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.
Way Out
The La's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I walk out of this
Give me some money
'Cause I'm right in a hurry
To get a way out of this
But I'm telling you this
That I don't aim to miss
To get a way out of this
Give it all you got now
Said, give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Give it all you got now
Said, give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Let me tell you this
Before I walk out of this
Some say it's sunny but
I don't think that's funny
And I'm telling you this
To get a way out of this
'Cause I don't aim to miss
To get a way out of this
Give it all you got now
Said, give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Give it all you got now
Said, give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Give it all you got now
Said,give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Give it all you got now
Said,give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Bid me one last wish
Before I walk out of this
Give me the hammer to shatter the dream
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
To get a way out of this
The lyrics of The La’s’s song “Way Out” express a sense of urgency to escape from a difficult situation. The singer is asking for a last kiss and some money before walking out of the current situation. He is determined to not miss the opportunity to get out of this situation. The lyrics also seem to suggest that the singer does not find the current situation funny, even though some people might think it is sunny. The chorus encourages the listener to give it all they got and to help the singer get a way out of this. The last verse speaks of a final wish – to be given a hammer to shatter the dream of the current situation, and to ultimately escape from it.
The lyrics might be interpreted in different ways, but they seem to suggest a desire to leave a current situation that is not desirable. The sense of urgency is palpable, and the repetition of the phrase “to get a way out of this” reinforces the singer’s determination to leave. The request for a hammer to shatter the dream might be seen as a desire to destroy the illusion of the current situation and see things for what they really are.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me one last kiss
Requesting for one last moment of affection
Before I walk out of this
Before departing from the current situation
Give me some money
Asking for financial support
'Cause I'm right in a hurry
In a rush to leave
To get a way out of this
To escape from the current situation
But I'm telling you this
Making a point clear
That I don't aim to miss
Determined to make it out successfully
Give it all you got now
To put in maximum effort
Said, give it all you got now, yeah give a little
Encouraging to give everything and a bit more
Let me tell you this
Wants to express something
Some say it's sunny but
People may view the situation positively
I don't think that's funny
But the situation is not laughable
To get a way out of this
The purpose is to escape
'Cause I don't aim to miss
The determination is strong
Bid me one last wish
Asking for one last favor
Give me the hammer to shatter the dream
Asking for a harsh truth to be revealed
To get a way out of this
The goal is to escape the current situation
To get a way out of this
The motivation is clear
To get a way out of this
Repeating the purpose
To get a way out of this
Stating the determination again
To get a way out of this
Repeating the goal one last time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE MAVERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jesse Mullen
This might be the best sound mix The La's ever had on stage. Mega recording 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
ScottishTeeVee
Couldn't agree more!
Jesse Mullen
@ScottishTeeVee I really wish there were more audio recordings of full gigs from that tour. Saw the London gig elsewhere on YouTube and thought they sounded great there too.
Edward mulholland
Love them.
Thank you for this.
ScottishTeeVee
Glad you enjoyed it. I hope they reform for a wee money making tour soon and if they do then I'll see you there.
Javi Javi
I dont get tired of saying this,
THIS IS THE BEST CHANNEL IN YOUTUBE OOOOUH YEAHH
ScottishTeeVee
Thank You Javi. 😊
Giulio Luzzardi
That voice!!!
Vic Someone 🏴viip
Cheers Steevee, you've put a smile on my wrinkly auld face yet again! ❤️
ScottishTeeVee
Glad you enjoyed this Vic. A nice wee start to a Sunday.