Have I got a little story for you

There is a song called "Alive", by Pearl Jam. The opening line is:

Son, she said, have I got a little story for you

Despite the subject-auxiliary inversion ("have I"), which would be expected in an English question, the subordinate clause is affirmative. What is the function of this inversion?

Solution 1:

None of the causes of inversion mentioned on Wikipedia seem to apply: there is no strong negation like never, nor a strong limiting adverb like so and only in first position.

We can only be sure after some historical research. But, after some reflection, I think the most likely explanation is that it echoes an hypothetical question. I imagine it came about like this:

• Hector: Achilleus, you are a worthless warrior.
• Achilleus: I am a worthless warrior? How dare you! Die!

In an indignant reply, the original statement may be echoed as a rhetorical question, but without inversion. Notice that the perspective changes as would be expected: you changes into I.

• Achilleus: Hector, can you win this war, you think? Come on, just give up.
• Hector: Can we win this war? Of course we can, and we shall! You have no idea how powerful Aphrodite is, our protector-goddess.

The question is echoed as a half-question, half-exclamation. In casual writing, !? could be used.

• Telemachus: Did you fight any Trojans? Have you got a story for me?
• Odysseus: Boy, have I got a little story for you. It was a huge spectacle of attack and retreat, honour and cowardice. Let me begin...

When this rhetorical question is used in a casual manner, in a well-known formula (cf. how do you do), it may lose some force and be pronounced and punctuated as a statement instead of a question. The remaining rhetorical force is expressed by the inversion: have I got a little story for you is stronger than I have got a little story for you, in that the story is suggested to be more remarkable.

Solution 2:

It's simply a rhetorical question for emphasis.

Like, "Have I got news for you?", meaning: not only do I have news, but it's really interesting or juicy. The statement "I have got news for you" seems rather bland and uninteresting in comparison.

Also, "Do I not like orange", Graham Taylor's famous quote. He really didn't like orange.

To return to the quote, "I have got a little story for you" is something a journalist might meekly say their editor, whereas, "Have I got a little story for you" really gets the listener/reader interested. I'd agree with Ken about the reason for adding "little" to the sentence in this context though.

Great song - Pearl Jam rock!

Solution 3:

I agree with @Bill - emphasis is provided to the I. Wikipedia defines SAI as occurring in declarative sentences when restrictive elements are formed; in this case, the emphasis props up the restrictive property of the I.