There She Goes (The La's song) explained

There She Goes
Cover:There She Goes by The La's 1990 reissue.jpg
Caption:Artwork for 1990 reissue
Type:single
Artist:the La's
Album:The La's
Released:1988
Studio:Woodcray (Wokingham, England)
Genre:
Length:
  • 2:42 (album version)
  • 2:31 (single version)
Label:Go! Discs
Producer:Bob Andrews
Prev Title:Way Out
Prev Year:1987
Next Title:Timeless Melody
Next Year:1990

"There She Goes" is a song by English rock band the La's, written by the band's frontman, Lee Mavers. First released in 1988, the song reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart when it was re-issued in 1990.

Predating Britpop by four years,[3] the band's self-titled album was named one of the 40 greatest one-album wonders by Rolling Stone, with the magazine stating, "Whether about heroin or just unrequited love, the La's single 'There She Goes' off their self-titled debut has endured as a founding piece of Britpop's foundation."[4] It was listed at number 22 on NMEs "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[5] In 2007, NME had placed the song at number 45 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.[6]

Lyrics and meaning

The song contains no verses, only a single chorus repeated four times and a bridge.

"There She Goes" has gained a reputation for being about the use of heroin, possibly as a result of the lines: "There she goes again... racing through my brain... pulsing through my vein... no one else can heal my pain".[7] Several newspapers ran articles about the La's and their apparent ode to heroin.[8] When asked about the rumour in 1995, the group's bassist John Power replied: "I don't know. Truth is, I don't wanna know."[9] However, in the book (2003) by MW Macefield, ex-La's guitarist Paul Hemmings denied the rumour. In an interview with Les Inrockuptibles, Mavers admits to trying heroin in 1990. The song therefore predated his experience as it was originally released in 1988. Mavers himself has also emphatically denied that the song is about heroin.[10]

The band's guitarist John Byrne said of the song, "I thought it would be big, a lot bigger than it was, but then forgotten like a lot of pop songs. In retrospect, the opposite happened."[11]

Release and reception

The first version of the song, produced by Bob Andrews, was released by the La's in 1988 and again on 2 January 1989. The 1989 release peaked at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart. Andrews' production of the song was remixed by Steve Lillywhite in 1990 for inclusion on their debut album The La's.[12] This remixed version was issued as a single on 22 October 1990 and reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

In May 2007, NME magazine placed "There She Goes" at number 45 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.[6] In 2008, it was also re-released as a vinyl single for its 20th anniversary. A precursor to Britpop, the album was listed at number 13 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 40 greatest one-hit wonders.[4] It was listed at number 22 on NMEs list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[5]

On NPR's All Songs Considered, musician Ben Gibbard selected "There She Goes" as his pick for "perfect song."[13] Gibbard observed that the song "defines the perfectly written pop song: an instantaneously recognizable melody and lyric set to simple, economic musical structure. It is such a simple song that it boggles the mind that someone hadn't already written it." Eric Clapton also praised the song.

In December 2021, Oasis's Noel Gallagher said it was his favourite song from the 1990s;[14] despite being released in 1988, the song didn't achieve widespread fame and acclaim until 1990.

Music videos

There are two music videos for this song: a UK version and an international version.

The first video, released in 1988 and directed by Jeff Baynes, was recorded on a camcorder, and was shot in the English countryside and in the band's hometown of Liverpool. It shows the band performing in an alleyway, a park, and on a hill, as well as footage from their concerts. The video ends with a shot of the drum logo.[15] This version was released exclusively for the UK, Irish, and Australian markets only but also aired in Canada for a brief period, and uses the single version of the song. It is also incorrectly labeled as "US Version" on the band's YouTube channel.

The second music video, released in 1990, was recorded professionally and was shot in Los Angeles, California.The band's first video to feature new lead guitarist Peter Camell and drummer Neil Mavers (Lee's younger brother), it shows them performing in the streets and neighboring towns of Los Angeles, as well as in front of the Los Angeles skyline, evidenced by the U.S. Bank Tower, while being interspliced with footage of a young woman. The video ends with a shot of the woman's face. This version, dubbed as "American version" and "International version", was released internationally and uses the album version of the song.

