Almost Hits: The La's -There She Goes (1990)

If you're mostly going to be remembered for one song "There She Goes" is a great one to have as your legacy. The La's - a rock quartet from Liverpool, UK - only issued one full-length, studio album and this very cool, power pop, single was one of its tracks.

The song was originally released in Britian in 1988 and only went to #59. Two years later it was remixed by the renowned producer Steve Lillywhite. His version peaked at only #49 stateside when it was issued as a single along with the album. The second time around it did better in the UK, climbing all of the way to #13.

It has been alleged that the song is about heroin, but to me, its overall vibe is too bright and popish to be discussing such a depressing subject. Both La's guitarist, Paul Hemmings, and lead singer and songwriter, Lee Mavers, rebuff those assertions despite lyrics such as "Racing through my brain" and "There she goes again, pulsing through my vein" and "No one else can heal my pain." Mavers admitted to trying heroin, but he said it was well after the song was written and recorded.

If you're thinking of songs about heroin John Lennon's "Cold Turkey" or John Prine's "Sam Stone" are better examples of what you would expect a record about that horrible drug to sound like. The pleasant CD single cover - shown here - also serves as circumstantial evidence that Mavers and Hemmings were telling the truth. If you read the full lyrics you can just as easily make the case that "There She Goes" is about how a certain woman makes the protagonist feel.

More circumstantial evidence exists. Sixpence None the Richer, a 90s, alt-rock band with a heavy Christian influence covered "There She Goes" and rode it to #32 in 1999. If it was about heroin I sincerely doubt they would have recorded it. Also, The La's video features a young woman who seems to be on the singer's mind.

The La's updated the original British Invasion sounds made famous by other Liverpool groups in the mid-60s such as Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Searchers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and another far more famous outfit that is discussed here frequently.

Structurally, "There She Goes" is an unusual song. There are no verses, just the chorus sung four times that is connected by a bridge.

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Almost Hits is an occasional exploration into songs that failed to reach the top 20 on the American Billboard Hot 100. Many have become classics despite what their chart position would indicate.

Comments

  1. wardo1:13 PM, July 29, 2025

    The entire album, which Mavers disowned, is a gem. And I never thought it was about heroin.

    ReplyDelete

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