Hey Now! by Oasis Lyrics Meaning – Diving Deep into the Anthem of Restless Souls

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Oasis's Hey Now! at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

I hitched a ride with my soul
By the side of the road
Just as the sky turned black
I took a walk with my fame
Down memory lane
I never did find my way back
You know that I gotta say time’s slipping away
And what will it hold for me
What am I gonna do while I’m looking at you
You’re standing ignoring me

I thought that I heard someone say now
There’s no time for running away now
Hey now! Hey now

Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain
Feel no shame

The first thing I saw
As I walked through the door
Was a sign on the wall that read
It said you might never know
That I want you to know
What is written inside of your head
And time as it stands
Won’t be held in my hands
Or living inside of my skin
And as it fell from the sky
I asked myself why
Can I never let anyone in?

I thought that I heard someone say now
There’s no time for running away now
Hey now, hey now!

Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain
Feel no shame

Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain
Feel no shame

I hitched a ride with my soul
By the side of the road
Just as the sky turned black
I took a walk with my fame
Down memory lane
I never did find my way back
You know that I gotta say time’s slipping away
And what will it hold for me
What am I gonna do while I’m looking at you
You’re standing ignoring me

I thought that I heard someone say now
There’s no time for running away now
Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now, hey now

Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain
Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain
Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain
Feel no shame

Amidst the anthemic ballads and the guitar-heavy crescendos of Oasis’s discography lies ‘Hey Now!’, a track off their sophomore album ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’. On the surface, the song reflects the band’s iconic Britpop sound, but a deeper listen reveals introspective lyricism, brimming with existential undertones.

Unveiled at the zenith of the band’s fame, ‘Hey Now!’ manages to capture the tumultuous nature of the human spirit, placing listeners in a parallel universe where time has neither boundaries nor absolute control. Let’s break through the surface and uncover the profound reflections lodged within this underrated gem.

Soul-Riding through the Cosmic Roads: The Escapist Odyssey

The song begins with the symbolically heavy line, ‘I hitched a ride with my soul,’ suggesting a form of existential escapism. This odyssey envisions an individual partnering with the core of their own essence to traverse the rough terrains of life. As the sky turns black, indicating oncoming adversities, the soulful ride continues unabated, parading a fierce will to confront the inevitable challenges of existence.

Oasis has often been perceived as a band that encapsulates the quintessential British rebellion and hunger for life. ‘Hey Now!’ is no exception; it evokes a message of persistent self-discovery and the rebellious act of moving forward, painting an intensely personal picture of resilience.

Memory Lane and the Ghosts of Fame: A Bittersweet Journey

When Gallagher’s vocals guide us down ‘a walk with my fame / Down memory lane,’ listeners are lured into reminiscing about the highs and lows that speckle fame’s path. It mirrors the band’s own relationship with their meteoric rise to celebrity status, and perhaps the inner conflict that arises from losing oneself within it.

The inability to ‘find my way back’ from such a journey echoes an understanding that certain experiences irrevocably change a person. Whether this refers to lost innocence, altered identity, or a disconnection with one’s former life, the song leaves an open-ended interpretation that aligns with the listener’s personal narrative.

Deciphering Messages Written in the Mind: Oasis’s Poetic Canvas

On a canvass where ‘the sign on the wall’ offers up poetic abstractness, the lyrics encourage a deep introspection into the subconscious. ‘That I want you to know / What is written inside of your head’ speaks to the unspoken truths and unacknowledged dreams we all harbor within.

Gallagher’s pen asks each and every listener to confront these internal scripts, the programming that dictates so much of our lives, often without our direct awareness. The song becomes a call to arms to own these internal narratives, to comprehend them, and ultimately to write one’s own destiny.

Unpacking the Mystique: ‘Hey Now!’ and Its Hidden Meanings

‘Hey Now!’ is a cryptic collage of evasion and edification. The chorus, repetitive and simple, employs the phrase ‘Feel no shame ’cause time’s no chain’ as a mantra of liberation from the inexorable march of time and the regrets that tail it.

The song’s essence seems to reside in the belief that despite time’s grip on our physical existence, our consciousness is free – unbound by past or future, able to exist within the moment, shamelessly. This existential liberation, while set to the backdrop of a rock anthem, allows the song to transcend its genre, becoming a timeless ode and a confidant to the listener’s inner struggles.

Echoes of a Generation: Memorable Lines and Their Enduring Resonance

‘Hey Now!’ is laden with memorable lines that resonate for their recording of common human experience. ‘I thought that I heard someone say now / There’s no time for running away now’ captures a generational cri de coeur – a call to face life as it unfolds, to grapple with personal and societal issues head-on.

The lasting impact of such lines doesn’t derive from sheer poetic competence, but rather from their encapsulation of a universal truth: the moments we confront, the existential decisions we are forced to make, these define us. As ‘Hey Now!’ lives on through speakers around the world, its lines continue to echo within the hearts of those seeking meaning amidst the chaos, reminding us that indeed, there is no time for running away now.