Formats and track listings

All songs were written by L.A. Mavers.1988 7-inch: Go! Discs / GOLAS 2 (UK), 870 987-7 (France)

Side one

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:31

Side two

  1. "Come In, Come Out" – 2:10

1988 7-inch EP: Go! Discs / LASEP 2 (UK)

Side one

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:31
  2. "Who Knows?" – 3:27

Side two

  1. "Way Out" (New Version)
  2. "Come In, Come Out" – 2:10

1988 12-inch: Go! Discs / GOLAS 212 (UK)Side one

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:31
  2. "Come In, Come Out" – 2:10

Side two

  1. "Who Knows" – 3:27
  2. "Man I'm Only Human" – 4:50

1988 CD: Go! Discs / LAS CD2 (UK)

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:31
  2. "Come In, Come Out" – 2:10
  3. "Who Knows" – 3:27
  4. "Man I'm Only Human" – 4:50

1990 7-inch: Go! Discs / GOLAS 5 (UK)Side one

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:45

Side two

  1. "Freedom Song" – 2:26

1990 12-inch: Go! Discs / GOLAS 512 (UK)Side one

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:45
  2. "Freedom Song"- 2:26

Side two

  1. "All by Myself" – 5:53

1990 Cassette single: Go! Discs / LASMC 5 (UK)

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:45
  2. "Freedom Song" – 2:26

1990 CD: Go! Discs / LASCD 5 (UK)

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:45
  2. "Freedom Song" – 2:26
  3. "All by Myself" – 5:53

Limited Edition 7-inch EP: Go! Discs / GOLAB 5 (UK)

Side one

  1. "There She Goes" – 2:45
  2. "Freedom Song"- 2:26

Side two

  1. "All by Myself" – 5:53

Other reissues

CD single (1999)

  1. "There She Goes"
  2. "Come In, Come Out"
  3. "Who Knows?"
  4. "There She Goes" (video)

7-inch single (2008)

  1. "There She Goes" (John Leckie version)
  2. "There She Goes" (original single version)
  3. "Way Out" (original single version)

Personnel

The La's[16]

Production[16]

Other personnel

Charts

Chart (1990–1991)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] 46
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[18] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 49
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[20] 2

Sixpence None the Richer version

There She Goes
Cover:Sixpence_None_The_Richer_-_There_She_Goes.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Sixpence None the Richer
Album:Sixpence None the Richer
B-Side:"Kiss Me" (acoustic)
Length:2:43
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Kiss Me
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:I Can't Catch You
Next Year:2000

American Christian alternative rock band Sixpence None the Richer released a cover version of the song in July 1999 as the second single from their third studio album, Sixpence None the Richer (1997). The band's rendition of the song reached number two in Iceland, number 12 in Canada, number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Track listings

UK CD and cassette single[21] [22]

  1. "There She Goes" (LP version) – 2:42
  2. "There She Goes" (Ben Grosse mix) – 2:42
  3. "Kiss Me" (acoustic version) – 3:12

UK 7-inch single and European CD single[23] [24]

A. "There She Goes" (LP version) – 2:42

B. "Kiss Me" (acoustic version) – 3:12

Australian CD single[25]

  1. "There She Goes" (album mix) – 2:42
  2. "There She Goes" (remix) – 2:42
  3. "Kiss Me" (live in Hollywood, 12 February 1998) – 3:28

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999)Peak
position
Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS)[26] 18
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[27] 50
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[28] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29] 54
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[30] 46
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 35
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[32] 37
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[33] 58
Chart (2000)Position
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[34] 39
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[35] 55

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United States12 July 1999Alternative radio[36]
2 August 1999[37] [38]
3 August 1999Contemporary hit radio
United Kingdom6 September 1999[39]

In media

It has appeared on several film soundtracks, including The Parent Trap; Fever Pitch; Girl, Interrupted; Cold Case; The Adventures of Pete and Pete; Snow Day; and So I Married an Axe Murderer (where both the original and The Boo Radleys version appear). It also opens the "Pilot" episode of Gilmore Girls. Sixpence None the Richer's version of the song was used in Family Guy and the commercials for birth-control company Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo from 2004 to 2005.[40]

The song was also used for the opening montage of the first episode of Channel 4's drama series This Is England '90, which also featured outgoing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's resignation speech.[41]

The song was used frequently for slow-motion scenes with Nori in the U.S. TV series Me, Myself & I.

