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.
Follow Me Down
The La's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ça tweet! (Ça tweet!)
Ça s'Instagram, ça s'Instagram,
Yeah, je ne me soucie plus de mes ennemis
Ils sont près de moi, ils m'ont en ami
Ne laisse pas les gens te raconter ma vie
Alors si tu m'aimes, follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
@Sopranopsy4 boy
Follow un autre MC si tu veux du Pussycat Dolls
Ici y'a pas de cinéma
Ranges-moi vite ton pop-corn
Je fuck tellement de MC
Que je transforme YouTube en Youporn
Retweet pas mes punchlines à tes putain de gosses
Leur flow risquerait déjà d'avoir la ménopause
Follow-moi mais dit à tes hlel
Que je ne répondrais pas au DM
Et pour les rageux, je leur dis #VDM
Je ne me soucie plus de mes ennemis
Ils sont près de moi, ils m'ont en ami
Ne laisse pas les gens te raconter ma vie
Alors si tu m'aimes, follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
@Alonzopsy4
Aimez-moi comme la jolie Angelina kiffe Brad
Ma team, c'est des hooligans
On se croit dans un stade
Je vais exploser ton iPhone ou ton iPad
Trop de charisme pour les paparazzis
Si je suis pas dans Voici
C'est que c'est des racistes
Le swag d'un golfeur, je ne mets pas de baggy
I'm the best French rapper alive, Weezy
Je ne me soucie plus de mes ennemis
Ils sont près de moi, ils m'ont en ami
Ne laisse pas les gens te raconter ma vie
Alors si tu m'aimes, follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
@Vincenzopsy4
Jantes noires, vitres noires
Cuir noir dans la Maybach
Follow follow follow follow me
Je te le répète, "C'est le comeback"
Préviens préviens tous mes ennemis
Galère, ils sont en snapback
Tweet-moi, c'est Vincenzo
À ce qui parait tu me connais
On parle seulement en photo
Je crois que tes données sont erronées
Oh oh, non poto, ta go vient de me retweeter
Oh oh, elle m'a follow, elle est en #4D!
Je ne me soucie plus de mes ennemis
Ils sont près de moi, ils m'ont en ami
Ne laisse pas les gens te raconter ma vie
Alors si tu m'aimes, follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Photo, "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
Follow follow me
Follow follow me
Follow follow me
Follow follow me
It appears that a website's auto-populated lyrics have been pasted into this prompt, as they are not the lyrics to The La's's song "Follow Me Down". Therefore, I am unable to provide an interpretation of these incorrect lyrics or provide facts and chords about the song. Please provide the correct lyrics to the song if you would like me to interpret them.
Line by Line Meaning
Ça tweet! (Ça tweet!)
People are tweeting and posting on Instagram.
Ça s'Instagram, ça s'Instagram,
People are using Instagram to post pictures.
Yeah, je ne me soucie plus de mes ennemis
I don't care about my enemies anymore.
Ils sont près de moi, ils m'ont en ami
They are near me and they act like friends.
Ne laisse pas les gens te raconter ma vie
Don't let people tell you about my life.
Alors si tu m'aimes, follow follow me
If you like me, follow me.
Photo, "Cheese!"
Taking a picture and saying "Cheese!"
Follow follow me
Follow me on social media.
@Sopranopsy4 boy
Referring to Soprano, another rapper.
Follow un autre MC si tu veux du Pussycat Dolls
Follow another rapper if you want Pussycat Dolls music.
Ici y'a pas de cinéma
There's no acting here.
Ranges-moi vite ton pop-corn
Put away your popcorn quickly.
Je fuck tellement de MC
I have sex with many other rappers.
Que je transforme YouTube en Youporn
I have so much sex that it's like watching porn.
Retweet pas mes punchlines à tes putain de gosses
Don't retweet my lines to your fucking kids.
Leur flow risquerait déjà d'avoir la ménopause
Their flow is already old and boring.
Follow-moi mais dit à tes hlel
Follow me but tell your girls.
Que je ne répondrais pas au DM
I won't reply to your direct messages.
Et pour les rageux, je leur dis #VDM
For the haters, I say #VDM.
@Alonzopsy4
Referring to Alonzo, another rapper.
Aimez-moi comme la jolie Angelina kiffe Brad
Love me like the pretty Angelina loves Brad.
Ma team, c'est des hooligans
My team is like hooligans.
On se croit dans un stade
We act like we're in a stadium.
Je vais exploser ton iPhone ou ton iPad
I will destroy your iPhone or iPad.
Trop de charisme pour les paparazzis
I have too much charisma for the paparazzi.
Si je suis pas dans Voici
If I'm not in Voici magazine.
C'est que c'est des racistes
It's because they are racist.
Le swag d'un golfeur, je ne mets pas de baggy
I have the swag of a golfer, I don't wear baggy clothes.
I'm the best French rapper alive, Weezy
I'm the best French rapper, like Lil Wayne.
@Vincenzopsy4
Referring to Vincenzo, another rapper.
Jantes noires, vitres noires
Black rims, black windows.
Cuir noir dans la Maybach
Black leather in the Maybach car.
Je te le répète, "C'est le comeback"
I'm telling you again, "It's the comeback."
Préviens préviens tous mes ennemis
Warn all of my enemies.
Galère, ils sont en snapback
They are struggling, wearing snapback hats.
Tweet-moi, c'est Vincenzo
Tweet me, I'm Vincenzo.
À ce qui parait tu me connais
It seems like you know me.
On parle seulement en photo
We only talk in pictures.
Je crois que tes données sont erronées
I think your data is wrong.
Oh oh, non poto, ta go vient de me retweeter
Uh oh, bro, your girl just retweeted me.
Oh oh, elle m'a follow, elle est en #4D!
Uh oh, she followed me, she's in #4D!
Follow follow me
Follow me on social media.
Follow follow me
Follow me on social media.
Follow follow me
Follow me on social media.
Follow follow me
Follow me on social media.
Lyrics © EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE, HAUSSMAN AND MILLER
Written by: Nawadi Cheikh, Rodrigue Diambonda, Kassimou Djae, Illiassa Issilame, Said M'roumbaba
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind