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TL;DR:

  • Oasis’ Noel Gallagher really loved one of The Beatles’ songs when he was a child.
  • He would get “immersed in the lyrical imagery” of the track.
  • The tune became a hit in the United States but not in the United Kingdom.
The Beatles' Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon at a table
The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon | Roger Viollet Collection/Getty Images

Oasis’ Noel Gallagher said one of The Beatles‘ songs made him feel anything was possible. In the same vein, he said “Wonderwall” could help fans overcome their problems. Gallagher contrasted Oasis’ music with that of another major 1990s band.

Oasis’ Noel Gallagher said his band’s songs were ‘honest’ but not ‘clever’

Oasis was an English band that peaked in the 1990s. The group took a lot of inspiration from The Beatles. During a 1996 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gallagher discussed the band’s popularity.

“When I see kids at the shows singing ‘Wonderwall’ or ‘Live Forever,’ it makes me feel great, but not in a smug way,” Gallagher said. “I’m not saying they are clever songs, but they are honest — and that’s what I think people respond to in our music. It gives you the strength to overcome your problems.”

Oasis’ Noel Gallagher contrasted the impact of Nirvana’s songs and The Beatles’ songs

Gallagher compared Oasis to another successful 1990s band. “I loved Nirvana, but their success led to thousands of other bands with the same attitude — all saying how horrible life is — and I think people feel the need for another side to the music,” he said.

Gallagher discussed how The Beatles impacted him as a child. “I’ve had as bad times as anyone when I was growing up in Manchester, but I’d listen to [The Beatles’] ‘I Am the Walrus,’ and for that 3.5 minutes I was immersed in the lyrical imagery and I’d think anything was possible,” Gallagher recalled. “It was only when the record was finished and there was silence that I’d go, ‘[Expletive], I’m still in Manchester.'”

Related

Oasis’ Noel Gallagher Explained Why ‘Revolver’ Is His Favorite Beatles Album

How The Beatles’ ‘I Am the Walrus’ performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” became a minor hit in the United States. It reached No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for four weeks. “I Am the Walrus” appeared on the album Magical Mystery Tour. The album was No. 1 for eight of the 93 weeks it spent on the Billboard 200.

According to The Official Charts Company, “I Am the Walrus” never charted in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the EP version of Magical Mystery Tour reached No. 2 in the U.K. and stayed on the chart for 12 weeks.

“I Am the Walrus” was not a huge hit but it gave a young Gallagher hope.

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