Guano Apes is an alternative metal band formed in 1994 in Göttingen, German… Read Full Bio ↴Guano Apes is an alternative metal band formed in 1994 in Göttingen, Germany. The group consists of Sandra Nasic (vocals), Henning Rümenapp (guitar), Stefan Ude (bass) and Dennis Poschwatta (drums). Their energetic rock mix is mostly described as crossover, going from rap over funky, from melodic singing to hardcore screaming of their lead singer. The band has released five studio albums, with four Top 10 songs in Germany.

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

Scatch the Pitch
Guano Apes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The lines fade away they disappear
The colour of your lips wants to move on
So now
The one you are looking for
Is the one without a soul
I need no reasons to feel your wave inside
So hold on
The only thing you have to know

Is I see your make-up

Scratch the pitch
And fool me around
The time's gone
And no
Don't forget
Where you are coming from
Hide your make-up

If pain and mania
Show us what we are
I draw your skin and push you way too far
'cos tonight
I'm the one you're looking for
One more time feeding your soul
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
We fly
'cos there in the sand of our shore
Lies your fear

Scratch the pitch
And fool me around
The time's gone
And no
Don't forget
Where you are coming from
Hide your make-up

Scratch the pitch

And fool me around
When you're laughing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Guano Apes' "Scratch the Pitch" are quite cryptic and open to interpretation, but it appears to describe a turbulent and perhaps toxic romantic relationship. The first couplet of lines seems to suggest the fading away of a relationship and a sense of movement on the part of one partner. The next line identifies the person the singer is looking for as someone without a soul. This could mean that the singer is seeking a partner who is emotionally detached or empty in order to avoid being hurt again. The singer then tells this person that they don't need a reason to feel their "wave" (presumably their emotional energy), and that they only need to know that they see their make-up (i.e., that they recognize their façade).

The chorus then comes in, exhorting this person to "scratch the pitch" and "fool me around." This could mean to play with the singer's emotions, or to deceive and manipulate them. The singer acknowledges that time has passed and urges this person not to forget where they're coming from or to hide their make-up. The next verse introduces the concepts of pain and mania, which are said to reveal what we are. The singer then says that they will push this person too far and feed their soul. The final lines invoke the devil and the deep blue sea, suggesting a sense of danger and risk. The song ends with an invitation to fly between the devil and the deep blue sea, with the partner's fear lying on the sandy shore.

Line by Line Meaning

The lines fade away they disappear
Time passes by and things change

The colour of your lips wants to move on
You're ready for a change and want to move on to something new

So now
At this moment in time

The one you are looking for
You're searching for something or someone specific

Is the one without a soul
You're looking for someone who is emotionless and detached

I need no reasons to feel your wave inside
You don't need a reason to feel a connection with someone

So hold on
Stay strong and don't give up

The only thing you have to know
All you need to know is

Is I see your make-up
I see through your facade and know the real you

Scratch the pitch
Distort and mess with reality

And fool me around
Deceive and manipulate me