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
Plastic Mouth
Guano Apes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A long life you have to live
For only short time
Exit will let you leave
Are you dancin'?
Dancin' all alone
With assassins
Who stab you down
I know how to defend
When you're in my head
I know that storm is growing
I know how to hate everything
But soon or later will win
Won't you take off
Take off the plastic mouth
You scare us to death
And more than that
Are you sharing
Sharing the blood of your veins
To marry the world and it's pain
I know how to defend
When you're in my head
I know that storm is growing
I know how to hate everything
But soon or later will win
We're climbing
On our faith
We are crying
With pink sour plastic mouth
Climbing
On our faith
We are crying
With pink sour plastic mouth
It's a long long life
A long life you have to live
For only short time
Exit will let you leave
Are you dancin'?
Dancin' all alone
With assassins
Who stab you down
I know how to defend
When you're in my head
I know that storm is growing
I know how to hate everything
But soon or later will win
We're climbing
On our faith
We are crying
With pink sour plastic mouth
Climbing
On our faith
We are crying
With pink sour plastic mouth
The lyrics to Guano Apes' song "Plastic Mouth" explore themes of mortality, authenticity, and self-defense. The song begins with a reminder that life is long, but short in the grand scheme of things - and that exit, or death, is inevitable. The singer is surrounded by potential dangers or "assassins" that could harm them. However, the singer declares that they know how to defend themselves, suggesting that the singer can protect their thoughts and emotions even in difficult situations. The chorus implores a mysterious figure to take off their "plastic mouth," which seems to represent a false persona or facade that is frightening to others. The singer suggests that this figure is sharing the "blood of their veins" with the world and its pain, possibly alluding to the idea that the figure is contributing to societal problems in some way. Despite these grim themes, the song ends with a call to faith and persistence, encouraging listeners to keep climbing and crying, even if they are doing so with a sour taste in their mouths.
The song has been interpreted in many different ways by fans and critics alike. Some have suggested that the "plastic mouth" represents a literal mouth guard, while others see it as a metaphor for societal conformity or political correctness. Others suggest that the song is actually a commentary on the music industry itself, with the "plastic mouth" representing the insincerity and performative nature of the business.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a long life
Life is long and full of challenges
A long life you have to live
Life is long and you have to make the most out of it
For only short time
Despite being long, life is still too short
Exit will let you leave
Death is inevitable and the only way out
Are you dancin'?
Are you enjoying life?
Dancin' all alone
Are you enjoying life without involving anyone else?
With assassins
With people who bring you down
Who stab you down
Who try to hurt and destroy your happiness
I know how to defend
I know how to protect myself
When you're in my head
When my thoughts are clear and focused
I know that storm is growing
I can sense the troubles ahead
I know how to hate everything
I know how to be angry and frustrated with everything
But soon or later will win
But eventually, positivity and good will overcome
Won't you take off
Can't you stop pretending?
Take off the plastic mouth
Can't you stop being fake?
You scare us to death
Your fake demeanor is unsettling and worrying
And more than that
It's not only about being fake
Are you sharing
Are you spreading positivity?
Sharing the blood of your veins
Sharing your life force and passion
To marry the world and it's pain
To embrace the world's chaos while working to change it
We're climbing
We're making progress
On our faith
On our beliefs and values
We are crying
We are struggling
With pink sour plastic mouth
With fake and insincere actions and words
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DENNIS POSCHWATTA, HENNING RUEMENAPP, SANDRA NASIC, STEFAN UDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pilar González
Still so damn good! Need to get Guano Apes on vinyl <3
crowsfan691
This one goes pretty hard. Love how it builds up to the chorus. Wish I'd discovered this group years ago.
MrZiva82
Her voice is like velvet
Mike Down
I wish I could find the mp3 of this song, all I have been finding is the bloody remix, i want the original one!!!
Mr.Nobody
The same bro... xD
Pilar González
I just got their albums on vinyl, comes with a download of all their tracks! greetings from 2021
Rice T.
really? I have the whole original album but I have had it since it's original release. did you try spotify?
Flashlight Beam
Best version.
Martina Michael
Mit Abstand einer der besten Songs von Guano Apes mit viel Tiefengang! Der Song ist wie eine Reise durch eine wundervolle und inspirierende Landschaft!