Falling Down (Oasis song)
Encyclopedia
"Falling Down" is a song by English rock
band Oasis
, featured on their 2008 seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul
. Written and sung by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher
, it was released as the third single from the album and is also the final single released by the band with the digital release occurring a day earlier. The song debuted at #10 in the UK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 21,448, but the song only achieved a chart position of number 37 in the UK download chart in the same week, most likely because it was available as a download release before the new album was released. (Upon the release of Dig Out Your Soul the previous October, "Falling Down" charted briefly at #125 on download sales alone). "Falling Down" is the sixth Oasis single to be sung by Noel rather than Liam. It is also the second Oasis song to be used in a TV series (the first being "Half the World Away
").
"Falling Down" posted a subtle improvement from its predecessor, "I'm Outta Time
", on the UK Singles Chart
, reaching #10 in its chart entry week. This was something of a return to form for the band, after "I'm Outta Time" charting at #12 made it the first Oasis single released in the UK to fail to reach the top 10 since "Shakermaker
" in 1994. Between the two releases the band had put out 22 singles which made the top 10. However, it still showed a decline in the band's fortunes; from the release of "Whatever" at the end of 1994 until the release of "I'm Outta Time", the band had only had one single which failed to reach the top four in the charts, and that had been 2007's "Lord Don't Slow Me Down", which was only a minor promotional release and a non-album track and also download only.
The heavily compressed drum-rhythm and sense of disillusioned psychedelia bear a strong resemblance to the Beatles song "Tomorrow Never Knows
", being cited as Noel's finest effort so far to emulate the atmosphere of that song.
An excerpt of the B-side song "Those Swollen Hand Blues" appears at the end of "Mucky Fingers", the second track of Oasis' 2005 album Don't Believe the Truth
. Due to strong download sales of the track, the B-side "Those Swollen Hand Blues" made the UK charts at #190 on the day "Falling Down" made the top ten.
The lyric: "Catch the wheel that breaks the butterfly" references the quotation: "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?
" from Alexander Pope
's "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot
".
The song was released as downloadable content for the video game Guitar Hero: World Tour on 29 January 2009.
The song was used in the opening sequence for the Production I.G anime Eden of the East
, which first aired on Fuji TV's noitaminA
timeslot on 9 April 2009. American and Canadian distributor FUNimation Entertainment
announced a license for the series and later announced that they will be able to include the song in their release but only on the first episode. However, only the first episode retains the original opening on Blu-ray. The remaining episodes use the film opening, "Invisible" by Leah.
bassist Twiggy Ramirez
and producer Dave Sardy
– the "It's the Gibb" remix – and electronic
band The Prodigy
are featured on the CD single and the second digital bundle; the A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble
remix, by Amorphous Androgynous
, will be released on the 12" vinyl and second digital bundle versions; and The Chemical Brothers
remix previously featured as the B-side to "The Shock of the Lightning
". In his tour blog, "Tales from the Middle of Nowhere", Gallagher described the 22-minute A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix as "A staggering piece of music. Monumental even."
), who is supposed to be part of the Royal Family
who enjoys parties, one night stands and drugs. When she meets the band in the video, the members refuse to shake her hand because of the way she hides her party lifestyle . When the 'Princess' offers her hand to Noel Gallagher
he declines to bow and turns away in disdain, which seems to be a reference to his and brother Liam's Irish background. Prince Charles appears at the conclusion of the video.
.
CD single
7" vinyl
12" vinyl
Digital bundle 1
Digital bundle 2
In Japan
In Japan, Limited Edition Bonus DVD
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...
, featured on their 2008 seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul
Dig Out Your Soul
Dig Out Your Soul is the seventh and final studio album by English rock band Oasis. It was released in October 2008. The first single, "The Shock of the Lightning", was released on 29 September 2008. In promotion of the album, the band embarked on a world tour, debuting in Seattle, Washington at...
. Written and sung by lead guitarist 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 third single from the album and is also the final single released by the band with the digital release occurring a day earlier. The song debuted at #10 in the UK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 21,448, but the song only achieved a chart position of number 37 in the UK download chart in the same week, most likely because it was available as a download release before the new album was released. (Upon the release of Dig Out Your Soul the previous October, "Falling Down" charted briefly at #125 on download sales alone). "Falling Down" is the sixth Oasis single to be sung by Noel rather than Liam. It is also the second Oasis song to be used in a TV series (the first being "Half the World Away
Half the World Away
"Half the World Away" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is well known as the theme tune to the popular BBC sitcom The Royle Family.The song was written by Oasis' lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, who also provides lead vocals...
").
"Falling Down" posted a subtle improvement from its predecessor, "I'm Outta Time
I'm Outta Time
"I'm Outta Time" is a song by English rock band Oasis, featured on their seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul. The second single from the album, succeeding "The Shock of the Lightning", "I'm Outta Time" was written by lead vocalist Liam Gallagher and released on 1 December 2008.-Composition:The...
", on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, reaching #10 in its chart entry week. This was something of a return to form for the band, after "I'm Outta Time" charting at #12 made it the first Oasis single released in the UK to fail to reach the top 10 since "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...
" in 1994. Between the two releases the band had put out 22 singles which made the top 10. However, it still showed a decline in the band's fortunes; from the release of "Whatever" at the end of 1994 until the release of "I'm Outta Time", the band had only had one single which failed to reach the top four in the charts, and that had been 2007's "Lord Don't Slow Me Down", which was only a minor promotional release and a non-album track and also download only.
