The La's formed in 1984, with original member Mike Badger stating that the band name occurred to him in a dream, as well as it being Scouse for "lads", and having obvious musical connotations. The band existed briefly as an arthouse/skiffle-type outfit with a few tracks released on local compilations. Lee Mavers joined in 1984 as rhythm guitarist, eventually gaining songwriting prominence and emerging as the band's enduring figurehead. Longtime bassist John Power joined the group in 1986, having met Badger on a local council-run musicianship course. Badger however left the group in late 1986, to form The Onset.
The band attracted the attention of several record labels after a series of performances in their home town in 1986, and demo tapes copied from a session at the Flying Picket rehearsal studio in Liverpool began circulating. One of these demo tapes was sent to Underground Magazine. A journalist there with the task of reviewing unsigned bands gave the cassette to Andy McDonald at Go! Discs. Several record labels later became interested in signing the band. The band chose to sign with Go! Discs.
The band's first single Way Out was mixed with producer Gavin MacKillop. When it was released in October 1987, it broke in to the top 100 and was praised by The Smiths' frontman Morrissey in the music magazine Melody Maker, but attracted little notice. The band continued to perform around the UK and gained success as a live act, drawing comparisons to The Beatles due to their origins, vaguely Merseybeat sound, and Mavers' expressive lyrics.
There She Goes was released in 1988 with the B-sides "Come In Come Out" and "Who Knows". The song garnered moderate attention and airplay, but performed poorly in the charts. The music video for "There She Goes" features The La's scampering through run-down Liverpool streets and was filmed in an afternoon on a handheld camera. It was later re-released a number of times, the earliest being 1990's Steve Lillywhite mix. After working with producer Jeremy Allom at the Pink Museum Studio in Liverpool in May 1989, the band were set to release "Timeless Melody" as a single. While test pressings had been sent out for review, and was nominated for "record of the week" in the NME, Mavers was reportedly unhappy with the production and the single release was scrapped.
The La's then spent two years fruitlessly recording and re-recording their intended album, with a constantly changing band lineup, where only the core of Mavers and Power remained the same. Discarded producers included The Smiths' producer John Porter, as well as John Leckie and Mike Hedges. Both Leckie and Hedges in interviews have been very complimentary about the band's songs and their respective sessions.
The previously volatile band lineup settled in 1989 with Lee's brother, Neil Mavers on drums, and Peter "Cammy" Camell as lead guitarist. The group then entered London's Eden Studios in December 1989 to again record their debut album with Simple Minds and U2 producer Steve Lillywhite. Despite this lineup being arguably the most stable, and press interviews from the time painting them as extremely confident, the sessions still did not satisfy Mavers. In one instance Mavers was reported to have rejected a vintage mixing desk, claiming it did not have the right sound because "it hasn't got original Sixties dust on it" although this claim has since been revealed as apocryphal. The Eden sessions with Lillywhite would become the band's final attempt at recording the album. The frustration of not achieving the right sound and mood in their songs, as well as increasing friction with Go! Discs, who had spent a considerable sum of money on recording sessions for the album, led to them simply giving up on the sessions. Lillywhite pieced together the recordings he had made with the group into what became the eventually released album. The band, particularly Lee Mavers, were not pleased with this decision.
Among the band's complaints were that Lillywhite used vocal guide tracks on the LP and that he did not "understand" their sound. Mavers would later go on to claim that the band had played poorly deliberately during the sessions in the hope that the material would not be released, as they did not gel with Lillywhite from day one.
However, recognition, at least critically, came for The La's in 1990 when the self-titled album, The La's, was released. The album reached #30 in the UK charts and received a Silver certification, but the album did not fare as well overseas. The album only reached #196 on the Billboard 200 and to date has sold fewer than 50,000 copies in the U.S.
The album included, among new material, re-recorded versions of all the previous singles, including a remixed version of "There She Goes" which was then re-released as a single. This time around, the song reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and remains the most visible and enduring of all the band's songs.
Additional singles from the album included the LP versions of Timeless Melody and Feelin'. Both sold reasonably well, reaching chart placings around the top 40. A short promotional tour proceeded, accompanied by television appearances on shows such as Top of the Pops. Press interviews conducted during this period were generally confused in tone, owing to the fact the critics generally adored the album yet Mavers was assuring journalists that he "hated" the album and it was "like a snake with a broken back".
1991 promotional tour dates were fulfilled in the UK and Europe including a few festivals, a well-received US tour. Bassist John Power left the group on the 13 December 1991, frustrated with having played essentially the same set of songs since 1986, and resurfaced a year later with his band Cast. The remainder of the 1991 concerts were performed with James Joyce on bass as well as a handful of 1992 dates. The band stopped touring and rehearsing in 1992 until further short-lived reunions, with various line-ups, throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
The band disbanded in 1992, with Mavers restarting the band various times in the years since (one between 1994 and 1996 and again in 2005). The band reunited in June 2011 as a duo consisting of Mavers and bassist Gary Murphy.
Son of a Gun
The La's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About a man who's at loggerheads
With his past all the time
He's alive and living in purgatory
All he's doing is rooming in hotels
And scooping up lots of wine
There was once a boy of life
He took his share of everywhere
But he never took a wife...
He was born to live like a mercenary
Well personally I think that's fine
If you're in the right mind
He was burned by the twentieth century
Now he's doing time
In the back of his mind
He can hear them outside
Better run, rabbit run
Run into the sun
Kick your heels in the killing fields
Run rabbit run
You're a son of a gun
He was born to live like a mercenary
Well personally I think that's fine
If you're in the right mind
The song "Son of a Gun" by The La's starts by offering a life story about a man at loggerheads with his past, who is living in purgatory. He is alive but does nothing but room in hotels, drink wine, and feel trapped in his present life. The song then introduces another figure, a boy of life who lived his life upon a knife and took his share of everywhere but never took a wife. He is a mercenary who was burned by the twentieth century and now is doing time, hearing his past come alive outside.
The lyrics describe the two characters as running away from something, whether it's their past or the present, and struggling with the confines of their current lives. The chorus encourages the listener to run away like a rabbit into the sun and the killing fields, implying that it's better to escape than stay trapped in a world you can't control. The song seems to suggest that sometimes you need to act like a gun, cold and calculated, if you're going to survive in a world that can be cruel.
Overall, "Son of a Gun" is a song about facing the difficulties of this world head-on, running when necessary, and being resilient even in the face of adversity. The lyrics present a world where life can be hard, but ultimately, it's up to the individual to push through and find their way.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want I'll sell you a life story
The singer offers to sell a life story to the listener.
About a man who's at loggerheads
The life story is about a man who finds himself in constant conflict.
With his past all the time
The source of the man's conflict is his past, which he can't seem to escape from.
He's alive and living in purgatory
The man feels stuck in a state of limbo or constant waiting, unable to fully live his life.
All he's doing is rooming in hotels
The man has no permanent home and spends his time living in hotels.
And scooping up lots of wine
The man drinks a lot of wine, potentially as a coping mechanism or to forget his troubles.
There was once a boy of life
The life story is about a young man.
Who lived upon a knife
The young man lived life on the edge, taking risks and being impulsive.
He took his share of everywhere
The young man was always exploring and traveling, taking in new experiences.
But he never took a wife...
Despite his adventures, the young man never found a romantic partner.
He was born to live like a mercenary
The young man was born to live a lifestyle that involved danger, adventure, and uncertainty.
Well personally I think that's fine
The singer approves of this type of lifestyle, suggesting that it may be exciting and fulfilling for some individuals.
If you're in the right mind
However, the singer also acknowledges that this way of life may not be suitable for everyone, and that the individual must have the right mindset for it.
He was burned by the twentieth century
The young man's adventurous lifestyle was ultimately affected by the events of the twentieth century, which may have harmed him in some way.
Now he's doing time
As a result of his risky lifestyle, the young man has ended up in a difficult situation or prison, metaphorical or not.
In the back of his mind
Despite his current situation, the young man still holds onto thoughts and memories from his past.
He can hear them outside
The young man is haunted by something in his mind or memories of his past, which he can hear even though it is not physically present.
Better run, rabbit run
The singer gives advice to the young man to run away from his present situation or the doubts in his mind.
Run into the sun
The singer suggests that the young man should run towards something positive and bright, like the sun.
Kick your heels in the killing fields
The singer acknowledges that there may be danger or difficulties on the way, but the young man should keep going and be strong.
Run rabbit run
The singer repeats the advice to run, emphasizing its importance.
You're a son of a gun
The singer acknowledges that the young man is tough and capable of handling difficult situations, potentially because of the way he was raised or because of his past.
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matheus Rian
"So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye" - The protagonist tells the cops.
"So you think you can love me and leave me to die?" - The camera goes back to the apartment and it's revealed that the captain is the protagonist's father.
"Ohh baby, can't do this to me baby" - He regrets the life he had while taking the picture of his daughter out of his pocket
"I just gotta get out, I just gotta get right out of here" - He tries to crawl out of the gunfight scene and dies
"Nothing really matters, anyone can see" - The mother says at his funeral
"Nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me" - The father says at a bar, seeming completely desolated
"Anyway the wind blows" - We hear the voice of the protagonist as we see his daughter and a breeze moves her hair.
That's my touch ^^
timespark
If Bohemian Rhapsody was directed by Michael Bay.
Diogenese
All that's missing is Leonardo DiCaprio
Idiotic Idiot
R.I.P.
Arcade As𝘀𝘂𝘀sin
YEEEEESSSSSS
BenoHourglass
@Stewie Just said that. Not desaturated enough.
Jaime L
It’s okay, you probably don’t really know Michael Bay. For one, this video actually has some depth to its characters.
Wesley Hodgson-Pageau
“Do anything you want with my music dear, but never make me boring!”
– Freddie Mercury
SIGSTKFLT
I'm surprised that the big music companies actually honor this.
Dolanii
He didn't
JustPujariStuff
Yes