Half the World Away

Song infobox
Name = Half the World Away


Artist = Oasis
Album = The Masterplan
Released = December 18, 1994
track_no = 10
Recorded = October 1994 at Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas
Genre = Rock, Britpop
Length = 4:25
Writer = Noel Gallagher
Label = Creation Records
Producer = Owen Morris & Noel Gallagher
Chart position =
prev = "Rockin' Chair"
prev_no = 9
next = "(It's Good) To Be Free"
next_no = 11

"Half the World Away" is a song by British Rock band Oasis. It is well known as the theme tune to the popular BBC sitcom "The Royle Family".

The song was written by Oasis' lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, who also provides lead vocals, taking over from Oasis' regular lead singer, Liam Gallagher. The song is a slow acoustic tune with plodding keyboards, and the lyric - much like "Rock 'n' Roll Star", one of Oasis' most famous songs - expresses a desire to leave a stagnant life in a boring city.

Recorded at The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas in October 1994, "Half the World Away" was first released as a B-side to "Whatever" on 18 December 1994, reaching #3 in the UK charts. [ [http://www.oasisinet.com/site.php?site=songlyrics&idx=18&songidx=423&country=172&atype=0&from=&boxidx= Song profile on Oasisinet] ]

However, the song gained mass public exposure when it was selected by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash to be the theme tune to their sitcom "The Royle Family". The series revolved around the sitting room of a lazy working-class family and was set in Manchester, the hometown of Oasis. Although it had modest beginnings, the series soon became a cultural phenomenon in England and its theme became well known. The opening credits of the series edited together first stanza of the first verse and the second stanza of the first chorus. The end credits, which would cut in immediately after the final joke of the episode - so as to add weight to it - began with the second stanza of the final chorus and would see the song through to the coda. When Gallagher was originally approached about using an Oasis song for a series about a working class family in Manchester, he suggested "Married With Children" and was confused when "Half the World Away" was chosen. On tour in America when "The Royle Family" was first screened, he claims the penny did not drop until he returned to the United Kingdom to find the series a huge success and viewed it, feeling the song was perfect for the series. He now claims not to think of "Half the World Away" as an Oasis song, but rather as the theme tune to "The Royle Family". [Interview with Noel Gallagher, "We Love The Royle Family", BBC 1, 29 October 2006]

In 1998 the song was included in "The Masterplan"; a collection of Oasis' best b-sides. The collection was a success, peaking at #2 in the UK charts. The track is also included on Oasis' compilation album "Stop the Clocks".

In interviews, Gallagher - who is famous for "borrowing" from other musicians - has admitted the tune to "Half the World Away" was adapted from "This Guy's In Love With You" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. He commented "It sounds exactly the same. I'm surprised he hasn't sued me yet!" [ [http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=19195 Report at gigwise.com] ]

Trivia

*Former Jam front man and close friend of Noel Gallagher Paul Weller claims "Half the World Away" is his favourite Oasis song. [Taken from the booklet to "The Masterplan" CD]
*The song was also used as an intro in the Season 2 finale of "Spaced" during a parody of the opening credits to "The Royle Family".

Notes