‘Magic Pie’: the Oasis song inspired by Liam Gallagher’s wild antics
No band in recent memory lived the rock and roll lifestyle quite so all-encompassingly as Oasis. Rising from their humble origins as an unknown indie outfit to become the biggest rock band on the face of the planet, the Manchester lads took full advantage of the fame, riches, and various opportunities for chaos which fell at their feet. Inevitably, therefore, these wild antics – both off and on stage – quickly became reflected within the band’s songwriting.
Right from the off, Oasis attempted to espouse the joys of youth, rebellion, and an unwavering sense of optimism within their songwriting. Noel Gallagher often wrote in reaction to the typically depressive lyricism of the grunge scene that had started creeping into UK airwaves during the early 1990s; he wanted to offer a staunch alternative to the self-deprication of that scene, celebrating the joy and unpredictability of life, even in difficult circumstances. It was that sense of joy as a form of social rebellion which drove the bulk of the band’s stunning debut album, Definitely Maybe, in 1994.
That debut album launched Oasis into global stardom, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in UK history and amassing the band an unparalleled audience. As you might expect, therefore, the band’s penchant for living fast and not worrying about consequences only increased. As they toured all over the world, they left a trail of rock and roll destruction in their wake, from causing a brawl on a ferry to Amsterdam, to snorting crystal meth on stage in Los Angeles, the Gallaghers were never ones to turn down an opportunity for rock anarchy.
Frontman Liam Gallagher seemed to attract the bulk of that chaos, perhaps owing to his archetypal rock star image and his dedication to marching to the beat of his own drum. While Noel Gallagher was generally seen as marginally quieter and focused on the art of songwriting, Liam Gallagher was making headlines on a daily basis, offering paparazzi out for fights, immersing himself in excess, and living up to his unwavering rock star image.
These inherent differences between the brothers were the cause of many an argument between the two, but they also provided a lot of songwriting inspiration. Namely, Noel wrote the 1997 track ‘Magic Pie’ with his brother in mind.
During an interview with Q Magazine around that time, the songwriter revealed that the opening lyric of the song was based on Liam: “The first line, ‘An extraordinary guy/ Can never have an ordinary day’, comes from him asking me, ‘How come you never get into any of the situations I get into?’” Ironically, then, the song became the subject of some debate over who would take on vocal duties.
“I sang this one. Of course, me and Liam had a row about it,” Noel remembered. “’Why can’t I sing that?’ ‘OK, I’ll do Fade In/Out then.’ ‘No, you won’t,’ he shared, recalling the spat between the two, before adding, “It’s his favourite track now.” It might have been Liam’s favourite, but ‘Magic Pie’ was somewhat divisive upon its release, as it arguably encapsulates the overblown production which plagued Be Here Now as an album.
Another reason for Oasis’ third album being a bit of a disappointment to fans came from the fact that the band had lost some of their relatability by that point. On early records, their words resonated with other working-class kids around Britain, who were living similar lives to the band during those early days. By the time they got to sinking Rolls-Royces in pools and dating supermodels, that sense of relatability had largely dissipated, and ‘Magic Pie’ is certainly evocative of that fact. Even still, it didn’t stop the “extraordinary guy” at the heart of Oasis from continuing to live an anarchic rock star existence.
