“Flying on the Ground” by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Although the title of this song (“Flying on the Ground”) is metaphorical, it is one that is ubiquitous enough that you probably already know what it for the most part means beforehand. And what a statement such as “flying on the ground” generally points to is the person it is being applied to being in a state of euphoria so to speak, i.e. “flying” while they’re still literally “on the ground”, i.e. in an everyday setting. In this case said sensation is being applied to the narrator.
And it is such that his inexplicable happiness, if you will, is one that he knows most people cannot relate to or are not experiencing. And as for its source, the implication is that it is founded in the vocalist’s own commitment to maintaining “a heart of gold”. Or put more plainly, in the chorus it is implied that such is the result of exhibiting love.
So the overall suggestion is that people who are more depressed are so due to not loving adequately or as the result of not being recipients of adequate love. And the latter reality would also include having ‘a place they can call home’ in the world.
“Flying on the Ground” is a love Song
So putting all of this together, this is actually a love song being presented by Noel Gallagher – not of the amorous variety but more along the lines of that ‘we are the world’ type of vibe which British artists are known for. But being that this is in fact Gallagher, there’s also what we will term a self-centered element to the lyrics. But underneath it all, the message he seems to be putting forth is that love, in terms of both giving and receiving, is a prerequisite to being happy in this world.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds is more or less the name of a solo project Gallagher embarked on in 2010. Up until that point, he and his younger brother Liam fronted Oasis, one of the most successful British rock bands of the late 20th century. However, their relationship has been such that they have challenges getting along, more or less to this day, with their tiffs often going public. And it was as a result of such that Oasis was dismantled in 2009.
So Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds went on to drop its first album in 2011, which was a self-titled project. And it has done pretty well, topping the UK Albums Chart. This is in addition to going double-platinum across the pond and selling well over 2,000,000 copies around the world.
And throughout the 2010s they went on to release two more studio projects, 2015’s “Chasing Yesterday” and 2017’s “Who Built the Moon?” Both of those undertakings also topped the UK Albums Chart, but neither one performed as impressively overall as the first.
“Flying on the Ground”
Meanwhile this particular track is from their first compilation album, 2021’s “Back the Way We Came: Vol. 1 (2011-2021)”. The compilation album is in recognition of the act’s 10th anniversary.
The official release date of “Flying on the Ground”, as the second single from said undertaking, was on 7 June 2021. And it, along with “We’re on Our Way Now”, is one two previously-unreleased tunes which are found on the compilation.
“Flying on the Ground” was written by Noel. And he also produced the tune alongside Paul Stacey. Prior to the High Flying Birds, Paul had worked extensively with Oasis.
The music video to this clip was directed by Jonathan Mowatt and Dan Cadan. It is related to the video of “We’re on Our Way Now“. And it actually stars a British actor named Matt Smith. It also stars an Argentine-British model/actress named Gala Gordon, with Noel Gallagher only making a cameo appearance therein.
The label that put this song out is called Sour Mash Records.
