Meaning of “Wonderwall” by Oasis

Wonderwall is an international hit song performed by the British rock band Oasis. According to a 1996 interview with NME Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, the song is about having an imaginary friend who has the power to rescue you from yourself. Gallagher had earlier said in NME that the song was about his then-significant other Meg Mathews. However, after his romantic relationship and later marriage with Mathews ended in 2001, Gallagher claimed he never wrote the song about Mathews and that the media was responsible for stating that. According to him, after the media started spreading that false story, he decided to go along with it since it now became difficult telling Mathews that the song was not about her.

Facts about “Wonderwall”

• The song was written by Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher.
• Wonderwall was produced by Welsh record producer Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
• Noel Gallagher could have sang lead vocals on Wonderwall but allowed his younger brother Liam Gallagher (Oasis lead vocalist) to sing it because he gave him the option of either serving as lead vocalist on the track or on Don’t Look Back in Anger. Liam chose the former, so Noel could serve as lead singer on the latter.
• The original title of the song was Wishing Stone.
• The title “Wonderwall” was taken from George Harrison’s 1968 debut album titled Wonderwall Music.
• Anita Heryet, is the unidentified girl on Wonderwall’s sleeve artwork. Heryet was an employee of Creation Records, the British independent record label which Oasis was signed to.
• Reaching the No. 1 spot in a number of countries around the world, the song remains one of the most successful songs from Oasis. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles and in the United States, it peaked at number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
• Wonderwall is considered one of the greatest British songs of all time. For example, in 2016, listeners of the British radio station Radio X voted Wonderwall the greatest British song ever.
• At the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Wonderwall was performed live by Liam Gallagher’s band Beady Eye.
• The Edge of U2 said in 2006 that Wonderwall was one of the songs that he wished he had written.
• In addition to being Oasis’ first single to be released in the United States, the song also became their most successful song in America.

Frequently Asked Questions about “Wonderwall”

Q: Has “Wonderwall” won a Grammy Award?

A: At the 1997 Grammy Awards, the song received two Grammy nominations in the categories of Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. However, the song failed to win any of the two awards.

Q: Which artists have covered or sampled “Wonderwall”?

A: Numerous musical acts have covered this song over the years. Arguably the most famous cover was done by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams in 2001. Noel Gallagher so loved the arrangement of Adams’ cover version that he used Adam’s style most of the times when performing Wonderwall live.  Another very notable cover of the song was by American rapper Jay Z at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival. Prior to performing at the festival, Noel Gallagher had publicly stated that it was wrong for Jay Z to perform at the festival because he is a rapper and Glastonbury Festival catered mainly to rock music fans. However, on the day of his Glastonbury performance, Jay-Z took a dig at Gallagher by singing an ironic version of Wonderwall in a manner that clearly showed he was doing nothing but mocking the song.

Q: What are some of the awards “Wonderwall” has won?

A: Aside being nominated for two Grammys, the song won the Best Video award at the Brit Awards in 1996.

Q: Who is Meg Mathews?

A: She is an interior designer who gained fame after becoming the girlfriend of Noel Gallagher and later getting married to him. Aside being known for her relationship with Gallagher, she’s also known for her alleged connection to the song Wonderwall. Mathews and Gallagher were married from 1997 to 2001. The marriage produced a daughter named Anais Gallagher in 2000.