“Stand by Me” is a song by British rock group Oasis, written by lead guitarist, Noel Gallagher. It was the second single to be released from the band’s third album, Be Here Now, and peaked at number 2 in the UK charts in September 1997. It was kept from the top-spot by the record breaking Elton John single “Candle in the Wind,” re-recorded and released in memory of Princess Diana, who had died in September of that year. Despite this, “Stand By Me” still went Gold in the UK.
Though overall, Be Here Now received a cold reception from music critics, “Stand by Me” was acknowledged as one of the stand-out tracks on the album. A critically acclaimed acoustic version of “Stand by Me” was shown on television the night before the release of Be Here Now as part of a BBC1 documentary, featuring Noel, Liam Gallagher and drummer Alan White sitting by the side of a swimming pool, with Liam on vocals, Noel on acoustic guitar and White holding a tambourine.[1]
However, due to Noel Gallagher’s general dislike of Be Here Now, “Stand by Me” is rarely played live by the band at their concerts, as it is Noel who generally decides the song listings for Oasis’ tours. A live version of the song from this tour can be found on the double-CD version of Familiar to Millions.
Noel Gallagher claims to have written the song whilst suffering from food poisoning when he first moved to London. His mother Peggy would phone him to check on him and repeatedly told him to ensure he was eating properly. This spurred Gallagher to cook himself a proper English Sunday dinner, which resulted in a bout of food poisoning. Gallagher claims that the song’s first line - “Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday/I’ve got a lot of things to learn” - came to him as he lay on the floor and it was then that he began to pen the lyrics to the song.Noel Gallagher; Oasis: Be Here Now Special; hosted by Molly Meldrum; 1997
The title for the song probably comes from the song “Stand By Me”, which was covered by the Gallagher’s idol John Lennon.
Track listing
- “Stand by Me” - 5:55
- “(I Got) The Fever” - 5:14
- “My Sister Lover” - 5:58
- “Going Nowhere ” - 4:41
- “Stand by Me” - 5:55
- “(I Got) The Fever” - 5:14
- “Stand by Me” - 5:55
- “(I Got) The Fever” - 5:14
- “My Sister Lover” - 5:58
- “Stand by Me” - 5:55
- “(I Got) The Fever” - 5:14
- “My Sister Lover” - Some fans believe the title to be a reference to the band Sister Lovers, a group that invited Oasis to a May 1993 gig at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, Scotland, where they were spotted by Creation Records chief Alan McGee, who reportedly offered Oasis a recording contract on the spot after the gig.
- “Going Nowhere” - apparently Noel’s attempt at a Burt Bacharach style song - can be found on The Masterplan, a collection of Oasis B-sides. It is one of only two B-sides from the Be Here Now era to be included on the album. Although it was not released until 1997, the song was written in 1990, before Noel even joined Oasis, let alone before they were signed. Despite this, it shows an uncanny level of perceptiveness from Noel with lines like I’m gonna get me a motor car/Maybe a Jaguar/Maybe a plane/Or a day of fame/I’m gonna be a millionaire.
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