Cigarettes & Alcohol
Encyclopedia
"Cigarettes & Alcohol" is a song by English rock
band Oasis
, written by Noel Gallagher
. It was released as the fourth single from their debut album Definitely Maybe
, and their second to enter the UK top ten in the United Kingdom, peaking at #7 (three places higher than "Live Forever
"), eventually spending 35 weeks on the charts, re-entering the Top 75 on several occasions until 1997.
imagery, and "Live Forever" used softer chords and tender lyrics, "Cigarettes & Alcohol" was the first real taste of the wilder attitude that Oasis appeared to be promoting. The song proclaims the inherent appeal of cigarettes, alcohol
, and drugs
as a remedy to the banality and seemingly futile nature of the working class
life. Lyrics such as "Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?" taps into the common sentiment of western disenchantment that was particularly common in the mid-1990s.
Upon first hearing the song, the man who discovered the band, Alan McGee, claimed that the song was one of the greatest social statements anyone had made in the past 25 years.
The song was the second case in which Oasis was accused of plagiarism, the first being Shakermaker
. The main riff of the song is purportedly "borrowed" from "Get It On
" by T. Rex
and Little Queenie by Chuck Berry
, and bears a similarity to the opening of Humble Pie
's cover of "C'mon Everybody".
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, written by Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
. It was released as the fourth single from their debut album Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe is the debut album by English rock band Oasis, released in August 1994. It was an immediate commercial and critical success in the UK, having followed on the heels of singles "Supersonic", "Shakermaker" and "Live Forever"....
, and their second to enter the UK top ten in the United Kingdom, peaking at #7 (three places higher than "Live Forever
Live Forever
"Live Forever" is a song by English rock band Oasis. Written by Noel Gallagher, the song was released as the third single from their debut album Definitely Maybe on 8 August 1994, just prior to that album's release....
"), eventually spending 35 weeks on the charts, re-entering the Top 75 on several occasions until 1997.
Background
Whereas earlier singles "Supersonic" and "Shakermaker" had used psychedelicPsychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
imagery, and "Live Forever" used softer chords and tender lyrics, "Cigarettes & Alcohol" was the first real taste of the wilder attitude that Oasis appeared to be promoting. The song proclaims the inherent appeal of cigarettes, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, and drugs
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
as a remedy to the banality and seemingly futile nature of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
life. Lyrics such as "Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?" taps into the common sentiment of western disenchantment that was particularly common in the mid-1990s.
Upon first hearing the song, the man who discovered the band, Alan McGee, claimed that the song was one of the greatest social statements anyone had made in the past 25 years.
The song was the second case in which Oasis was accused of plagiarism, the first being Shakermaker
Shakermaker
"Shakermaker" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. The song was first released as a single on 13 June 1994 and later released on Oasis' debut album Definitely Maybe. The single narrowly missed the UK top 10, peaking at number eleven. It was also the...
. The main riff of the song is purportedly "borrowed" from "Get It On
Get It On (T. Rex song)
"Get It On" was covered by the Power Station in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On " – was released as their second single from their debut album. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine on the...
" by T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
and Little Queenie by Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, and bears a similarity to the opening of Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
's cover of "C'mon Everybody".
Track listings
- CD CRESCD 190
- "Cigarettes & Alcohol" – 4:48
- "I Am the WalrusI Am the Walrus"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
" (live) – 8:15 - "Listen Up" – 6:39
- "Fade Away" – 4:13
- 7" CRE 190
- "Cigarettes & Alcohol" – 4:48
- "I Am the Walrus" (live) – 8:15
- 12" CRE 190T
- "Cigarettes & Alcohol" – 4:48
- "I Am the Walrus" (live) – 8:15
- "Fade Away" – 4:13
- Cassette CRECS 190
- "Cigarettes & Alcohol" – 4:50
- "I Am the Walrus" (live) – 8:15
- Contrary to the sleeve notes, which claimed it was recorded at the Glasgow CathouseGlasgow CathouseThe Cathouse is long-established alternative music nightclub on Union Street in Glasgow. As well as regular weekly club nights, including the under 18 'Voodoo', it also hosts live gigs, with bands such as Pearl Jam, Oasis, Dragonforce, Lordi, Fall Out Boy, Zebrahead and Soil having played in the...
in June 1994, "I Am the Walrus" was actually recorded at a soundcheck for a gig at the Gleneagles HotelGleneagles HotelThe Gleneagles Hotel is a luxury hotel near Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.- History :The hotel was built by the former Caledonian Railway Company and opened in 1924, originally with its own railway station...
, Scotland on 6 February 1994, as part of a Sony MusicSony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
seminar. The reason why this wasn't mentioned on the original sleevenotes was because Noel thought mentioning the fact that it was recorded at a corporate event would "look shit". The crowd noises at the beginning and end of the track are from a FacesFaces (band)Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
bootlegBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of Noel's. - The single is the first Oasis release to feature the inclusion of a song not written by Noel Gallagher.
- Noel in the Lock the Box interview says "I remember writing it in my flat in Manchester, and two guys used to live above me, and in those days, being the fucking geezer that I was, I used to write on the electric guitar with my amp in the fucking room, in a block of flats, on ten, and one of the guys passed me on the stairs and said "You're not gonna fucking write a song to that riff are you? That's fucking rubbish" and I was going "Listen fat arse, that's gonna be fucking amazing when it comes out"."
- Noel has also said of "Cigarettes and Alcohol", "That song keeps getting better and better for me."
- Noel claims that when they released "Cigarettes and Alcohol", he realised how big they were going to be. He said in an interview that "that was the moment when we realised we should belt up, it's gonna get a bit mad from here on in."
Personnel
- Liam Gallagher: vocals
- Noel Gallagher: lead guitar
- Paul McGuigan: bass guitar
- Tony McCarroll: drums
- Paul Arthurs: rhythm guitar