Verve, the original name of The Verve, were an English rock band formed in … Read Full Bio ↴Verve, the original name of The Verve, were an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1990, having met at Winstanley Sixth Form College. The band's initial line-up comprised vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury, whilst Simon Tong later became a member as a second guitarist and keyboard player.

Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space rock, by the mid-1990s they had released several EPs and two acclaimed records. They endured both name and line-up changes, break-ups, health problems, drug abuse and various lawsuits, and have been referred to as "one of the tightest knit, yet ultimately volatile bands in history".

The band's commercial breakthrough came with the 1997 album Urban Hymns and its lead single "Bitter Sweet Symphony", which became a massive worldwide hit. Soon after this commercial peak, the band broke up in April 1999, citing internal conflicts. By then, The Verve had become one of the most influential English alternative rock acts in years.

The band's original four members reunited in June 2007. They embarked on a tour later that year, and released the album Forth in August 2008. A year later, it was announced that the band had split up for the third time in their career.

Already There
Verve Lyrics

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Seen it all I'm already there

Save your books and your pills
I don't need them I'm there

You can do anything you want to
All you've got to do is try

I thought my best days had left me
My best years had left me behind

Then I felt them come back (to me)
And all the wild eyes
All the wild eyes know what I mean

If trees cut stars and eyes to heaven
I'll bend them back and bend them again
If my skin looks tired and old from living
I'll turn right back and live it again
You better pray when the music stops
And you're left alone in your mind
'Cause I'll be hearing music till the day I die

Then I heard it turn off
I swear I heard the screams
And all the wild eyes
All the wild eyes know what I mean
They're scared they've lost their dream
They press down on me
You know I thought I was there

Hello, high, are you?
Yes?
Well that explains it
Oh you were walking round like some kind of angel
You were walking round like some kind of angel
Hello, high, are you? Yes?

Well that explains it
Well that explains it

Overall Meaning

The Verve's "Already There" is a song that speaks to the idea of being content with who you are and where you are in life. The opening lines "Seen it all, I'm already there" suggest that the singer has reached a point in their life where they have seen and experienced enough. They are no longer searching for anything because they have achieved a level of satisfaction with their existence. They no longer need books or pills to help them find happiness because they know they have everything they need inside of them.

The chorus reinforces this message with the encouraging words, "You can do anything you want to, all you've got to do is try." The singer reassures us that our best days are not behind us, and that we can always rediscover the wild eyes that once defined us. The lyrics suggest that even as we age, we can still reclaim our vitality and unabashed sense of wonder that we may have lost along the way.

The verses are introspective and philosophical, referencing the beauty of nature (trees cut stars and eyes to heaven) and the inevitability of aging and mortality (if my skin looks tired and old from living, I'll turn right back and live it again). The song ends with the dramatic declaration that the singer will "be hearing music till the day I die," suggesting that this sense of contentment and fulfillment will remain with them for the rest of their life.

Line by Line Meaning

Seen it all I'm already there
I have experienced it all and have already reached my destination.

Save your books and your pills I don't need them I'm there
I do not need drugs or self-help books as I have already attained enlightenment.

You can do anything you want to All you've got to do is try
If you make an effort, you can accomplish anything you desire.

I thought my best days had left me My best years had left me behind Then I felt them come back (to me) And all the wild eyes All the wild eyes know what I mean
I once believed that my finest days were past, but I was wrong because my earliest years are returning to me, and everyone who has ever chased their dreams understands what that feels like.

If trees cut stars and eyes to heaven I'll bend them back and bend them again If my skin looks tired and old from living I'll turn right back and live it again You better pray when the music stops And you're left alone in your mind 'Cause I'll be hearing music till the day I die
If something brings me close to my demise, I'll fight back, just as I'll continue to do so while music plays in my head until the end of time.

Then I heard it turn off I swear I heard the screams And all the wild eyes All the wild eyes know what I mean They're scared they've lost their dream They press down on me You know I thought I was there
After experiencing the high of being at the top, I've come back down to reality and I can hear the cries of those who believe they have failed, which is making it hard for me to maintain my footing as well.

Hello, high, are you? Yes? Well that explains it Oh you were walking round like some kind of angel You were walking round like some kind of angel Hello, high, are you? Yes? Well that explains it Well that explains it
It's been verified that I was arrogant because I was high on life and that explains why I was strutting around like a superior being.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NICK MC CABE, PETER SALISBURY, RICHARD ASHCROFT, SIMON JONES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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