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.
Liberty Ship
The La's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stoke the fire that keep you brave
And this I give for all mankind
Sail away on an ocean wave
I am the voyager of the ocean grey
I wayfarer see fairway
And this I give for all mankind
I am the sailor, the ocean slave
Fill your sail with the breath I gave
And this I give for all mankind
Sail away on an ocean wave
I am the captain of the love brigade
With every breath I am your slave
And this I gave for all mankind
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on the airwaves
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on the airwaves
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on the airwaves
Sail away on an ocean wave
Sail away on an ocean wave
The La's's song Liberty Ship is a track about dedicating oneself to serving something greater than oneself, specifically the "all mankind" mentioned throughout the lyrics. The singer identifies themselves as an anonymous toiler or slave on the old ship, stoking the fire to keep their fellow sailors brave. The next verse casts the singer as a voyager and wayfarer, someone who sees the fairway and charts the course for others to follow. Thirdly, the singer takes on the guise of a sailor and ocean slave, filling the sails with the breath that they gave. Finally, the singer is the captain of the love brigade - a force dedicated to the betterment of all of humanity. It's a song of humility and selflessness, with the repeated phrase "sail away on an ocean wave" serving as a sort of refrain or mantra.
The choice of the liberty ship as the metaphorical vessel being sailed on is an interesting one - liberty ships were cheap, mass-produced cargo ships designed for use during World War II. They were built quickly and used extensively, with over 2000 being constructed during the war. While they weren't glamorous or particularly well-built, they were a vital component of the war effort - so perhaps the choice of a liberty ship points to the idea that even the smallest or least glamorous contribution can be important when it comes to serving something greater than oneself.
As for the music of the song, it's a bright, jangly track that's fairly representative of the Britpop/indie rock scene of the early 90s. The La's were led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Lee Mavers, who was known for his obsession with the perfect guitar sound - the band famously spent years recording and re-recording their debut album, and never quite managed to match the success of Liberty Ship's contemporaries like Oasis and Blur.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the toiler the old ship slave
I am the hardworking laborer who serves the ship and its crew
I stoke the fire that keep you brave
I provide the heat that gives you courage and strength
And this I give for all mankind
I do this selfless act for the benefit of humanity
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
I am the voyager of the ocean grey
I am the explorer navigating the vast, gray expanse of the sea
I wayfarer see fairway
As a traveler, I observe the clear path ahead
I am the sailor, the ocean slave
I am the seafaring individual who enslaves themselves to the ocean and its whims
Fill your sail with the breath I gave
Take advantage of the air currents I provide to fill your sails and continue your journey
I am the captain of the love brigade
I am the leader of a group of people who spread love and positivity
With every breath I am your slave
I am willing to sacrifice myself for the betterment of others with every inhale and exhale
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
Sail away on the airwaves
Broadcast your message to the world via the radio waves
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
Sail away on the airwaves
Broadcast your message to the world via the radio waves
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
Sail away on the airwaves
Broadcast your message to the world via the radio waves
Sail away on an ocean wave
Depart on a voyage across the sea
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE MAVERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind