The classic Oasis song Liam Gallagher had issues with: “I thought it was a little funky”
Some songs are instant classics, while others take a little while to grow on you. For the songwriters themselves, the revenue and fame that certain songs generate are enough to make certain tracks endearing. In the case of Oasis, songwriter Noel Gallagher had no shortage of hits during the band’s 1990s golden age, but their defining track was initially shot down by the other band members when Gallagher first wrote it.
With the release of their debut album, Definitely Maybe, in 1994, Oasis quickly established themselves as the rebellious voice of British rock during the Britpop age. That first record featured a wide range of musical influences, most notably the almost punk rock stylings of tracks like ‘Bring It On Down’ and the Britpop anthem of the group’s debut single, ‘Supersonic’. When it came to the follow-up, Noel had something of a difficult task on his hands, but he handled it with his usual nonchalance, writing a plethora of new tracks that would go on to become groundbreaking hits.
From the emotionally charged ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ to the nonsensical lyricism of ‘Champagne Supernova’, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory featured some of Noel Gallagher’s most profound tracks. One song, in particular, took on a life of its own after initially being released as a single in 1995, becoming the ire of guitar shop employees across the globe. Of course, we are referring to the colossal hit that was ‘Wonderwall’.
With a title inspired by the George Harrison solo album Wonderwall Music, the song certainly paid homage to the influences of Oasis. In terms of sound, however, it was entirely removed from the adolescent rock of earlier songs like ‘Supersonic’ or even ‘Roll With It’. Usually, with Oasis’ most vulnerable compositions – like ‘Talk Tonight’, for instance – these songs are resigned to being b-sides at best. Inevitably, therefore, the band was fairly apprehensive when Noel first introduced the idea of ‘Wonderwall’.
During an appearance on That Pedal Show last year, Noel revealed, “Everyone in the band went, ‘I’m sorry but I don’t fucking think so,” when first presented with a draft of ‘Wonderwall’. Reportedly, the bulk of resistance came from Noel’s brother, Liam. The frontman tended to prefer singing brash, out-and-out rock tracks rather than slow acoustic numbers like ‘Wonderwall’. “I remember Our Kid [Liam] saying, and I’ll never forget this, ‘Why are you writing reggae songs?’” Noel remembered, “And I was like, there speaks a man that has never heard reggae.”
Although Liam’s genre confusion seems pretty bizarre, he was certainly not the only band member left confused by ‘Wonderwall’. Rhythm guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs later recalled, “It sounded like a reggae song to me. The first time [Noel] came in, I was like, ‘What the hell’s that?” While Liam himself admitted, “I didn’t like it at first, I thought it was a little funky.”
Luckily, Noel was able to eventually win the rest of Oasis over to the song, and it quickly became one of their defining tracks. Earning the band a number two spot in the UK singles chart, ‘Wonderwall’ was their best-selling record, and it continues to be belted out by everyone from buskers on the street to drunk people at weddings.
