3 Oasis Songs That Directly Reference The Beatles

Oasis was never shy. The Manchester lads emerged in the early 1990s with swagger, claimed almost immediately to be the biggest band in the world, and the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, were known as much for their sibling rivalry as for their timeless hits. Older brother Noel, who wrote the songs, didn’t hide his influences either. And The Beatles remained his North Star during the band’s most successful period.

Though there are many to choose from, here are three Oasis songs that directly reference The Beatles.

“Wonderwall”

Noel Gallagher’s defining song may not be his favorite Oasis tune, but for many, it was their anthem of the 1990s. The title comes from George Harrison’s soundtrack album to the 1968 film Wonderwall. It was the first solo release by a Beatle and continued Harrison’s interest in Indian classical music. For Gallagher, “Wonderwall” widened his band’s audience and helped indie rock further dominate the charts during the Britpop era.

Because maybe,
You’re gonna be the one that saves me.
And after all,
You’re my wonderwall.

“D’You Know What I Mean?”

When Oasis released its third studio album, Be Here Now, Britpop was nearing its peak. The album title, again, references George Harrison, and the opening track nods to both Bob Dylan (Blood On the Tracks) and The Beatles (“The Fool On the Hill”). Clocking in at nearly eight minutes, the song reached No. 1 in the U.K. and features a wall of guitars, echoing the bloat and excess of Britpop.

Step off the train all alone at dawn,
Back into the hole where I was born,
The sun in the sky never raised an eye to me.
The blood on the tracks and they must be mine,
Fool on the hill and I feel fine,
Don’t look back ’cause you know what you might see.

“Supersonic”

Rock history is full of poetic moments like this: Oasis released “Supersonic” as its first single the same month Kurt Cobain died, April 1994. And Gallagher had also written “Live Forever” in response to Nirvana’s “I Hate Myself And Want To Die”. Moreover, Britpop was, in part, a reaction to American grunge. And as a result, Oasis, as Nirvana had unwittingly done in America, shifted pop culture. It began with “Supersonic”, which, of course, references “Yellow Submarine”.

You make me laugh,
Give me your autograph.
Can I ride with you in your BMW?
You can sail with me in my yellow submarine.

Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns