Live Forever
Encyclopedia
"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.
Gallagher wrote the song in 1991, before he joined Oasis. Inspired by The Rolling Stones
' "Shine a Light
", "Live Forever" features a basic song structure and lyrics with an optimistic outlook that contrasted with the attitude of the grunge
bands popular at the time. The song was the first Oasis single to enter the top ten in the United Kingdom, and garnered critical acclaim. It is widely regarded as one of the band's finest songs.
. After his foot was crushed by a pipe in an accident, he was given a less-strenuous job working in the storeroom, allowing him more time to write songs. One night he was listening to The Rolling Stones
' album Exile on Main St.
While playing one of his own chord progressions, Gallagher noted that it sounded good against one of the vocal melodies from the album: "It was the bit from 'Shine a Light
' that goes [sings], 'May the good lord shine a light on you,'" Gallagher recalled. Gallagher incorporated the melody, changing the line to "Maybe I don’t really want to know". For a period afterwards, that was the only part of the song Gallagher had completed.
Gallagher played the song to his younger brother Liam
, who was impressed and asked Noel to join his band Oasis. The song was later instrumental in helping the band secure their record deal with Creation Records
. Reflecting on when he first heard the song, Creation boss Alan McGee
recalled "It was probably the single greatest moment I've ever experienced with them."
The demo version of "Live Forever" begins with an acoustic guitar intro. While recording the album version, the record's producer Owen Morris
cut out this intro and replaced it with a drumbeat played by Tony McCarroll
. Morris further cut a second section in Gallagher's guitar solo. Although Gallagher was upset, Morris felt the part had sounded "a bit like fucking Slash
from Guns N' Roses
".
of G major
and is based on a G–D–Am7–C–D chord progression, with the G chord becoming an Em during the pre-chorus. The song has no proper distinction between the verses or chorus section (with only a falsetto refrain of "You and I are gonna live forever" marking off sections), and the vocal melody only consists of a few notes. The simplistic arrangement of the song "meant the song never resolved". Guitarist Paul Arthurs
said, "for me that song could keep going."
The song begins with a voice whistling briefly and saying "Oh yeah", followed by a drum beat that plays unaccompanied for a few measures. An intermingling of the main guitar line, piano notes, and Liam Gallagher's vocals then enter. Each verse begins with Liam singing the phrase "Maybe/I don't really wanna know/How your garden grows/'Cause I just wanna fly", and each verse ends with the falsetto refrain. A guitar solo appears after the second refrain of "You and I are gonna live forever". After the third verse and refrain section, Liam Gallagher repeats the line "Gonna live forever!" four times with 'ache in his voice', followed by one final guitar solo.
The song is interpreted to be an ode to Noel and Liam Gallagher's mother Peggy. In general the lyrics of the song stress an optimistic outlook. Noel Gallagher explained that "At the time . . . it was written in the middle of grunge
and all that, and I remember Nirvana
had a tune called 'I Hate Myself and Want to Die', and I was like . . . 'Well, I'm not fucking having that.' As much as I fucking like him[ Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain
] and all that shit, I'm not having that. I can't have people like that coming over here, on smack, fucking saying that they hate themselves and they wanna die. That's fucking rubbish. Kids don't need to be hearing that nonsense." While Gallagher has stated he did not intend "Live Forever" as a direct retort to Nirvana or their music (being a professed fan of the band), he contrasted the lives of Cobain and his band at that point, saying, "Seems to me that here was a guy who had everything, and was miserable about it. And we had fuck-all, and I still thought that getting up in the morning was the greatest fuckin' thing ever, 'cause you didn't know where you'd end up at night. And we didn't have a pot to piss in, but it was fucking great, man." Gallagher considers the line "We see things they'll never see" the most important line of the song, explaining that old friends tend to laugh at jokes and stories that "no one else gets".
. The song had been part of the band's set for longer than a year at that point, and had amassed so many mentions in reviews of the group that "its release [as a single] had long seemed inevitable." In its review of the single, NME
found "Live Forever" to be an improvement over Oasis' previous singles, concluding, "Basically, what thus far looked like obnoxious Manc arrogance suddenly looks like sheer effortlessness. A terrific record."
While Oasis' first two singles, "Supersonic" and "Shakermaker
", were modestly received, it was "Live Forever" that "got the world's attention". "Live Forever" became Oasis' first top ten hit, reaching number ten on the British singles charts in 1994. In 1995, the song became the band's first chart success in the United States, reaching number two and ten on Billboard
s Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, respectively. Noel Gallagher commented on the praise given to the song: "People said to me after 'Live Forever', 'Where are you gonna go after that?' And I was like, I don't think it's that good. I think it's a fucking good song, but I think I can do better."
