The group was founded in Granada in 1983 by Manuel España (voice), Enrique Moreno "Conejo" (bass guitar) and Carlos Gilabert (keyboard), with the initial name of "La guardia del Cardenal Richelieu" ("Cardinal Richelieu's Guard"). They were only teenagers and they adopted this name because they used to rehearse in the afternoons after they watched Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds on TV[2].
Under this name they released a first single with techno and mod sounds. After this, Gilabert left the band, and Joaquín Almendros (guitar) and Emilio Muñoz (drums) joined it, giving birth to the band's most famous line-up. They moved to Madrid, where the Movida was still ebullient, looking for broader success, and in 1985, they recorded an EP, now as La Guardia, after winning the Villablanca pop-rock festival in the town of Fuengirola.
In 1986 they traveled to London to record their first full album Noches como esta; but it's in 1988, with the album Vámonos, when they achieved major success, thanks mostly to the hugely successful single "Mil calles llevan hacia ti", which reached #1 in the Spanish 40 Principales chart in 1989[3] and which became the band's signature song. Manuel España said he had written the song while walking through the streets of the Albayzín in Granada to his grandmother's house. Vámonos went on to become a multi-platinum album, selling over 250.000 copies, and the band performed on a tour with more than 100 dates.
In 1990 came their second album, Cuando Brille El Sol, with its same-titled and, again, very successful single, which kept them at the top of the Spanish pop-rock scene.
Al Otro Lado (1991), Contra reloj (1993) and Acento del sur (1994) were their next works, all three produced by Dusty Wakeman. The latter was recorded in Los Angeles at Mad Dog Studios. Shortly after this experience, Enrique Moreno died from a coronary disease, and this tragic event ultimately caused the group to disband in 1997.
Later, after he had been working for a few years on another band called Chamaco, España tried to revive La Guardia without the involvement of Almendros, which caused the latter to present two lawsuits [4]. Finally, España won the rights to use the name for his new project and in 2003 he released Ahora!, an acoustic record produced by Carlos Goñi, from the band Revólver.
In 2007, with a new record company (Vale Music), La Guardia recorded Sobre ruedas, an album of country-rock sounds, which sold just over 20.000 copies.
In 2008 the band celebrated their 25th anniversary with the album 25 años no es nada, in which Manuel España performed the band's hits with the collaboration of other artists such as La Mari (of Chambao), Álvaro Urquijo, Mikel Erentxun, Ariel Rot or Raimundo Amador.
Vamonos
La Guardia Lyrics
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Miscellaneous
La Academia Expulsion
Another night slowly closes in,
And I feel so lonely. Touching
heat freezing on my skin, I pretend
you still hold me. I'm going crazy,
I'm losing sleep. I'm in too far, I'm in
you're gone. You were the first, you'll be the last.
Chorus: Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone to lay your
heart and head upon. Remember: after the
fire, after all the rain, I will be the flame.
I will be the flame.
Watching shadows move across the wall,
I feel so frightened. I wanna run to you,
I wanna call, But I've been hit by lightening.
Just can't stand up for fallin' apart. Can't see
through this veil across my heart, over you.
You'll always be the one. You were the first,
you'll be the last.
Chorus: Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone to lay your
heart and head upon. Remember: after the fire,
after all the rain, I will be the flame.
I will be the flame.
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep. I'm in too far,
I'm in way too deep over you. You'll always be
the one. You were the first, you'll be the last.
Chorus: Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Whenever you need someone to lay your
heart and head upon. Remember: after the fire,
after all the rain, I will be the flame.
I will be the flame.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.
Wherever you go, I'll be with you.
And whatever you want, I'll give it to you
The lyrics to "Vamonos" by La Guardia express the pain and longing that comes with losing a loved one. The singer is haunted by memories of their former partner, feeling lonely and desperate for their touch. They acknowledge that they are in deep over this lost love, unable to let go even though they know they should. The chorus is a promise to this person that no matter where they go or what they need, the singer will be there for them. They will be the flame that keeps the love burning, even after the fire and rain.
The second verse of the song has a particularly haunting quality, as the singer describes the fear and vulnerability they feel without their partner. They are hit by lightning, unable to stand up for falling apart. They can't see through the veil across their heart that this loss has created. Yet, even in the midst of this pain, they know that their former partner will always be the one for them.
Overall, "Vamonos" is a powerful and emotional song that captures the pain of losing someone important. It shows how deeply love can affect us, even after it's gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Another night slowly closes in, And I feel so lonely. Touching heat freezing on my skin, I pretend you still hold me.
The night is passing and I feel alone. I sense the warmth on my body and imagine it is you holding me tight.
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep. I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you. I can't believe you're gone. You were the first, you'll be the last.
I'm becoming restless and losing sleep because I am deeply in love with you. I can't believe you left me - you were the first and you will always be the last.
Chorus: Wherever you go, I'll be with you. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon. Remember: after the fire, after all the rain, I will be the flame. I will be the flame.
Whenever you need me, I'll be there for you, giving you anything you desire. I'll be your comfort when you need it most. Remember that after the hard times have passed, I'll be the one who will love you tirelessly.
Watching shadows move across the wall, I feel so frightened. I wanna run to you, I wanna call, But I've been hit by lightening. Just can't stand up for fallin' apart. Can't see through this veil across my heart, over you. You'll always be the one. You were the first, you'll be the last.
As I watch the shadows move, I am overcome with fear. I long to be with you, but something has struck me like lightning, making me physically and emotionally weak. I can't hold myself together, as my heart is covered in pain for you. You'll always be my first and my last love.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Wherever you go, I'll be with you. And whatever you want, I'll give it to you
I will give you everything you ask for, even if it means going to the ends of the earth with you. Anything you need, just say the word, and it's yours.
Writer(s): Manuel Espana Santaella, Joaquin Almendros Garcia Copyright: Nova Ediciones Musicales Sa, Warner/Chappell Music Spain S.A.
Contributed by Declan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.