The story of There She Goes and The La's debut album is darker than you think

The Title Track
The Title Track
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Published 2024-06-27
00:00 The dark meaning behind There She Goes
01:34 The rise of The La's and Lee Mavers' early influences
03:18 Writing and Recording of the album
04:56 The meaning behind the tunes
09:22 The aftermath of the album's release, and the band's influence
10:16 Did Oasis steal this riff from The La's?

In the late eighties, The La's, led by the enigmatic and increasingly erratic Lee Mavers, entered the studio to record their debut album. The recording sessions were helmed by a revolving door of a range of upstart producers, all of which failed to win the approval of Mavers, who was insistent that no stuffy recording studio could capture the dynamism and shimmer of the band's live sessions.

As the recording sessions wore on, Mavers found himself increasingly at odds with the producers and his fellow bandmates, and this sense of isolation and listlessness made its way into the music. The lyrics of 'Timeless Melody' and 'Looking Glass' hint at a young lad at odds with the world around him, where only melody and music could soothe his real-world anxieties. And in 'There She Goes', which would go on to be one of the great hits of the era (and indeed, indie music more generally), Mavers would capture the hearts and minds of fans. But a closer look at the lyrics suggests that the song is actually about dr*g addiction.

Let's look at this album together - how The La's were inspired by The Stranglers, Roy Orbison and The Ramones, and how they in turn inspired the next incoming class of Britpop titans, including inspiring one particular riff that Oasis as good as stole from The La's.

Let me know what you think of the album in the comment section, and which record I should cover next.

#indie #indiemusic #thelas #leemavers #debutalbum #musicdocumentary #makingof #oasis #britpop #thereshegoes
All Comments (21)
  • @TheTitleTrack_Music
    Let me know your favourite track on the album and what this record means to you! Which album should I do next?
  • @byke-j7l
    I was rehearsing with my band in London and staying at the Everard Hotel. One evening after rehearsals I went to the hotel and these 3 cocky lads were kind of bragging about the new songs they'd written. They insisted they get their acoustic guitars and play me their songs in the lounge. I wasn't expecting much but they absolutely blew me away with their 60's pop sensibilities. Later on I discovered the band was called The La's.
  • @CrimsonCX
    Great video! I don’t have a clue how a channel with this level of quality can be so unknown. People are missing out, keep it up!
  • @drowner1
    A friend in a position to know has told me that there's really not much ambiguity here. Apparently Mavers makes a tidy little bit of money here and there on licensing the song and from covers of it, and that's all rooted in a belief of the innocent mis-read of the song being about a lovestruck lad, overwhelmed by "she" and "her". And that income goes away if he ever comes out and says that what the song's really about is smashing a junk-filled needle into your arm or between your toes. And so yes, as you put it, he's quite elliptical, but...darker meaning indeed. That was the origin story for the song, if you will.
  • @lornapowell2362
    Mavers was a troubled soul, genius being the knife edge that it is...he mind was his own worst enemy...however lee mavers is a genius and his contribution to music cant be understated...the singles and album he wrote were fantastic, even the bootlegs of songs floating about post the album/post la's are fantastic. The la's did perform again in later years, but it seems unlikely that any new material is forthcoming, but we live in hope...gone, but never forgotten.
  • @johnnymancspice
    In 1987, my mum was walking around the house singing in a staccato stuttering style ‘There, she, goes, theeere she goes. Again’ I asked if it was an old sixties pop song that o didn’t know. She replied that she heard it on the radio. A year later, The LA’s single played in the local radio in Manchester. I always thought it this perfect slice of pop had been regurgitated somehow. How interesting…
  • @brandenlikesbeer
    This is one of those times I open YouTube and find a video that feels like it was made just for me. What the song means to me: for one it’s just a perfect pop song, no explanation needed. But to me this song is special because it was on the soundtrack to the movie Parent Trap; I had insomnia as a kid and would stay up all night rewinding and rewatching that vhs until I finally fell asleep. I was often scared being the only one still awake in the house, so that movie (and consequently, this song) provided me a lot of comfort as a kid, and actually still do.
  • @user-rq8si4eu1s
    I find it crazy that there are no videos like this about Shack who were another underrated forgotten Liverpool band from the 90s. They had similar problems with heroin and are also shrouded in mystery. Their album Waterpistol wasn’t released on time due to the tapes being lost. Michael head the lead singer is a genius and he has had a late rebirth at the age of 60 he is still making albums and receiving critical acclaim for them. I would love for someone to do a video on Shack
  • @kennethnorman8079
    Thanks for featuring the La’s. When they were forced to tour the album they played here in Los Angeles and were forced by the record company to have various “meet and greets” and Lee Mavers’ misery was palpable. It was already common knowledge that he was forced to promote an album that he considered inferior versions of the songs. Despite its classic status, I don’t think he’s a fan.
  • @TGill
    Keep up the excellent work! Glad to have found you.
  • @sophia_comicart
    Dude your writing for this video is fantastic. Nice narration too. Great work. Can’t wait for more. I can attest to trying to capture the magic of demos, even in my limited experience. It’s brutal and probably impossible. It’s sound great to everyone else but you know that sparkle is missing, the thing that makes the recording soar. Join that with a heroine addiction could make it a nightmare process.
  • @PogChimp98
    Finally a good video on this masterpiece of musical history! Bravisimo!
  • @mitch2620
    One of the greatest albums full stop. Pure gold.
  • @brianmccallister1765
    The La’s album did exactly that thing for me like no other studio band had since The Beatles: made me a better songwriter who actually wanted to share his music by forming a band. ‘Complex simplicity’ is, in my experience, the key to successful composing.
  • @bennybongosbigolebonanza894
    I listened to this album as a 13-year-old in the suburbs of Chicago when it came out. (The older guys told me about it). I went on to drum for Barry Sutton in a little tour of California 30 years later! You never know what life will bring. Yes, and Barry didn’t even play on it. That’s a shame, he deserved to. It’s also a shame that Lee has untreated mental health issues. Could be a lot more great music out there.
  • @drapedup76
    One time when some codone was pulsing through my brain the opening 12 string electric riff caused an involuntary tear to drip out of my eye
  • @jasonlefler3456
    My main regret about The La’s is that there doesn’t seem to be a studio version of I Am The Key.