The BBC comedy drama There She Goes was named after the song, as the show’s creator Shaun Pye listened to it whilst writing the first script.[42]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: LaBate. Steve. 18 December 2009. Jangle Bell Rock: A Chronological (Non-Holiday) Anthology... from The Beatles and Byrds to R.E.M. and Beyond. https://web.archive.org/web/20190324114716/https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/12/jangle-bell-rock-a-chronological-non-holiday-antho.html?p=2. 24 March 2019. 5 February 2017. Paste.
  2. Web site: Gerard. Chris. 7 April 2021. The 100 Best Alternative Singles of the 1980s: 60 - 41. 11 August 2022. PopMatters. 3.
  3. Web site: The La's There She Goes. Phares. Heather. AllMusic. 10 May 2018.
  4. 40 Greatest One-Album Wonders: 13. The La's, 'The La's' (1990). Rolling Stone. 4 April 2021.
  5. Web site: The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 100-1. Barker. Emily. NME. 31 January 2014. 11 October 2020.
  6. The Greatest Indie Anthems Ever – countdown continues . 1 May 2007 . . 19 September 2013.
  7. News: The La's, "There She Goes" (1990). Your Love Is a Drug: 20 Great Narcotic Love Songs. Rolling Stone. 1 May 2018.
  8. News: The La's – 25 years on from one of the UK's greatest ever debut albums. Liverpool Echo. 1 May 2018.
  9. Jelbert, Steve. "Pop: The One and Only", The Independent, London: 26 January 2001, p. 16.
  10. Web site: the-las.com • View topic - Les Inrockuptibles n°27 - January-February 1991.. www.the-las.com.
  11. Web site: Comaratta . Len . 10 September 2011 . Dusting 'Em Off: The La's - The La's . Consequence . 16 January 2020.
  12. Web site: Tom Graves' Blog. Tomgraves.blogspot.gr.
  13. Web site: Perfect Song: Artist Picks. All Songs Considered. NPR. 5 May 2018.
  14. Web site: 15 December 2021 . Noel Gallagher's favourite song from the 1990s . 8 March 2022.
  15. Web site: The La's. Strikingmedia.co.uk.
  16. The La's: Deluxe Edition . The La's (album) . . 2008 . booklet . . 5306021 . UK .
  17. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 7. 48. 13. 1 December 1990. 4 March 2020.
  18. Web site: Tipparade-lijst van week 4, 1991. Dutch Top 40. nl. March 16, 2023.
  19. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. 31 August 1991. 18 August 2023.
  20. Alternative Airplay. Billboard. 11 May 1991. subscription. 18 August 2023.
  21. There She Goes. Sixpence None the Richer. 1999. UK CD single liner notes. Squint Entertainment, Elektra Records. E3728CD, 7559-63728-2.
  22. There She Goes. Sixpence None the Richer. 1999. UK cassette single sleeve. Squint Entertainment, Elektra Records. E3728C, 7599-63728-4.
  23. There She Goes. Sixpence None the Richer. 1999. UK 7-inch single sleeve. Squint Entertainment, Elektra Records. 7559-64026-7.
  24. There She Goes. Sixpence None the Richer. 1999. European CD single liner notes. Squint Entertainment, Elektra Records. 7559-64026-9.
  25. There She Goes. Sixpence None the Richer. 1999. Australian CD single liner notes. Squint Entertainment, Mushroom Records. MUSH01887.2.
  26. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20050407221908/http://www.crosscanadacountdown.com/pdfs/1999.pdf. April 7, 2005. Canadian Top 20 in 1999. Cross Canada Countdown. November 13, 2023.
  27. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 16. 39. 16. 25 September 1999. 4 March 2020.
  28. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (14.10 – 21.10 1999). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 12. 15 October 1999. 6 October 2019.
  29. RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 12 April 2018.
  30. RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 12 April 2018.
  31. Web site: End of Year Charts 1999. Recorded Music NZ. 6 October 2019.
  32. Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999. Airplay Monitor. 7. 52. 47. 24 December 1999.
  33. Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999. Airplay Monitor. 7. 52. 54. 24 December 1999.
  34. The Best of 2000: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs. Airplay Monitor. 8. 51. 50. 22 December 2000.
  35. Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000. Airplay Monitor. 8. 51. 48. 22 December 2000.
  36. Sixpence: 'There She Goes'. Radio & Records. 1307. 109. 9 July 1999. 24 July 2021.
  37. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1307. 53, 89, 94. 30 July 1999. 24 July 2021.
  38. Gavin AC/Hot AC: Impact Dates. Gavin Report. 2266. 28. 2 August 1999.
  39. New Releases – For Week Starting 6 September, 1999: Singles. Music Week. 23. 4 September 1999. 24 July 2021.
  40. Web site: 12 Things You Forgot About 'Gilmore Girls' Pilot, Like When Rory Didn't Want To Attend Chilton. Bustle.
  41. Web site: Shane Meadows on This is England '90: 'They're very addictive, them lot' . Vine . Richard . 28 August 2015 . . 13 September 2015.
  42. Web site: There She Goes: 'The idea of a sitcom about a girl with a severe learning disability made me shudder. Then I thought – why not?'. i. Pye. Shaun. Shaun Pye. 9 October 2018. 2 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181203010850/https://inews.co.uk/culture/there-she-goes-bbc-four-comedy-david-tennant-jessica-hynes/. 3 December 2018. live.

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