| "Wonderwall" | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Oasis | |||||||||||||||||||
| from the album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | |||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Round Are Way" "The Swamp Song" "The Masterplan" |
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| Released | 30 October 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Format | CD, cassette, 7", 12" | ||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | May 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Britpop, alternative rock | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:18 (Album Version) 3:45 (Radio Edit) |
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| Label | Creation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Noel Gallagher | ||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Owen Morris, Noel Gallagher | ||||||||||||||||||
| Certification | Platinum (BPI) Gold (RIAA) |
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| Oasis singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||
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"Wonderwall" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Owen Morris and Gallagher for their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. According to Gallagher, "Wonderwall" describes "an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself."[1]
The song was released as the third single from the album in October 1995. "Wonderwall" reached the top ten on 13 charts, including topping charts in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The single was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
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"Wonderwall" was written for Gallagher's then-girlfriend, Meg Matthews[2], as Gallagher told NME in 1996, "It's about my girlfriend, Meg Matthews."[3] However, after Gallagher divorced Matthews in 2001,[4] he said the song was not about Mathews: "[the song was] about an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself."[1]
The song's title was appropriated from Wonderwall, a 1968 film whose soundtrack (Wonderwall Music) was provided by George Harrison.[5]
The song was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, during a two-week recording of the Morning Glory album in May 1995. Owen Morris produced the song in a half-day along with Noel Gallagher using a technique known as "brickwalling" to intensify the sound of the song.[6]
Liam served as lead singer on "Wonderwall" after Noel had given him a choice between "Wonderwall" or another single from the album, "Don't Look Back in Anger".[3] Noel sang on backup vocals, with Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan on bass, and Alan White on drums.
According to the digital music sheet published at Musicnotes.com, "Wonderwall" is written in the key of A major and is set in common time with a moderate dance groove.[7] Liam Gallagher's voice ranges from the note of E4 to the note of F#5. However, most sheet music from Musicnotes.com that is originally sung by a male is transposed up an octave, so in fact his voice actually ranges from an E3 to an F#4 [7]
Noel debuted the song on UK TV, backstage at Glastonbury and broadcast on Channel 4 on 24 June 1995. The song wasn't performed by the band during their headline performance the night before.
In August 2002, Noel changed the arrangement of his live performances of the song to a style he admitted was heavily influenced by Ryan Adams's cover of the song. That arrangement has persisted through his most recent live performances of the song, but when the full band performs the song live with vocals by Liam Gallagher and electric guitars, it is done in the original style as presented on the record. During the 2008-9 tour, the band returned to performing the song in a semi-acoustic form, in an arrangement closely resembling the album version.
The music video to the song was filmed in the relatively brief period when bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan quit the band due to nervous exhaustion; Scott McLeod came in to replace him.[8]
An alternative version, possibly a bootleg recording, exists and is viewable online. It features a single fixed camera shot, the same as is seen in the more common video, of the five band members miming to the song.
The song won Best British Video at the 1996 Brit Awards.
The sleeve artwork was inspired by the paintings of the Belgian surrealist René Magritte, and was shot on Primrose Hill in north London. The hand holding the frame is that of art director Brian Cannon. The original idea was to have Liam in the frame before Noel vetoed that idea whilst the shoot was taking place.[9] Instead a female figure was deemed necessary and Anita Heryet, a Creation Records employee, was asked to stand in as cover star for the shot.[10]
Wonderwall reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. In the U.S., it peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart for an unprecedented ten weeks, and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It proved to be a major hit in Australia, New Zealand and Spain by claiming the #1 spot in all three countries. It finished at #10 in the end of year charts for 1995 and #26 in the end of decade charts for the 1990s in the UK.
"Wonderwall" has been one of the most-frequently covered songs in recent history. The most famous cover version was an easy listening arrangement by The Mike Flowers Pops, which reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart, just as the Oasis original had done two months earlier. Gallagher mentioned that when BBC Radio 1 premiered the song, they jokingly claimed that they had found "the original version of Wonderwall". Gallagher, who had been in America at the time, was surprised to be asked by one of his record company's executives if he had actually written the song.[17] The Mike Flowers Pops cover was used in the 1997 film The Jackal, and also in the 1999 film Superstar.
Ryan Adams' version, first performed in 2001, and later released in 2003 on Love Is Hell pt. 1, was well-received by Noel Gallagher.[18] Adams's version was also featured in episodes of Smallville, Cold Case, The O.C., and more recently on Brothers & Sisters and Lie to Me. On 3 October 2009, his version was used in Hollyoaks Later when Zoe was arrested after being framed for Sarah's murder. On 6 October appeared on Holby City on BBC1 just before the end credits. On 17 November 2009, his version appeared on 90210. His version also appears on the 2006 compilation album The Acoustic Album and the 2008 video game Guitar Hero World Tour as a downloadable extra.
Other artists who have covered the song include American indie singer Cat Power, Richard Cheese, Great Big Sea, Paul Anka's swing-jazz style arrangement, the Brad Mehldau Trio, the Beastie Boys punk rock cover that has been performed at concerts, but never released as a single, and a cover on the compilation Punk Goes 90's by the pop-punk band Cartel. The Harvard Independent compiled a list of the five most ironic versions of "Wonderwall".
