Noel Gallagher confused by own lyrics

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Noel Gallagher has admitted that he often has trouble figuring out the meaning behind his own lyrics.

"I get the odd night when I'm halfway through Don't Look Back In Anger when I say to myself, 'I still don't know what these words mean!'" Gallagher is quoted by Contactmusic.com as saying.

"I'm thinking, what the ...what the... 'stand up beside the fireplace'. Why?

"And all these kids will be singing it at the top of their voices with all their arms around each other and I kind of feel like stopping and going, 'Look, can somebody help me out here? Am I missing something?'"

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds23415.html

carrotjuice, Saturday, 13 August 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher confused by own shoes"

The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Saturday, 13 August 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Some would argue the prepositional phrase just isn't needed. (Not me, admittedly.)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

you mean just plain "stand up fireplace"? pretty radical move, that

Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:30 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher confused by pwn lyrics"

The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:32 (twenty years ago)

without the prepositional phrase, it would just be "stand up", right? fireplace is part of the prep phrase.

petesmith (plsmith), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

I suspect I am being deliberately misread.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher confused by tasty blacmange"

The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

Yum!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher confused by Fermat's Theorem"

The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Saturday, 13 August 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher confused by fatuous scenarios"

Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Saturday, 13 August 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher makes joke"

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Saturday, 13 August 2005 14:53 (twenty years ago)

am i to believe that kids in 2005 sing oasis songs at the top of their voices with their arms around each other?

fact checking cuz (fcc), Saturday, 13 August 2005 15:00 (twenty years ago)

Fucking hippies.

Ian Riese-Moraine: a casualty of social estrangement. (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 13 August 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

"Noel Gallagher confused by own shocker"

roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Saturday, 13 August 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

Wait. Of all of his lyrics, the one that confuses him is "Stand up beside the fireplace"?

brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 13 August 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

"Tomorrow never knows what it never knows too soon"

"And how does it feel like to let forever be"

Jonathan Merritt, Saturday, 13 August 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

or rather, "doesnt know too soon."

Either way...

Jonathan Merritt, Saturday, 13 August 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

he should know by know that if what he wrote doesn't make sense that

a) the phrase was chosen simply because it rhymed, or
b) it was stolen from T. Rex, Beatles, Stones, Bowie, or other artist

-vest, Saturday, 13 August 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

That's the funniest thing. He's so straightforward and up front about it. At least half a dozen singers have said more or less the same thing about their own lyrics to me, and I once read an interview with Nick Cave where he said 'I have no idea what my lyrics mean, I was drunk when I wrote them'.

It's OK for painters to say it. Francis Bacon made a point of saying in almost every interview that he had no idea what his pictures meant; sometimes he also insisted they had no meaning over and above their formal expression of ideas about colour, texture and surface etc.

What I like about Noel G's explication is that it's comically matter of fact and nicely delivered. He paints a funny scenario. I mean, it makes me laugh when I imagine him on stage having these thoughts. I'm sure he's quite sincere. I would really like to know why this lyric resonates with the fans of Oasis, I'd like to ask them. Maybe this is the place to do so.

moley, Sunday, 14 August 2005 02:47 (twenty years ago)

ilx - oasis fan ground zero

gear (gear), Sunday, 14 August 2005 02:53 (twenty years ago)

*whistles idly*

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 14 August 2005 03:10 (twenty years ago)

Noel Gallagher confused by own fireplace

amon (eman), Sunday, 14 August 2005 03:13 (twenty years ago)


well, to answer the question addressed to oasis fans....

for me, they never meant anything, it was the overall groove of the music. of course, they haven't been my favorite band for years, but around 95-97, it feels like i listened to nothing but their first three albums. as im sure noel himself would say, its just rock and roll.

i mean, if you want lyrical meaning, read whitman or keats or something you know?

JD from CDepot, Sunday, 14 August 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

am i to believe that kids in 2005 sing oasis songs at the top of their voices with their arms around each other?

somewhere there are pictures!

dan. (dan.), Monday, 15 August 2005 14:03 (twenty years ago)


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