"Live Forever" has garnered additional acclaim years after its release. In 2006, "Live Forever" was named the greatest song of all-time in a poll released by Q
; the song had ranked ninth in a similar Q poll three years prior. In 2007, "Live Forever" placed number one in the NME and XFM
poll of the 50 "Greatest Indie Anthems Ever".
Pitchfork
labeled the song as Oasis' best ever track and said of the song; "It's an honest, aspirational sentiment just as the photo of John Lennon's childhood home on the single's sleeve is an honest, tasteful exhibition of fandom." The music site went on to praise the song for its 'fearless optimism'.
Bono
from U2
cites Live Forever as one of the songs he wish he had written.
sitting on a chair affixed to a wall, and a number of scenes are devoted to the band burying drummer Tony McCarroll
alive. Some of the UK version of the promotional video was filmed at the Strawberry Fields memorial, the area of New York City's Central Park
dedicated to John Lennon
—the single cover features 251 Menlove Avenue
, the childhood home of Lennon. The American video, directed by Nick Egan features the band playing in an office with pictures of the "Sid Vicious
dead" headline from the tabloid newspaper The Sun, Kurt Cobain
, Jim Morrison
, John Lennon, Brian Jones
, Jimi Hendrix
, Marc Bolan
, and Bobby Moore
on the wall. Both videos are included on the 2004 Definitely Maybe DVD.
|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart
!Year
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|1994
|align="center"|10
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|10
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|2
|-
|align="left"|Canadian RPM
Singles Chart
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|70
|}
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...
, the song was released as the third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
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"....
on 8 August 1994, just prior to that album's release.
Gallagher wrote the song in 1991, before he joined Oasis. Inspired by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "Shine a Light
Shine a Light (song)
"Shine a Light" is a song featured on British rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1972 album Exile on Main St.Although credited to usual Stones writers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Shine a Light" was largely a Jagger composition. He began writing the song in early 1968 when the Stones still...
", "Live Forever" features a basic song structure and lyrics with an optimistic outlook that contrasted with the attitude of the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
bands popular at the time. The song was the first Oasis single to enter the top ten in the United Kingdom, and garnered critical acclaim. It is widely regarded as one of the band's finest songs.
Background and recording
Noel Gallagher wrote "Live Forever" in 1991, while working for a building company in his hometown of ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. After his foot was crushed by a pipe in an accident, he was given a less-strenuous job working in the storeroom, allowing him more time to write songs. One night he was listening to The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' album Exile on Main St.
Exile on Main St.
Exile on Main St. is the tenth British and 12th American studio album by English rock band The Rolling Stones. Released as a double LP in May 1972, it draws on many genres including rock and roll, blues, soul, R&B, gospel and country. The release of Exile on Main St. met with mixed reviews, but is...
While playing one of his own chord progressions, Gallagher noted that it sounded good against one of the vocal melodies from the album: "It was the bit from 'Shine a Light
Shine a Light (song)
"Shine a Light" is a song featured on British rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1972 album Exile on Main St.Although credited to usual Stones writers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Shine a Light" was largely a Jagger composition. He began writing the song in early 1968 when the Stones still...
' that goes [sings], 'May the good lord shine a light on you,'" Gallagher recalled. Gallagher incorporated the melody, changing the line to "Maybe I don’t really want to know". For a period afterwards, that was the only part of the song Gallagher had completed.
Gallagher played the song to his younger brother Liam
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
, who was impressed and asked Noel to join his band Oasis. The song was later instrumental in helping the band secure their record deal with Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
. Reflecting on when he first heard the song, Creation boss Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
recalled "It was probably the single greatest moment I've ever experienced with them."
The demo version of "Live Forever" begins with an acoustic guitar intro. While recording the album version, the record's producer Owen Morris
Owen Morris
Owen Morris is a music producer who has worked with rock bands such as Oasis, The Fratellis, The View and The Verve.He started working in the music industry as a sound engineer at Spaceward Studio in Cambridge when he was 16. He continued as an engineer until 1994 when he started producing some...
cut out this intro and replaced it with a drumbeat played by Tony McCarroll
Tony McCarroll
Anthony "Tony" McCarroll is an English drummer and one of the founding members of English rock group Oasis, as their drummer from 1991 to April 1995.-Biography:...
. Morris further cut a second section in Gallagher's guitar solo. Although Gallagher was upset, Morris felt the part had sounded "a bit like fucking Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
from Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
".
Composition
"Live Forever" is in the keyKey (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
and is based on a G–D–Am7–C–D chord progression, with the G chord becoming an Em during the pre-chorus. The song has no proper distinction between the verses or chorus section (with only a falsetto refrain of "You and I are gonna live forever" marking off sections), and the vocal melody only consists of a few notes. The simplistic arrangement of the song "meant the song never resolved". Guitarist Paul Arthurs
Paul Arthurs
Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs is an English musician and one of the founding members of the English rock band Oasis, best known as their rhythm guitar player from 1991-1999.-Early life:...
said, "for me that song could keep going."
