Many Oasis fans have been cracking their heads for over 20 years since the song Wonderwall was released, trying to find out its real meaning. The song was composed during the peak years of Oasis when the band’s rough and tumble of bastions happened. It reached greater heights in the music charts worldwide and is constantly referred to as the band’s signature song since no other songs made those records as Wonderwall did. Let’s look at the real meaning behind the song.
The meaning behind the song “Wonderwall” by Oasis
Most people assumed that Noel had written a song about his then-girlfriend, now his ex-wife, Meg Mathews. However, in an interview with BBC radio 2, Noel reiterated the true inspiration for the song was taken by the media and run with it. He continues to say, how will you tell your lover that the song was not about them when they’ve read it?
Noel then said, ‘the song was about an imaginary friend that’s going to come and save you from yourself.’ Since the You in the song becomes a Wonderwall, something or someone will be there for you and save you.
Tower of Strength
Like most Oasis songs, Wonderwall was an afterthought. The singer reiterates that he loves his lover because she supports him. The word Wonderwall is used in this case to mean a pillar of strength, which means someone he supports and assists.
The line in the song, ‘the roads are winding, and the lights are blinding,’ basically means that life can be tough, but they can stay together – trying to insinuate a-me and you against the world type of situation.
The concept of Wonderwall was coined from the album title of George Harrison. In this album, Wonderwall was something totally different; a separation between the real world and fantasy. A meeting of two regions, therefore, it was more like connecting ideas and not separating them.
Unselfish Love
Others thought the song was about unselfish love. Starting with a girl who can’t be with the guy she loves for whatever reason. The guy loves the girl unconditionally, and the situation that makes them stay apart is driving the guy crazy and in pain, referring to the line in the song that says, ‘you’re the one that’s going to save me.’
The boy has some problems his facing, but he disregards all of them, clearly in the line, ‘you too have problems, but I refuse to be selfish and demand your time.’ He puts the girl he loves first to ease his and her pain.
Intriguingly enough, on the line in the song about the roads winding and lights blinding, some people perceive him as though he’s saying many obstacles are limiting them from being together. Still, it’s not her fault as no one is expected to be perfect.
He still loves her and will wait for her in the middle of all these obstacles and her imperfection – hoping that she will save him from his breaking heart, friends, difunctional family, and other vices.
The only one capable of providing unselfish love is probably Jesus. Therefore, to ask this much from another person is crazy.
Imaginary Friendship with Paul McCartney
As stated before, the song was written outlining an imaginary friendship. Noel wrote Wonderwall referring to his imaginary friendship with Paul McCartney. The song was written before Noel and Paul became acquainted and had a real relationship.
During that time, Paul was Noel’s Wonderwall; he saw Paul’s experience with fame, plus his conflicts with other Beatles members, as the basis of his identity crisis after being successful. Noel took the same interpretation of the movie Wonderwall in 1968, which had a sense of observing another life without the subject being aware of it.
It’s more like similar relationship artists have with their fans, which is transformational and not limited to the realities of life. Noel spent a lot of time observing the life of Paul through the aperture of the media. Through his songs, Noel is having an imaginary dialogue with Paul. The relationship between the two speakers is that of a mentor and a role model.
Noel was actually struggling with artistic authenticity when it came to songwriting and performance. Some say that Noel wanted Paul to respond to the criticism of his later works, but that’s another ball game of irony as Noel wasn’t 100% artistically authentic.
Noel is living both worlds simultaneously, like Collins in the Wonderwall movie. He feels like he’s being drawn to the alternate vortex reality as his been crowned the next Paul. Noel fears that his life will lead the same way Paul’s did. Moreover, he’s met Paul in person and has to write off his fantasy with the real version of reality. This version ultimately helps him find his artistic authenticity.
The meaning of the song is in the lyrics
The song’s first lines, “Today is gonna be the day that they’re gonna throw it back to you/ by now you should somehow realize what you gotta do/ I don’t believe that anybody feels the same way I do about you,” are mysterious and whilst unthinkable to ascertain that the meaning or the person being addressed, we can depict that the girl being talked about is at the peak of her life and crossroads with the narrator standing at the corner. The vulnerability of the song is seen in the tunes and notes when it is sung bringing out its appropriate meaning. Liam suggests that when telling someone you love them sing the words, “I love you,” it sounds common, but the meaning is distinct. Nevertheless, when you say, “You’re my Wonderwall,” it brings out an emotional and vulnerable side of the word that gives a thoughtful process to what they mean to you.
“There are many things that I would like to say to you/ but I do not know how” depict that as the couple struggles to find their identity with the challenges they come across, the narrator still has a challenge that is bigger whereby he still doesn’t have the words to express himself fully and clearly for them to communicate effectively. The lines, “Because maybe/You’re gonna be the one that saves me, and after all/ you’re my Wonderwall,” sings Noel, depicting that the girl was to save the narrator because she is his Wonderwall. Harrison’s take on his album Wonderwall music, says it all when he held onto that word, for its appealing nature which gives an opinion on how remarkable the reward will be that the girl’s love stands for to the narrator.