In 2003, the song was covered by independent Canadian singer-songwriter Melissa Rebronja, released on her debut album Embrace Yourself. Her version became a popular digital download, reaching the top 50 of the most downloaded songs on CD Baby in 2005.
The song was also covered by fellow British rock group Radiohead as a joke in the late 1990s; Thom Yorke sings many incorrect lyrics and cuts out mid-chorus when a background voice says: "Is this abysmal or what? It's always good to make fun of Oasis, they don't care".[19]
The song was also covered on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge by Neighbours star Alan Fletcher on 30 November 2007.[20]
During a heated rivalry between Oasis and Robbie Williams, which came about due to Noel and Liam's constantly referring to Robbie as "the fat dancer from Take That", he performed "Wonderwall" at his Slane Castle concert live on pay-per-view TV.
The verse to "Wonderwall" is built on a i-III-VII-IV minor progression which several other songs have used. These include "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day, U2's "Electrical Storm", Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" and Oasis's first single from Be Here Now, "D'You Know What I Mean?". "Wonderwall" was later featured in the popular mashup "Boulevard of Broken Songs", which also contained parts of both Travis's "Writing to Reach You" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". In late 2006, Gallagher accused Green Day of 'ripping off' "Wonderwall", saying "If you listen, you'll find it is exactly the same arrangement as Wonderwall. They should have the decency to wait until I am dead [before stealing my songs]. I, at least, pay the people I steal from that courtesy." . [21]
The 2003 Girls Aloud single "Life Got Cold" was slated by critics, claiming that the chorus melody ripped off "Wonderwall". The similarities were noticeable, even though Girls Aloud dismissed the claims. Noel Gallagher also reacted indifferently to the suggestion, commenting instead that; "We've been compared to The Beatles pretty often. Progression is going forwards. Going backwards is regression. Going sideways is just 'gression'." When Girls Aloud performed "Life Got Cold" at a university gig in 2007, the crowd started to chant the lyrics to "Wonderwall". The girl group simply laughed.
The Australian comedy group Tripod covered "Wonderwall" for a segment on Triple J with Andrew Denton. The band began by singing the first verse with the following lyrics: "today is going to be the day that we're gonna throw it back to you. We just noticed that all the chords in your songs are the same, did you? I don't believe that anyone could get away with this but you have. And all the catchy melodies are winding. Around the same progression and we're finding. That you released three singles but you could have managed one, good luck to you." They then proceeded to sing 2 other Oasis singles (Don't Look Back in Anger and Whatever) to the same chord progression used in "Wonderwall".
The song was covered by The Nat Sanderson Sound in the second short film, A Soft Touch, within the movie The Acid House written by Irvine Welsh and directed by Paul McGuigan.
At the beginning of his set at Glastonbury 2008, Jay-Z performed a cover of "Wonderwall". Noel Gallagher had previously been critical of Jay-Z's booking as a star performer at the festival, so it is probable that his cover was intended to be ironic. Jay-Z's mock performance boosted the song's sales, making it a challenger for the top 100. The original album had a 200% increase in sales and the compilation album had a 140% increase.[22] Jay-Z references the above event and sings part of "Wonderwall" on his song "Jockin Jay-Z", which was cut from his 2009 album The Blueprint 3.
Paul Anka performed a swing cover of the song on his Rock Swings covers album.
Death metal group Ten Masked Men, known for covering pop songs in a heavy style, covered the song on their self-titled debut album.
Jason Mraz sings the first verse of "Wonderwall" in the middle of his song "The Remedy" when he performs it live.
Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, performed "Wonderwall" at V-Festival 2009, after Oasis had pulled out of performing at the festival.
Rihanna covered a medley version of "Wonderwall" in 2010 during her Last Girl on Earth Tour.
Straight No Chaser recorded an a capella cover of "Wonderwall" in their album, With a Twist.
Electronic artist Renard sampled the vocals to this song heavily for his track "Sinisterrrrrrrr" and named the album "Because Maybe" after lyrics from "Wonderwall" as well.
Cat Power recorded a version of "Wonderwall" in a cover session broadcast by BBC Radio 1.
All lyrics written by Noel Gallagher.
| UK single | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 1. | "Wonderwall" | 4:18 | |||||||
| 2. | "Round Are Way" | 5:42 | |||||||
| 3. | "The Swamp Song" | 4:19 | |||||||
| 4. | "The Masterplan" | 5:23 | |||||||
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Total length:
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19:52 | ||||||||
| US single | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 1. | "Wonderwall" | 4:14 | |||||||
| 2. | "Round Are Way" | 5:41 | |||||||
| 3. | "Talk Tonight" | 4:11 | |||||||
| 4. | "Rockin' Chair" | 4:33 | |||||||
| 5. | "I Am The Walrus (Live Glasgow Cathouse June 1994)" (Written by Lennon–McCartney) | 8:14 | |||||||
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Total length:
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26:53 | ||||||||
Peak positions
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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