The song begins with a voice whistling briefly and saying "Oh yeah", followed by a drum beat that plays unaccompanied for a few measures. An intermingling of the main guitar line, piano notes, and Liam Gallagher's vocals then enter. Each verse begins with Liam singing the phrase "Maybe/I don't really wanna know/How your garden grows/'Cause I just wanna fly", and each verse ends with the falsetto refrain. A guitar solo appears after the second refrain of "You and I are gonna live forever". After the third verse and refrain section, Liam Gallagher repeats the line "Gonna live forever!" four times with 'ache in his voice', followed by one final guitar solo.
The song is interpreted to be an ode to Noel and Liam Gallagher's mother Peggy. In general the lyrics of the song stress an optimistic outlook. Noel Gallagher explained that "At the time . . . it was written in the middle of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and all that, and I remember Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
had a tune called 'I Hate Myself and Want to Die', and I was like . . . 'Well, I'm not fucking having that.' As much as I fucking like him
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
Reception
"Live Forever" was released on 8 August 1994 as the band's third single, a month before the release of their debut album Definitely MaybeDefinitely 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"....
. The song had been part of the band's set for longer than a year at that point, and had amassed so many mentions in reviews of the group that "its release [as a single] had long seemed inevitable." In its review of the single, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
found "Live Forever" to be an improvement over Oasis' previous singles, concluding, "Basically, what thus far looked like obnoxious Manc arrogance suddenly looks like sheer effortlessness. A terrific record."
While Oasis' first two singles, "Supersonic" and "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...
", were modestly received, it was "Live Forever" that "got the world's attention". "Live Forever" became Oasis' first top ten hit, reaching number ten on the British singles charts in 1994. In 1995, the song became the band's first chart success in the United States, reaching number two and ten on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, respectively. Noel Gallagher commented on the praise given to the song: "People said to me after 'Live Forever', 'Where are you gonna go after that?' And I was like, I don't think it's that good. I think it's a fucking good song, but I think I can do better."
"Live Forever" has garnered additional acclaim years after its release. In 2006, "Live Forever" was named the greatest song of all-time in a poll released by Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
; the song had ranked ninth in a similar Q poll three years prior. In 2007, "Live Forever" placed number one in the NME and XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
poll of the 50 "Greatest Indie Anthems Ever".
Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
labeled the song as Oasis' best ever track and said of the song; "It's an honest, aspirational sentiment just as the photo of John Lennon's childhood home on the single's sleeve is an honest, tasteful exhibition of fandom." The music site went on to praise the song for its 'fearless optimism'.
Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
from U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
cites Live Forever as one of the songs he wish he had written.
Music videos
Two music videos were made for "Live Forever" for British and American airplay. The original video, directed by Carlos Grasso, features unusual imagery such as Liam GallagherLiam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
sitting on a chair affixed to a wall, and a number of scenes are devoted to the band burying drummer Tony McCarroll
Tony McCarroll
Anthony "Tony" McCarroll is an English drummer and one of the founding members of English rock group Oasis, as their drummer from 1991 to April 1995.-Biography:...
alive. Some of the UK version of the promotional video was filmed at the Strawberry Fields memorial, the area of New York City's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
dedicated to John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
—the single cover features 251 Menlove Avenue
251 Menlove Avenue
251 Menlove Avenue, named "Mendips", was the childhood home of John Lennon, singer and songwriter with the Beatles, and is now preserved by the National Trust....
, the childhood home of Lennon. The American video, directed by Nick Egan features the band playing in an office with pictures of the "Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
dead" headline from the tabloid newspaper The Sun, Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
, Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
, John Lennon, Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
, and Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
on the wall. Both videos are included on the 2004 Definitely Maybe DVD.
UK track listing
- CD CRESCD 185
- "Live Forever" – 4:38
- "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32
- "Cloudburst" – 5:21
- "Supersonic" (live) – 5:12
- 7" CRE 185
- "Live Forever" – 4:38
- "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32
- 12" CRE 185T
- "Live Forever" – 4:38
- "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32
- "Cloudburst" – 5:21
- Cassette CRECS 185
- "Live Forever" – 4:38
- "Up in the Sky" (Acoustic) – 3:32
European track listing
- CD HES 660689 2
- "Live Forever" (radio edit)Radio editIn music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
– 3:43 - "Live Forever" – 4:37
- "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32
- "Cloudburst" – 5:21
- "Supersonic" (live) – 5:10
Chart positions
{| width="0%"|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart
!Year
!align="center"|Peak position
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|1994
|align="center"|10
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|10
|-
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|2
|-
|align="left"|Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|70
|}