The heavily compressed drum-rhythm and sense of disillusioned psychedelia bear a strong resemblance to the Beatles song "Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver but the first to be recorded. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney song, it was written primarily by John Lennon...
", being cited as Noel's finest effort so far to emulate the atmosphere of that song.
An excerpt of the B-side song "Those Swollen Hand Blues" appears at the end of "Mucky Fingers", the second track of Oasis' 2005 album Don't Believe the Truth
Don't Believe the Truth
Don't Believe the Truth is the sixth studio album by English rock band Oasis, released on 30 May 2005. It reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of just under 238,000, and is the 32nd fastest selling album ever in the UK. The album entered the U.S...
. Due to strong download sales of the track, the B-side "Those Swollen Hand Blues" made the UK charts at #190 on the day "Falling Down" made the top ten.
The lyric: "Catch the wheel that breaks the butterfly" references the quotation: "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?
Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?
"Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" is a quotation – sometimes misquoted with "on" in place of "upon" – from Alexander Pope's "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot" of January 1735...
" from Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
's "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot
Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot
The Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot is a satire in poetic form written by Alexander Pope and addressed to his friend John Arbuthnot, a physician. It was first published in 1735 and composed in 1734, when Pope learned that Arbuthnot was dying. Pope described it as a memorial of their friendship...
".
The song was released as downloadable content for the video game Guitar Hero: World Tour on 29 January 2009.
The song was used in the opening sequence for the Production I.G anime Eden of the East
Eden of the East
is a Japanese anime television series, which premiered on Fuji TV's noitaminA timeslot on April 9, 2009. Created, directed and written by Kenji Kamiyama, it features character designs by Chika Umino and animation production by Production I.G...
, which first aired on Fuji TV's noitaminA
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
timeslot on 9 April 2009. American and Canadian distributor FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
announced a license for the series and later announced that they will be able to include the song in their release but only on the first episode. However, only the first episode retains the original opening on Blu-ray. The remaining episodes use the film opening, "Invisible" by Leah.
Alternative versions
Various alternative versions of the song have been produced: remixes by Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
bassist Twiggy Ramirez
Jeordie White
Jeordie Osbourne White , better known by his pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez , is an American musician, who is best known for being the bassist and guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He was also the bassist for A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails...
and producer Dave Sardy
Dave Sardy
David Sardy is a Brooklyn born-and-raised composer, musician, songwriter, and record producer- Biography :...
– the "It's the Gibb" remix – and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
are featured on the CD single and the second digital bundle; the A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble
A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind: Volume 1
A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind: Volume 1 is a 2008 compilation album with selections by Amorphous Androgynous It was released on CD in November 2008. It is an extensive compilation mix album featuring a wide variety of artists, selected and mixed by the duo...
remix, by Amorphous Androgynous
The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London is a prolific British electronic music band composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music...
, will be released on the 12" vinyl and second digital bundle versions; and The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
remix previously featured as the B-side to "The Shock of the Lightning
The Shock of the Lightning
"The Shock of the Lightning" is a song by English rock band Oasis and is the fourth track from the band's seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul. The song was released as the first single from the album on 29 September 2008...
". In his tour blog, "Tales from the Middle of Nowhere", Gallagher described the 22-minute A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix as "A staggering piece of music. Monumental even."
Music video
The video depicts a woman (played by actress Natasha O'KeeffeNatasha O'Keeffe
Natasha O'Keeffe is a British actress.After training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, she played in Abraham's Point. In 2008, she played in the music video for Falling Down, presently the last single released by the band Oasis. In 2010, she played Sadie in BBC Three's Lip...
), who is supposed to be part of the Royal Family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
who enjoys parties, one night stands and drugs. When she meets the band in the video, the members refuse to shake her hand because of the way she hides her party lifestyle . When the 'Princess' offers her hand to 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...
he declines to bow and turns away in disdain, which seems to be a reference to his and brother Liam's Irish background. Prince Charles appears at the conclusion of the video.
Track listing
All songs written by Noel GallagherNoel 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...
.
CD single
- "Falling Down" (album version with extended intro) – 4:27
- "Those Swollen Hand Blues" – 3:19
- "Falling Down" (The Gibb Mix) – 5:12
- "Falling Down" (The ProdigyThe ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
version) – 4:27
7" vinyl
- "Falling Down" (album version with extended intro)
- "Those Swollen Hand Blues"
12" vinyl
- "Falling Down" (Amorphous AndrogynousThe Future Sound of LondonThe Future Sound of London is a prolific British electronic music band composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music...
A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix) – 22:27
Digital bundle 1
- "Falling Down" (album version with extended intro)
- "Those Swollen Hand Blues"
- "Falling Down" (demo)
Digital bundle 2
- "Falling Down" (The Gibb Mix)
- "Falling Down" (The Prodigy version)
- "Falling Down" (Amorphous Androgynous A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix)
In Japan
- "Falling Down" (album version with extended intro) – 4:27
- "Those Swollen Hand Blues" – 3:19
- "Falling Down" (Amorphous Androgynous A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix) – 22:27
- "Falling Down" (The Gibb Mix) – 5:12
- "Falling Down" (The Prodigy version) – 4:27
In Japan, Limited Edition Bonus DVD
- "Falling Down" (music video; original version)
- "Falling Down" (music video; Eden of the East version)
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
45 |
| Dutch Singles Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
71 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
26 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 26 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... (download-only) |
125 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 33 |
| UK Download Chart | 37 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales Hot 100 Singles Sales The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
3 |