Why did Oasis name their song ‘Columbia’?
Love them or loathe them, no band encapsulated the Britpop age quite like Oasis. From their beginnings in Manchester to their colossal shows at Knebworth, the band achieved peaks that have rarely been seen since. The reasons behind the success of Oasis are myriad, with their strong image, attitude, and personalities being a key part of it. However, the band would have never made it out of Manchester’s Boardwalk were it not for the prolific songwriting talents of Noel Gallagher.
Even if you are not an Oasis fan, the songs of Noel Gallagher are virtually unavoidable, particularly if you live in the United Kingdom. In pubs, on television, in adverts, at live sports events, and in the songbook of every city centre busker across the land, it seems easier to escape from Colditz than to avoid songs like ‘Wonderwall’. Despite this, an unavoidable amount of Noel’s compositions are still shrouded in mystery, decadesson from their first release. The early Oasis track ‘Columbia’ is a prime example of this.
According to Gallagher, ‘Columbia’ was the very first song he wrote for Oasis. Speaking to Q magazine, the songwriter once recalled, “One Sunday afternoon, I was at home watching EastEnders when our kid rings up and says, ‘You coming down for a jam?’ I’d never played with anyone else ever. I went, ‘Alright.’”
Continuing, Noel revealed the origins of ‘Columbia’, stating: “We sit there for hours and hours, dead hot and sweaty, and it’s great. Same the next Sunday and – just because they didn’t know any Beatles, really – we decide to write a song ourselves, and I come up with what turns out to be ‘Columbia.’”
So, it seems as though that one track set Oasis on their path to global success for the very first time. However, that still does not explain the title or content of the track. For years, fans of Oasis have been perplexed by ‘Columbia’; why would a band from Manchester write a song about a South American nation and then spell it wrong? Conversely, if the song is about the record label Columbia, then that is – if anything – an even stranger choice.
In actuality, the origins of the song can be traced back to Noel’s time as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets. Within the liner notes of the 2014 reissue of Definitely Maybe, Noel shared, “It’s named in honour of the hotel. Because when I was a roadie with Mark Coyle working for the Inspiral Carpets, we loved that hotel, it was the scene of many nights of nonsense. And it sounded like a good title. I mean, why call anything anything?”
The title of the track seems to be where its connection to the Columbia Hotel ends, with its lyrical content largely dealing with the acid house music that was dominating Manchester’s music scene during the early 1990s.
‘Columbia’ is not the only time Gallagher drew from his experiences with the Inspiral Carpets. In fact, it is often theorised that the Gallagher brothers chose the band name Oasis from one of the Inspirals’ tour posters, which saw them visit the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.
‘Columbia’ went on to become a defining track on Oasis’ debut album, Definitely Maybe, and continues to be a fan favourite to this day. The track, both in its sound and lyricism, is typical of the early Oasis sound, which tended to be much more raw and distorted than their later efforts. Its rebellious punk leanings likely tie into the nights of anarchy Noel experienced alongside Mark Coyle in the Columbia Hotel, London, while working for Inspiral Carpets.
Was Columbia the first-ever Oasis song?
Although ‘Columbia’ was the first song Noel Gallagher ever wrote for Oasis, it was not the first track penned by the band. Their first demo tape, recorded in 1991, featured three soon-forgotten tracks: ‘Alice’, ‘Take Me’, and ‘Reminisce’. These songs were written prior to Noel’s involvement in the group and featured Liam largely attempting to imitate the sounds of fellow Manchester bands, The Stone Roses and The Smiths. However, that demo tape was quickly forgotten once Noel was brought on board as the band’s primary songwriter.
Eventually, after some debate with Creation Records, ‘Supersonic’ was released as Oasis’ first official single, perfectly setting the tone for the release of Definitely Maybe. Prior to the release, however, the band had released a white-label copy of ‘Columbia’ in 1993. In that sense, it could be argued that ‘Columbia’ was Oasis’ first song – although copies of that white-label pressing can set you back as much as £1,500 nowadays.
