thought or discretion. The reference to "twenty-one" being a good number could suggest that this is the age of the singer, or that she sees it as a milestone of adulthood. However, the subsequent line "conversation lost its weight anyway" conveys a sense of disillusionment or boredom with superficial exchanges.
The chorus is a repeated mantra of the singer's desire to "kiss the dawn," which could mean many things - perhaps it refers to a desire to experience something new and exciting, or to push the limits of what's socially acceptable. The second verse takes a more critical tone, referring to the singer as a "rebel mad and broken" who's "throwing her days away." The line "twenty-one was not a good number" could suggest that she's realizing that the allure of youth and recklessness is fleeting, or that she's beginning to feel the consequences of her choices. The final line "I'm the girl who eats the scrub" is a bit of a mystery, but could suggest a darker, more animalistic side to the singer's personality.
Overall, "Kiss the Dawn" is a song that captures the restless, hedonistic spirit of youth, while also conveying a sense of the transience and emptiness of such pursuits.
Line by Line Meaning
Loaded forecast on you
You have a lot of expectations placed on you
The pants are tight
You feel constricted and restrained
You are ready to use
You are prepared to take action
Searching for some trouble
You are actively looking for excitement, even if it's negative
Who's gonna be the one
You're looking for someone to join you in causing trouble
And try to feed your hunger
You want to satisfy your craving for excitement, even if it's harmful
Empty eyes
You feel numb and disconnected
Leading your own sorrow
You are responsible for your own misery
None to get on
There's no one else to blame for your problems
None to roll over this night honey
You won't find any support or comfort tonight
The lavatory is open
The bathroom is available
As you blocked his head away
You rejected someone's advance or affection
Twenty-one is such a good number
You were optimistic about the future at the age of 21
Conversation lost its weight anyway
You don't care about the topic of conversation anymore
We are walking on a thin line
We are close to crossing a dangerous boundary
No you better stay away from this
You are giving a warning to someone
And shut your mug
Be quiet
And read my lips
Pay attention to what I'm saying
We are just kids
We have a lot to learn and aren't ready for serious consequences
Do you talk to me
Are you addressing me
Pull the string
Make me do what you want
So I can be a doll
So I can be controlled and manipulated
You won't cover me up
You won't try to hide or silence me
Cause I'm the girl who kisses the dawn
I'm hopeful and optimistic about the future
Kiss the dawn
Embrace a positive outlook
Rebel mad and broken
You're full of anger and resentment towards authority
Why do you throw your days away
Why waste your time and energy on self-destructive behavior
Twenty-one was not a good number
You were disappointed with how your life turned out at 21
Conversation lost its hate anyway
The negativity in the conversation has dissipated
And you better avoid the risk
You should stay away from danger
Don't you talk to me
I don't want to hear from you
Don't want to be your doll
I won't allow myself to be controlled by you
Because I'm the girl who eats the scrub
I'm resilient and won't be brought down easily
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DENNIS POSCHWATTA, HENNING RUEMENAPP, SANDRA NASIC, STEFAN UDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind