The Perfect Song #4 - Slide Away - Oasis
Oasis are back! Seeing all the clips from the concerts has made me reconnect with Oasis’ music once again – the band got me into indie rock in the first place and has contributed to shaping my musical preferences ever since. It’s high time for this blog to give the “Big O” their flowers. And what better way to do so than by bringing back our “The Perfect Song” series?
Noel and Liam Gallagher walk out for their first gig reunited on stage as Oasis in Cardiff, 4 July 2025. © Angus Jenner
What a fantastic summer for any Oasis fans out there! After announcing their blockbuster reunion tour last year, fans were finally able to see Liam and Noel Gallagher reunited on stage. After five shows in their hometown of Manchester, Oasis are heading down to London at the time of writing for another five sold out gigs. While it has been a joy to follow the scenes at the reunion concerts online, I must admit to feeling jealous of those fans that are able to be there in person. But without further ado, let’s talk about their “perfect song”.
Choosing Oasis’ “perfect song” is no easy task. There’s the classics like “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, a song so ingrained in British culture it might as well be the national anthem, “Live Forever”, which never fails to give me goosebumps, or the evergreen “Wonderwall”. Or you might lean towards the rockier tunes, such as “Supersonic”, “Cigarettes & Alcohol” or “Morning Glory”, that highlight the band’s raw energy and talent. “Champagne Supernova”, the grandiose closer of their second album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, would be another excellent choice with its seven-and-a-half minutes of meaningless yet meaningful lyrics and its extraordinary vocal performance. Personally, however, my perfect Oasis song is “Slide Away” released on debut album Definitely Maybe more than 30 years ago.
You could argue that “Slide Away” is one of the best love songs ever written. It is filled with gorgeous lyrics, for example when Liam bursts into the chorus singing:
‘And now that you’re mine
We’ll find a way
Of chasing the sun’
Filled with longing and adventure, Noel as a songwriter is at his best and complemented perfectly by Liam at the peak of his powers. Other passages paint a picture of this young love – passionate, intense, not entirely rational but living totally in the moment:
‘Need you now, you knocked me off my feet
I dream of you and we talk of growing old
But you said “Please, don’t”’
The song is a plea to a romantic partner to let herself go and “slide away” with the narrator no matter the consequences. The outro brings this plea to a dramatic climax:
‘I don’t know, I don’t care, all I know is you can take me there’
The line is sung by Noel (his most notable vocal contribution on Definitely Maybe) and works in perfect harmony with Liam’s cries of ‘Slide away’ as the song fades out. The song builds up to this crescendo and when it comes, it is fully unleashed emotion. I dare anyone not to be moved to sing along!
The best version of “Slide Away” definitely has Liam on vocals. However, another reason it is Oasis’ “perfect song” is that it can be performed just as beautifully as an acoustic version giving the song a more intimate character, as showcased by Noel in Chicago in 1998.
Not only are the lyrics beautifully written and performed, “Slide Away” is also musically tight and raw, whilst simultaneously feeling well-crafted and well-produced. Noel’s lead guitar licks and the solos are just as filled with longing and adventure as the vocals. Overall, “Slide Away” delivers six-and-a-half minutes of pure musical perfection. Despite going supersonic after the release of Definitely Maybe Noel would never reach those heights as a songwriter again.
Written on a Gibson Les Paul gifted to Noel by The Smiths’ lead guitarist Johnny Marr and originally belonging to The Who’s Pete Townshend, “Slide Away” is built upon the great legacy of British rock ‘n’ roll and has added to it. A fan favourite to this day, I am hoping to witness a live performance of “Slide Away” myself someday. Fingers crossed for a European reunion tour!
What’s your perfect Oasis song? Let us know in the comments below!