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
Living A Lie
Guano Apes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got it all, you took it all from me
Drove me insane
Who'd come down to earth, releasing me
Healing my wounds
So why don't you close the door when you're leaving me
Now you'll run
Running all the way back to me again
If not to end the shame
To fight an endless lie
I'm not to play a game
I won't be on your side
Found a way
To reach myself again but all I saw was shame
Drive me away
There's something deep in me waiting to escape
You think you know me
So why don't you close the door when you're here with me
I'm here to end the game
I'm living in a lie
It's hard to give the same
I won't be on your side
Won't be on your side
I loved you a lot
To need you a lot
I leave you alone
I loved you a lot
To need you a lot
I leave you alone
I'm here to end the game
I'm living in a lie
It's hard to give the same
I won't be on your side
Won't be on your side
I loved you a lot
To need you a lot
I leave you alone
I loved you a lot
To need you a lot
I leave you alone, yeah
I loved you a lot
To need you a lot
I loved you a lot
To need you a lot
I loved you a lot
To need you
The lyrics of "Living in a Lie" by Guano Apes express the pain and frustration of being in a relationship with someone who takes everything for granted and drives the other person insane. The opening lines, "Don't give me names / You've got it all, you took it all from me," suggest that the singer feels used and devalued, and that their partner has taken everything from them without giving anything in return. The chorus, "I'm living in a lie / It's hard to give the same / I won't be on your side," reinforces this sense of disillusionment and betrayal, as the singer realizes that they can no longer sustain a relationship that is based on falsehood.
The second verse, "Found a way / To reach myself again but all I saw was shame / Drive me away / There's something deep in me waiting to escape," suggests that the singer has tried to find a way out of the relationship, but is trapped by feelings of shame and guilt. They may feel responsible for their partner's behavior, or may simply be unable to break free from the emotional hold that their partner has on them. The bridge, "You think you know me / So why don't you close the door when you're here with me," emphasizes the singer's frustration at being misunderstood and undervalued by their partner.
Overall, "Living in a Lie" is a powerful meditation on the difficulties of breaking free from a toxic relationship. The song's lyrics are especially effective in capturing the singer's sense of isolation and helplessness, as well as their determination to regain control of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't give me names
I don't want to hear any labels or titles from you
You've got it all, you took it all from me
You have everything that once belonged to me, you've robbed me of everything I had
Drove me insane
You pushed me to the edge of my sanity
Who'd come down to earth, releasing me
Someone who is able to empathize and bring me back down to reality
Healing my wounds
Providing comfort and aid while I'm hurt
So why don't you close the door when you're leaving me
Why don't you leave me completely and not leave the possibility of coming back open?
Now you'll run
You'll eventually come back to me and expect things to be different
Running all the way back to me again
You're coming back to me expecting a different outcome
If not to end the shame
If we don't put an end to this shameful game
To fight an endless lie
To put an end to a false reality we keep living
I'm not to play a game
I won't be participating in this charade anymore
I won't be on your side
I won't take your side or support you
Found a way
I've discovered a way to recover from this mess
To reach myself again but all I saw was shame
I've managed to find myself again, but I'm still ashamed of what has happened
Drive me away
There's something inside me that wants to get out and break free from this situation
There's something deep in me waiting to escape
I know there's something inside me that needs to come out
You think you know me
You believe you have a full understanding of who I am
So why don't you close the door when you're here with me
Why aren't you willing to truly walk away from me and our situation?
It's hard to give the same
It's difficult to maintain the same level of love and commitment when things are like this
I won't be on your side
I refuse to stand by you and your actions
Won't be on your side
I won't continue to support you the way I used to
I'm here to end the game
I'm tired of playing along in this game
I'm living in a lie
My reality is false and I can't continue living this way
I loved you a lot
I had a strong love for you
To need you a lot
I was emotionally dependent on you
I leave you alone
I'm walking away and leaving you by yourself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DENNIS POSCHWATTA, HENNING RUEMENAPP, SANDRA NASIC, STEFAN UDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind