‘She’s Electric’: The song Noel Gallagher thought predicted ‘The Importance of Being Idle’
Although they always remained true to their roots in guitar-led indie rock, the songwriting of Oasis and Noel Gallagher developed a lot over the years. Their early days creating brash, abrasive, punk-influenced tracks like ‘Bring It On Down’ could not last forever, particularly with the Mancunian band’s plans for world domination. So, for Oasis’ sophomore album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, Noel Gallagher explored various avenues of songwriting, predicting the direction in which his career would later develop.
Following the intense, unparalleled success of Definitely Maybe was never going to be a particularly easy task. The Gallagher brothers were certainly under pressure to produce something that would continue this wave of popularity, and a simple rehashing of the same themes and sounds featured on their debut simply would not do. As a result of this need for diversification, in addition to changes in his everyday life, Noel seemed to embrace more personal and, to an extent, vulnerable songwriting on Morning Glory.
If you look at the most notable tracks from the second album, the likes of ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, they are very far removed from the distorted adolescent rebellion of Oasis’ debut. Nevertheless, songs like ‘Hello’ or even ‘The Swamp Song’ continued their early sound; the entire record was something of a balancing act between the old and the new. One of the songs that managed to ride that line better than most was the fan-favourite, ‘She’s Electric’.
Originally, the song had been written during the production of Definitely Maybe, but it was cut from the final mix of the album in favour of ‘Digsy’s Dinner.’ According to Noel Gallagher, this decision was made: “I think [‘Digsy’s Dinner’] sounded better live because it’s a less complicated song.” As a result, ‘She’s Electric’ was postponed to (What’s The Story) Morning Glory. Admittedly, the song fits in much better with the tracklisting on the sophomore album than it would have done on the debut, owing largely to its strong narrative theming.
Speaking on the construction of the song, Gallagher once recalled, “It’s got great words, I don’t know how I’ve come up with that shit.” The song did arise during a particularly rewarding songwriting period for Gallagher. Within that two-year period of Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory, the guitarist penned an array of intensely successful tracks that would define his writing style.
However, Noel also claimed that the writing of ‘She’s Electric’ predicted the success of the band’s later singles. “It’s kind of like ‘The Importance of Being Idle,’” he said, “In its ‘60s-ness, and it’s got a definite story. It’s very Britpop.“
By 2005, ten years after the release of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, Oasis were shadows of their former selves. Although their commercial success continued, the quality of their output had taken a steady but noticeable decline, amplified by the departure of key band members. The release of ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ that same year helped to combat that growing reputation, earning Oasis their last UK number-one single.
There is no doubt that ‘The Importance of Being Idle,’ which takes its title from Stephen Robins’ book, was a highlight of Oasis’ late period. Sonically, the track takes a lot of cues from the British rock of the 1960s, with The Kinks being a predominant influence on its composition. According to Noel Gallagher, it is that 1960s atmosphere, along with the narrative structure, that draws parallels between the 2005 song and ‘She’s Electric.’ The link between the songs reflects the songwriter’s innate ability to draw inspiration from a variety of avenues, including his own compositions from years prior.
