The Importance of Being Idle (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "The Importance of Being Idle" | ||
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| Single by Oasis | ||
| from the album Don't Believe the Truth |
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| B-side(s) | "Pass Me Down the Wine", "The Quiet Ones" |
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| Released | August 22, 2005 | |
| Format | 7", CD, DVD | |
| Recorded | 2004 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:43 | |
| Label | Big Brother Recordings | |
| Producer(s) | Noel Gallagher | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Oasis singles chronology | ||
| "Lyla" (2005) |
"The Importance of Being Idle" (2005) |
"Let There Be Love" (2005) |
| Don't Believe the Truth track listing | ||
| "Love Like A Bomb" (4) |
"The Importance of Being Idle" (5) |
"The Meaning of Soul" (6) |
| Stop The Clocks track listing | ||
| "Lyla" (4) |
"The Importance Of Being Idle" (5) |
"Wonderwall" (6) |
"The Importance of Being Idle" is a song on the British rock band Oasis' sixth album, Don't Believe the Truth, written and sung by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was the second single released from the album in the UK, on August 22, 2005, where it debuted at #1 (see 2005 in music). It was also the first time that Oasis earned two successive #1's in the same calendar year. It was written by Gallagher sometime during the summer of 2004, before the band made their final attempt at recording what would become Don't Believe the Truth. He got the title from the Mark Twain book of the same name which he found whilst cleaning out his garage (it belonged not to him but to girlfriend Sara McDonald.)
Musically, as Noel has commented, the song sounds like tunes from two British bands, The Kinks and The La's. In particular, the sentiment expressed is noticeably similar to The Kinks' "Sunny Afternoon" and "Dead End Street", and the use of falsetto for every other verse line recalls The La's "Feelin'". The guitar sound is similar also to The La's b-side "Clean Prophet". It also is a breakaway from the sound of Oasis's latter albums, especially the straight ahead rock 'n' roll anthems of Heathen Chemistry. The keyboard used on the pre-chorus sections was bought by bassist Andy Bell from the auction website eBay.
Noel has said that the lyrics of "The Importance of Being Idle" are inspired by his own laziness. Some of the second verse, with the reference to begging his doctor for "one more line", seems to be referring to an actual event as this resembles Noel's account of how he gave up cocaine in 1998.
Most reviewers acclaimed the track as one of the highlights of Don't Believe the Truth, which itself was widely praised as a marked return to form. The band mentioned in interviews in June that it would become the second single, after the UK Number One "Lyla". The b-sides are Liam Gallagher's "Pass Me Down the Wine" and Gem Archer's "The Quiet Ones."
The promo film was directed by Dawn Shadforth, (whose previous videos include Kylie Minogue's award-winning "Can't Get You Out Of My Head"). Shadforth's film for "The Importance of Being Idle' starred Welsh actor Rhys Ifans and homages the style of early 1960s kitchen sink drama British films, and is set during the build up to a funeral procession in a northern town, with the extravagant undertakers parading the coffin at the video's climax and Ifans playing the part of a high-kicking funeral director [1]. The band make a brief appearance as lazy workers playing cards in an undertaker's office. It was widely acclaimed at the time as being probably the best video Oasis had ever made, not least by the band themselves, who were said to be very happy with the finished product.
Q Magazine readers placed the song at #1 in a list of 2005's greatest tracks.
The song is to be included on Oasis' 'best-of' album "Stop The Clocks".
[edit] Track listings
- 7" RKID31, CD RKIDSCD31
- "The Importance of Being Idle" (Noel Gallagher) - 3:43
- "Pass Me Down the Wine" (Liam Gallagher) - 3:51
- "The Quiet Ones" (Gem Archer) - 2:01 (CD only)
- DVD RKIDSDVD31
- "The Importance of Being Idle" - 3:41
- "The Importance of Being Idle" (demo) - 3:40
- "The Importance of Being Idle" (video) - 4:03
- "The Making of" (Documentary) - 5:22
- Promo CD RKIDSCD31P
- "The Importance of Being Idle" (radio edit) - 3:37
[edit] The Video
- The video for the song was voted the video of the year at the NME Awards.
- The Importance of Being Idle Watch the video at Oasisinet.
| Preceded by "I'll Be OK" by McFly |
UK number one single September 3, 2005 - September 9, 2005 |
Succeeded by "Dare" by Gorillaz |
| Oasis |
| Liam Gallagher | Noel Gallagher | Gem Archer | Andy Bell | Zak Starkey |
| Tony McCarroll | Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs | Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan | Alan White |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Definitely Maybe | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | Be Here Now | Standing on the Shoulder of Giants | Heathen Chemistry | Don't Believe the Truth |
| Compilations: The Masterplan | Stop the Clocks |
| DVDs: Live by the Sea | …There and Then | Familiar to Millions | Definitely Maybe – The DVD |
| Films: Lord Don't Slow Me Down |
| Related articles |
| The Rain | Britpop | Owen Morris | Creation Records | Big Brother | Awards and nominations |
