‘There She Goes, There She Goes Again’: ‘The La’s’ Turns 35

The breeze is a bit chillier than it was the day before, and the leaves satisfyingly crunch underfoot. It’s fall again. Playlists shift from summer hits to the wistful tones of autumn, and without fail “There She Goes” by the La’s has made its way back into rotation. Somehow this obscure English rock band was able to capture the season of fall in sound.

For many, the song is inseparable from one of television’s most iconic fall shows, “Gilmore Girls.” The song plays in the opening of the show’s pilot episode with one of the main characters Lorelai Gilmore walking through the small eccentric town of Stars Hollow. It’s the only time the song appears in all seven seasons of the show, yet its effect is permanent. Fans of the show can’t hear “There She Goes” without picturing Lorelai and Rory Gilmore grabbing a cup of hot coffee while throwing pop culture references left and right at the poor diner owner Luke.

Behind the timeless single lies a band with a curious legacy. The La’s released one single album, self-titled “The La’s,” creatively after their own band name, and then disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived. Yet with a single record they were able to capture the essence of British pop and rock from the late 80s and early 90s. Listening back to “The La’s” each fall feels like opening a time capsule and being greeted by the Beatles, the Smiths and Oasis.

One album, one hit song. But how does the album and the “lost” band stand on its own today?

The La’s are an English rock band from Liverpool (interestingly enough, just like another famous English rock band — The Beatles), who debuted in 1990. Unsurprisingly, the Beatles had a lasting impact on a lot of English rock bands, including The La’s and other bands to follow. But many bands in the 90s were already looking towards The La’s as their new inspiration and towards the new genius in English Rock — head vocalist and the creative mind behind The La’s, Lee Mavers.

However, Maver’s ambitions lead to the downfall of the band. While longing for simplicity and rawness in the recordings of their albums, Mavers fought with the producers of the album who wished to “perfect” it. Because of the differences in their visions, The La’s disbanded and went into obscurity.

“There She Goes” is the crown jewel of The La’s album. The song radiates warmth and is weightless, as a chiming guitar riff carries through the whole song behind repeating lyrics. The simplicity of the lyrics is the song’s strength. “There she goes / There she goes again / Racing through my brain,” the repetition of the lyrics becomes almost hypnotic, putting the listener in a trance. The song has no grand bridge or key change, like a perfect circle — coming back to where it started from.

However, when the song was first released, there were rumors that the song was actually about heroin. Fans claimed that the “she” mentioned in the song was actually a metaphor for the drug. The claims weren’t too far fetched as lyrics like “racing through my brain” and “no one else can heal my pain” could easily be read in that way.

When questioned about the appalling rumor in 1995, the group’s bassist John Power said, “I don’t know. Truth is, I don’t wanna know. Drugs and madness go hand in hand. People who you’ve known all your life… they’re steady, then they’re not.” Years later in an interview with the BBC, John Byrne, the lead vocalist for the song, denied the rumor by saying, “It’s just a love song about a girl that you like but never talk to.”

The band’s interpretation of the song seems fitting. Its charm lies behind the feeling of it, not its meaning. It also fits Maevers philosophy: Don’t overthink and don’t overproduce. Don’t take life too seriously, and let the music take its course.

Although “There She Goes” may have been the La’s only hit, the other songs on the album deserve recognition too. Songs like “Timeless Melody” showcase the band’s ability to convey melancholy through motion in song, while “Doledrum” captures the stress-inducing lifestyle of Britain’s working class in the 80s. The closing song of the album, “Looking Glass,” which lasts for seven whole minutes, although may not be as popular as their hit because of its psychedelic-like jam, deserves as much recognition for the genius behind its instrumentation and lyricism.

It is unfortunate that the band never made another record because they were onto something and changing the landscape of English rock and pop. However, it will always be a joy to see their single album “The La’s” resurface every fall to soundtrack the changing leaves and autumn rain.

—Staff writer Anastasia Poliakova can be reached at anastasia.poliakova@thecrimson.com.