Noel's Be Here Now

So what is the story behind the compilation that is Be Here Now? Q interviewed the man himself to see what was up with tracks #1-12. Interesting, eh?

Noel Gallagher has revealed he nicked one of Tony Blair's speaches for a song on the new Oasis album "Be Here Now". He also confesses another track is about the terrible moment he thought his mum Peggy had cancer. In Septembers Q magazine, out on Fridsay, Noel admits new wife Meg was upset by some of the lyrics. And the 28-year-old songwriter says he is trying to steer the band to sound more like The Stones than their idols The Beatles. Here is Noels own song-by-song review of the third Oasis album which hits record shops on August 21st.

D'You Know What I Mean?
I was going to make up some profound statement in the chorus but I couldn't come up with anything that fitted. then I just thought "All my people right here, right now. D'You Know What I Mean? Yeah, Yeah" Very vague, very ambiguous. Look in the mirror and wink while you sing it and it's quite saucy. The morse code in the background was inspired by The Beatles' Strawberry Fields. If anyone can tell me what it means please let me know.

My Big Mouth
Even I'm not interested in what I've got to say half the time. "But I ain't never spoke to God, and I ain't never been to heaven" thats about fans who think you're on the phone to John Lennon and you have all the answers.

Magic Pie
I sang this one and of course me and Liam had a row about it, but its his favourite track now. 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?" And I borrowed something from Tony Blair's speach at the last Labour conference. "There are but a thousand days preparing for a thousand years."

Stand By Me
It starts "Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday". When I first moved to London me mam kept ringing up and asking if I was eating properly. So I tryed to cook a Sunday roast and puked up for two days with food poisoning. It was back to Pot Noodles after that. "There is one thing I can never give you, my heart will never be your home.". That's about the private space you have to keep - the place where I go to write my stuff. Meg was fairly upset by that.

I Hope I Think I Know
I liked the demo but it's too pop for me now. It reminds me of the Buzzcocks but I think its going to be like "Hey Now" on Morning Glory - the one nobody mentions.

The Girl in the Dirty Shirt
Meg is the girl in the dirty shirt. We were doing a gig in Brighton just before me and Meg were going out. She was at the hotel ironing a dirty shirt because she hadnt brought enough clothes with her. I know it sounds a bit soft. Liam will read this and say, "You w*****" because he thinks all the songs are about him. He even thinks Wonderwall is about him.

Fade In-Out
The first part of the song is from the Mustique demo with Johnny Depp playing slide guitar. I Like it because its the first blues I've done and Liam does the best singing I've heard from him. I said "Pretend your a black man from Memphis". Hes not got very good rhythm and we made him stamp his foot all the way through it. He couldnt sing for a week after.

Don't Go Away
This is about my mam. A week before Meg and me went to Mustique my mam was in hospital. They thought it was cancer, though it wasnt and she's fine. It's a very sad song about not wanting to loose someone you're close to. I never had that lyric until the day we recorded it. "Me and you, what's going on? All we seem to know is how to show the feelings that are wrong" It's after a row. Quite bleak

Be Here Now
Wrote it on the beach near Mick Jagger's house in Mustique. The opening is played on a toy piano belonging to one of Jagger's kids. Anyway, nicked the piano - I can't help it, I'm from Burnage. Mick can have it back if he wants. Later, Oasis producer Owen Morris told me one of the greatest drum loops was the opening to Honky Tonk Women. We played it and it was the same signature as the piano.

All Around the World
I wrote this one ages ago, before Whatever. It was twelve minutes long and we couldn't afford to record it, but now we can get away with a 36-piece orchestra. The longer the better as far as I'm concerned. I know what people will say, but fuck 'em basiclly. The lyrics are teeny-bop.

It's Getting Better (Man!!)
I wrote this one jamming on the stage with the band in America. A really happy tune even though there was a lot of bad going down. Because we get connected with The Beatles all the time I thought I'd write a Rolling Stones song. You can almost see Keith and Ronnie with some fags in their mouths giving it some.

All Around the World (Reprise)
I was running out of guitar lines so I faded it in with backwards guitars. The feet clumping at the end belong to Brian Cannon, the sleeve designer. The door slamming has never been done before. We got a Penny Lane piccolo trumpet in because a guy in the brass section stood up and said "You should have a piccolo trumpet on that - and I've got one." © Q Magazine

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