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Critics and fans have repeatedly compared Oasis to The Beatles. Oasis’ Liam Gallagher said one of his band’s songs features the voice of John Lennon. Subsequently, Gallagher said the song isn’t a tribute to John because tributes to John are terrible.

John Lennon in front of a wall with floral wallpaper
John Lennon | Harry Benson / Stringer

1 Oasis song includes a John Lennon quote and a riff similar to ‘A Day in the Life’

Oasis’ songs often reference The Beatles. Oasis songs name Fab Four tracks like “The Long and Winding Road,” “The Fool on the Hill,” and “I Feel Fine.” Perhaps the most overt Beatles reference in Oasis’ discography is in the song “I’m Outta Time.”

The tune features audio of John saying “As Churchill said, ‘It’s every Englishman’s inalienable right to live where the hell he likes.’ What’s it going to do, vanish? Is it not going to be there when I get back?” The instrumentation of “I’m Outta Time” isn’t too far from the folk-rock of Rubber Soul. In addition, the piano leading up to the chorus also sounds like a piano riff from “A Day in the Life.”

Oasis’ Liam Gallagher explained why ‘I’m Outta Time’ samples John Lennon’s voice

During a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, Gallagher revealed why “I’m Outta Time” samples John. “That’s a song I had about three years ago and I demoed it in our studio,” he recalled. “I got the verses and the music, the chorus took like f****** years to write, I just couldn’t get anything. One day I was f****** about and it just happened. I thought, ‘All right, that’s the song done.’

“I was playing it and the outro goes round and round, it needs something — obviously I’m a big John Lennon fan and it’s got a bit of a Lennon vibe, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to find a bit of him speaking,'” Gallagher added. “So we went through all these old interviews, that’s the first one I found, and it just sort of worked. It’s not a tribute to John Lennon because if you sat down and tried to write a tribute to John Lennon it’d be f****** rubbish, but it’s kind of a nod.”

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The song is great overall but the sample doesn’t really work

“I’m Outta Time” didn’t have the staying power of other Oasis songs like “Wonderwall” or “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” but it sounds fantastic. It’s a beautiful song about trying to stop a lover from leaving you. The vocal performance sells “I’m Outta Time,” as does its wistful guitar. “I’m Outta Time” would have worthy of the band’s masterpiece, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

However, the sample of John’s voice is a little on-the-nose. John was one of the wittiest and most intellectual rock stars who ever lived, so Oasis definitely could have used a better clip from him. “I’m Outta Time” is about a lover who belongs with the narrator. The track recontextualizes John’s quote, but it’s an awkward fit.

“I’m Outta Time” isn’t one of Oasis’ most famous songs but it’s yet more proof John had a massive impact on music.

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