For some lovers, in the song Wonderwall, the lyrics are more of an afterthought that the narrator seems to be getting at to know that he loves his partner because of the support she gives to him. He refers to her as his Wonderwall in the line, “Because maybe/ You’re gonna be the one who saves me, and after all/ you’re my Wonderwall.” Here, Wonderwall will mean a “tower of strength.” He then adds,” The roads may be winding and the roads blinding,” meaning that life may be tough on them, but they can get through the obstacles together. This is in the line,” It’s me and you against the world.” Wonderwall as some speculate could refer to someone whom you can lean on no matter what happens. The reason is your ride or dies since they will always be there. Oasis’ song refers to a girl who helps the guy through tough times and does not at one point give up on him, thus the guy calling her his support or wonder.
How it came to be
Since the title Wonderwall by Oasis was an inspiration from George Harrison’s album title, the image from his album portrays something different from support. The picture depicts a wall that is a symbol of the separation between the real world and the fantasy world. Furthermore, the album was an east meets west ideology so the feeling in George’s mind was Wonderwall is something that provides a set of connecting ideas and not at all supporting nor separating the ideas.
Being that the song Wonderwall, gained popularity because it was easy to play and was banned a few times for being played, which says more about what the song strikes. It might be your guts or just an illusion that you have of someone who is always there for you. Transcendently, it boils down to what Wonderwall relay refers to as the support the narrator has and it’s a wonder that she is holding on regardless of the challenges they face together. What ultimately matters is that they are still one.
What is the meaning behind the song Wonderwall?
The song Wonderwall by Oasis is a very popular and well-known song in the UK. The lyrics are quite simple, but it has been interpreted differently by different people. Some have said that it was about drugs, some say that it was about love, some say that it was about anything else. But what is really interesting is how people interpret this simple phrase.Wonderwall is a song written by Oasis. It is about how the sun shines and how it makes you feel. It is very difficult to explain the meaning behind a song. It is not easy to understand what it means without context.
The song Wonderwall is an anthem of the British rock band Oasis. It was written by lyricist Paul Anka and features a vocal performance by Liam Gallagher. After the success of the song Wonderwall, Oasis decided to release a music video for it. The video was directed by Chris Martin and was filmed in London. The video shows the band members playing various instruments as well as performing on stage. It also shows their typical look and style of dressing.
The song is about a person who has everything he wants but still feels like he is not satisfied with his life. He is constantly thinking about how to change things for himself and his life. He looks around him, sees how others are happy with their lives and understands that there is something missing from his own life as well. This song conveys that feeling of being dissatisfied with your life and wanting more from it, which makes it a perfect song for this film clip: “Wonderwall”.
“Wonderwall” by Oasis: the story behind the song.
Before talking about the song, let’s remember John Lennon, who once in an interview used the word “wonderwall”, which does not exist in literary English. Then director Joe Massot named a film about a scientist who watched his neighbor through the holes in the set and became so attached to her that she became a part of his life. The film was composed by George Harrison and the soundtrack was released as an album called Wonderwall Music.
So the origin of the name of the song Wonderwall is quite clear, but with its meaning, everything is not so simple. Initially, it was assumed that the song is dedicated to Meg Matthews, Noel’s girlfriend and future wife. Gallagher supported this opinion while he was with Meg, but refuted it some time after their divorce:
The meaning of this song was taken away from me by the media, which clung to it. How do you tell your missus that the song is not about her if she has already read about it? But it’s about an imaginary friend who comes and saves you from yourself.
True, this interpretation was also not satisfied with many fans of the group, and they continued to issue their own versions. Some said that we are talking about cocaine tracks on the mirror. Others saw the text as a dedication to Harrison. Still others remembered the victory of Manchester City, the brothers’ favorite team, over Manchester United. Allegedly, the defense of the “citizens” in that match played so reliably that the newspapers called it “wonderwall”. In general, there were many options.
He did not really tell anything about the history of the creation of the Wonderwall song, and in an interview he said:
Actually, I don’t remember writing it. Perhaps I wrote it on scraps of paper and finished it in the studio.
Naturally, Noel, being the author of the song, wanted to sing it himself, but had to admit that Liam did it much better, and give “Wonderwall” to his brother.
Final Remarks!
The song has a lot of interpretations and meanings for different people. The above meanings behind the song Wonderwall are the most popular ones. What do you think is the real meaning behind the song?
Interesting Facts “Wonderwall” by Oasis
- The working title of the Wonderwall song was Wishing Stone.
- The cover design of the single was inspired by the paintings of the artist René Magritte.
- U2’s Edge said Wonderwall is one of the songs he would most like to write.
- Liam Gallagher has said that he can’t stand Wonderwall, even though he has to sing it all the time.
