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.
Looking Glass
The La's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me where I'm bound
Turn the pages over
Turn the world around
Open up the broken door for all lost TO be found
Walk into the empty room but never make a sound
Oh tell me where I'm going
Tell me why I'm bound to tear the pages open
I've seen everybody
Everybody's seen me
In the lookin' glass
I'm in everybody
Everybody's in me
In the stone is cast
The glass is smashed
The past - it never says it
It never makes a sound
Whispered ways were chosen
Echoes will be found
Mirrors that were broken
Lay there on the ground
Though the way lies open
Will the way be found
Oh tell me where I'm going and
Tell me why I'm bound to tear the pages open
Turn the world around
So the story goes it
Everybody knows it
Look into the past
We can't live without it
We can't live within it
Everything must pass
The change is cast
I've seen everybody
Everybody's seen me
In the lookin' glass
I'm in everybody
Everybody's in me
In the stone is cast
The glass is smashed
The change is cast
The change is cast
The change is cast
The change is cast
The change is cast
The change is cast
The La's song "Looking Glass" is a poignant and introspective exploration of self-reflection, memory, and change. The lyrics begin with a yearning for direction and purpose, as the singer asks to be shown where they are going and why they are bound to tear the pages open and turn the world around. This search for meaning is juxtaposed with a sense of being lost and alone, as the singer walks into an empty room and silently contemplates their journey. The refrain "oh tell me where I'm going" repeats throughout the song, underscoring the singer's desire for guidance and clarity.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to a meditation on identity and perception. The singer observes that they have seen everybody and everybody has seen them, reflected in the looking glass. There is a sense of interconnectedness and unity, as the singer realizes that they are in everybody and everybody is in them. However, this unity is also fragile and ephemeral, symbolized by the smashed glass and echoes of whispered ways.
The final verse of the song acknowledges the inevitability of change and the bittersweet nature of memory. The singer reflects that everything must pass and that we cannot live without or within the past. The repetition of "the change is cast" suggests both a sense of finality and acceptance, as well as a recognition of the power of choice and agency in shaping our own destinies.
Overall, "Looking Glass" is a heartfelt and evocative exploration of the human experience, combining introspection, self-discovery, and a yearning for meaning and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh tell me where I'm going
Requesting for guidance and clarity regarding personal direction
Tell me where I'm bound
Desiring to understand the ultimate destination of personal journey
Turn the pages over
Asking for a fresh start or new perspective
Turn the world around
Looking for a significant change in one's surroundings and environment
Open up the broken door for all lost TO be found
Wanting the opportunity to discover new possibilities and experiences
Walk into the empty room but never make a sound
Being cautious and reflective while exploring unfamiliar territory
Tell me why I'm bound to tear the pages open
Questioning the motivation behind one's desire for change
I've seen everybody
Having witnessed and interacted with many people throughout life
Everybody's seen me
Being recognized and known by many individuals
In the lookin' glass
Referring to the self-reflective process and introspection
I'm in everybody
Recognizing the interconnectedness and shared humanity among all individuals
Everybody's in me
Feeling the influence and impact of others on one's personal growth and development
In the stone is cast
Highlighting the permanence and impact of past choices and actions
The glass is smashed
Acknowledging the destruction and damage caused by past mistakes and regrets
The past - it never says it
Emphasizing the inability to change past events or actions
It never makes a sound
The past remains silent and cannot be altered or spoken about
Whispered ways were chosen
Reflecting on the subtlety and unconsciousness of past decisions
Echoes will be found
Acknowledging the lasting impact of past actions on future experiences
Mirrors that were broken
Describing the effects of past experiences on one's self-perception and identity
Lay there on the ground
Symbolizing the end of a cycle or journey
Though the way lies open
There are opportunities and possibilities available for future growth and exploration
Will the way be found
Uncertainty and doubt about how to move forward and achieve personal goals
So the story goes it
Reflecting on the common narrative and shared experiences of humanity
Everybody knows it
Recognizing the universality and familiarity of certain life experiences
We can't live without it
Acknowledging the importance of past experiences and memories in shaping personal identity
We can't live within it
Being unable to fully embrace and accept past mistakes and regrets
Everything must pass
Nothing is permanent and all experiences are subject to change and transformation
The change is cast
The decision to move forward and embrace personal growth and transformation has been made
The change is cast
Reinforcing the previous statement and emphasizing the commitment to personal transformation
The change is cast
Reiterating the decision to move forward and leave the past behind
The change is cast
Emphasizing the finality and certainty of personal transformation
The change is cast
A concluding statement on the message and themes of the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE MAVERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertbosson5223
Oh tell me where I'm going
Tell me where I'm bound
Turn the pages over
Turn the world around
Open up the broken door for all lost TO be found
Walk into the empty room but never make a sound
Oh tell me where I'm going
Tell me why I'm bound to tear the pages open
Turn the world around
I've seen everybody
Everybody's seen me
In the lookin' glass
I'm in everybody
Everybody's in me
In the stone is cast
The glass is smashed
The past - it never says it
It never makes a sound
Whispered ways were chosen
Echoes will be found
Mirrors that were broken
Lay there on the ground
Though the way lies open
Will the way be found
Oh tell me where I'm going and
Tell me why I'm bound to tear the pages open
Turn the world around
So the story goes it
Everybody knows it
Look into the past
We can't live without it
We can't live within it
Everything must pass
The change is cast
I've seen everybody
Everybody's seen me
In the lookin' glass
I'm in everybody
Everybody's in me
In the stone is cast
The glass is smashed
The change is cast...
@mrdaynes1
If Lennon had written this everybody would say it's genius - well, I'm saying now, it IS genius!!!
@davidchapman7033
Just one of the finest, most unappreciated songs of all time.
@mattnuttall2832
Absolutely!! 👍
@Surv1ve_Thrive
Agreed.
@barragin9893
This got no air in the US unfortunately, amazing song, wasn't aware until years later.
@lennon1482
@Peter May man I'm only human
@mhoppy6639
Well said
@nickycurvis-oz6sr
This Lee Mavers gem makes "Dont Look Back In Anger" quite ordinary by comparison.....Sheer Genius !!!!!
@joechill6639
Get such a nostalgic rush when I hear this. Memories of being a teenager sitting in my mates dimly lit bedroom, frost on the windows, cigarette and weed smoke hanging in the air, absolutely having our minds blown by tunes like this. Whole lives ahead of us.
We can't go back can we, but we can take the songs with us.
@yoyothasme123
+Tales From The Riverbank HELL YEA MAN, shout out from the States (Philadelphia), i can relate to that man across an ocean. RIGHT ON