Despite the similarity in name to the British band The Verve, there is no relation between the two.
In 1992, working with producer/engineer Jon Frazer, they released their first album, I've Suffered a Head Injury, which featured an acoustic version of the band's calling-card hit, "The Freshmen." The original 10-song version of the CD is no longer available. A 7-song version, without the original recording of "The Freshmen" and two songs written by Stout, was later released as an EP.
The band, known for its energetic live performances, built strong followings during its early years, especially in the college towns of Kalamazoo and East Lansing.
In the fall of 1993, the band released a second album, Pop Smear again working with Frazer that helped them gain a devoted following in their native state of Michigan and their eventual signing with RCA Records in 1995. AJ Dunning replaced Stout on guitar for the recording of Pop Smear and remained in the band for their three RCA records. This album featured the popular tracks "Spoonful of Sugar" and "Victoria" among others. While Doug Corolla played on Pop Smear, he was not a full member of the band until 1994.
Their first major label release was 1996's Villains, which was a minor hit and launched two respectably-selling singles, first Photograph then the #1 hit The Freshmen. They came back with The Verve Pipe in 1999, with such tracks as "Supergig," "Generations" and "She Has Faces." The album, however, failed to contain the commercial appeal of its predecessor.
The band's final release for RCA Records was 2001's Underneath. The song "Colorful," from Underneath, was featured on the soundtrack of Rock Star. Underneath's release unfortunately coincided with the September 11th terroist attacks which contributed to the album's poor sales which led to the band being dropped from RCA.
On September 15, 2009, Brian Vander Ark announced on his Web site that the band would be releasing a new album called A Family Album in October, 2009. The band had been approached to contribute a song for an album called "Calling All Kids" which led to them creating an entire album of family friendly songs.
Lead singer Brian Vander Ark has also released four solo albums: 2003's Resurrection, 2006's Angel, Put Your Face On, 2008's self-titled release Brian Vander Ark and 2011's Magazine.
Since the release of Underneath, the band's line up has changed frequently with former members including Joel Ferguson, Dan Matheny and John Conners. The current line up is as follows:
* Brian Vander Ark – lead vocals, guitars
* Donny Brown – drums, background vocals
* Andy Reed – bass, background vocals
* Randy Sly – keyboards, background vocals
* Lou Musa - guitars, background vocals
* Craig Griffith - harmonica, background vocals
La La
The Verve Pipe Lyrics
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We slip out of their view
Then you thought you heard me singing la la
But I don't have the strength to
From the moment that I give out we begin to live out
Scenes from all romantic prose while tethered to the roles
Or what was meant disguised as sentiment could hang
Your eyes tell me I have what I wanted
Haunted as I hold you
Nervous slacking with the lacking heartache
No heartbreak when I told you
And though I never did surrender could you please remember
If and when we meet again we once were more than friends
Embarrassed me but would you share a scene and kiss me
One last time before I leave you
And though I won't surrender I want you to remember
If and when we meet again we'll still be more than friends
Grant me this it could seem frivolous, but kiss me
One last time before I leave you
You've got all my loving in a tangle
That I could never undo
You will never hear me singing la la
I guess la la means I love you
La la, la la, la la, la la
La la, la la, la la, la la
La la means I love you, love you
La la means I love you, love you, love you
The song "La La" by The Verve Pipe is a poignant tune that speaks of the complexities of a relationship that is both romantic and friendship. The lyrics describe a couple that is trying to navigate their feelings for each other, their history, and the future. They escape the judgment and expectations of others around them by slipping away from view, but they can't escape their own feelings. The singer tells the listener that even though they both might have misunderstood or left unanswered what was meant to be said or felt, their eyes tell each other what they want. However, the singer is hesitant to take a step forward with this new knowledge, afraid to take the plunge, but longing for something more.
The second verse speaks of the uncertainty about whether to act on the feelings he has for his friend-turned-love-interest. He recognizes that he has deep feelings for her, but he's unsure if they're returned, and he's afraid of potentially ruining the friendship they've built up. He longs for one last meaningful moment shared with her, a scene where she could kiss him one last time before he has to leave. The chorus repeats, "La la means I love you," signifying the difficulty in expressing one's true feelings, even in the simplest terms.
Overall, "La La" beautifully captures the bitter-sweetness of unrequited love and the awkwardness of transitioning from a friendship to something more complicated.
Line by Line Meaning
With everyone around us singing la la
Although we're surrounded by people going about their lives, seemingly content and happy, we disconnected and took a step back.
We slip out of their view
We chose to retreat and remove ourselves from public eye.
Then you thought you heard me singing la la
You misinterpreted my silence and lack of enthusiasm as being care-free and happy.
But I don't have the strength to
In reality, I am not strong enough to pretend that everything is okay and hide my true feelings.
From the moment that I give out we begin to live out
As soon as I express my vulnerability, we start living out parts of cliche romantic stories.
Scenes from all romantic prose while tethered to the roles
We act out characters from romantic stories that we don't entirely fit into, but feel like we have to play these roles.
Or what was meant disguised as sentiment could hang
Even though our intentions were true, our actions may have been perceived as insincere or deceitful.
Misunderstood and left unanswered
Our attempts to communicate honestly about our feelings were misunderstood and remain unresolved.
Your eyes tell me I have what I wanted
When we're together, I see in your eyes that the things I crave are there for me.
Haunted as I hold you
Despite my attempts to hide my true feelings, I am haunted by the weight of them as I hold you.
Nervous slacking with the lacking heartache
I'm pretending to be less nervous and heartbroken than I actually am.
No heartbreak when I told you
Even though I am heartbroken, I didn't want to hurt you with the truth.
And though I never did surrender could you please remember
Even though I never gave up on us, I want you to remember something important.
If and when we meet again we once were more than friends
If and when we see each other again, I want you to remember that we used to mean more to each other than just friends.
Embarrassed me but would you share a scene and kiss me
I feel embarrassed by my feelings, but I still want to share a kiss with you one last time.
One last time before I leave you
I want to have one last moment with you before we say goodbye.
And though I won't surrender I want you to remember
Even though I won't give up on us, I still want you to remember something important.
If and when we meet again we'll still be more than friends
If and when we see each other again, I want you to know that we will always be more than just friends.
Grant me this it could seem frivolous, but kiss me
I know it might seem unimportant, but I'd really like it if you would kiss me one last time.
You've got all my loving in a tangle
You've got my heart and emotions all mixed up, and I can't make sense of it all.
That I could never undo
Once you've gotten a hold of my heart, I could never take it back or undo it.
You will never hear me singing la la
Even though I love you, I won't pretend to be happy-go-lucky and care-free by singing 'la la.'
I guess la la means I love you
Instead, I'll just say it plainly - 'la la' means 'I love you.'
Contributed by Michael P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.