Hear Me Out: Oasis 'D'You Know What I Mean?' is music's greatest comeback single (Far Out magazine, Aug. 12, 2025)

[highplainsdem]

Quite a statement there, but British journalist and music and movie reviewer Tim Bradley does a great job of backing that claim up (at least for the UK) in this new article. The comeback was their first single from their third album, and the hiatus hadn't been terribly long, but it was still a major event for MTV and British media. And the video premiere on MTV lived up to both the hype and fans' hopes.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/hear-me-out-oasis-best-ever-comeback-single/

Wikipedia on the song and video: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27You_Know_What_I_Mean%3F

Three videos below - the original 7:24 minute video, then the shorter (5:45) version, then the first performance of the song from the reunion tour - a real comeback after 16 years - on July 4, 2025. And after those, a link to the full lyrics, and then video of Noel talking about the song, video uploaded to YouTube in 2016.

Lyrics: https://oasisinet.com/lyrics/dyou-know-what-i-mean/


Noel on the song:

[speak easy]

1. The pressure on Noel in 1996 was immense.

It’s impossible to state the feverish clamour for new music from Oasis at that moment in time. Noel had recently been seen on Chris Evans’ TFI Friday show, a one-off episode in the ginger presenter’s house, and was begged to play just a sample of anything new on an acoustic guitar, but refused “because nobody’s got a plectrum”.

Noel has said his greatest regret was not taking a year off after Knebworth, and not to return to the studio until he had something to say. 1971 - 1977 similar pressure almost killed Bowie - 9 albums in 7 years - 11 if you count the two hedid with Iggy Pop.He became danerously addicted to cocaine to try and keep up.

[highplainsdem]

3. As I understand it, quite a few of the songs on their first two albums had been written by Noel before

they even started recording the first album. There were exceptions - Supersonic being a really great one - but Noel had taken years to write a compilation of great songs, then knew he had to come up with enough new ones for a third album and would be expectef to match the best songwriting he'd done over the previous few years.

His and Liam's idols, the Stone Roses, ran into the same problem. Their first album was brilliant. It also contained songs written years earlier, songs that were favorites of their Manchester fans years before they were recorded.

It isn't unusual for a band's second album to be disappointing compared to the first, if they'd been together long enough to have a good original setlist. Noel had stockpiled enough songs for most of two albums.

I've seen fans online wondering if he might have been writing and stockpiling songs for Oasis during all the years he and Liam weren't working together. I wouldn't bet on that for most of those years, given their feuding and how much he'd talked about wanting to try something different and work with different people. But I wouldn't bet much against it, either. Knowing how creativity works, it's possible he sometimes woke with a melody and snippet of lyrics in his head, something that seemed like a new Oasis song to him. And that would have been much more likely as they rehearsed for the reunion tour, and is even more likely now, even while they're touring. No matter what he might still be telling himself and others on a conscious level about not planning to record new music.

[Figarosmom]

2. Good song, heavy lyrics.

I always liked Wonderwall

?si=AMUBt1lshKFiKIim

It's a hard industry for sensitive people. Good to see the comeback.

[highplainsdem]

4. This new comeback - their reunion tour - is something all fans of classic rock and guitar

rock can celebrate. It should give the type of music we love a boost, both for older artists and new bands.

Wonderwall's a very good song. I was surprised to read recently that Noel and Liam aren't that fond of it. Did you see the thread I posted about that a week ago

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1034149267

quoting that article and including videos of solo performances of the song by both brothers (with Liam asking his fans if they're sure they want to hear it)?

[Figarosmom]

5. No i didn't see it thanks for the link...

About him not liking Wonderwall anymore could be more about his feelings towards who the song was directed at?