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?
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.
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!
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.
The inversion turns the statement, "I have a little story for you," into a question. In common verbal usage (e.g. have I got a deal for you) the inversion is used to indicate that the following information is important enough to pay attention to. I'm guessing that this is because a statement doesn't necessarily need a response, but the listener has to at least consider responding to a question.
In the song, it's probably as much because the lyric gives Vedder a nice opportunity for some complex syncopation :)
