Has Liam Gallagher written any songs?

With the help of songwriting heavyweights, the ex-Oasis member's sophomore solo effort is a hook-laden ream of nostalgia

By Angie Martoccio

September 20, 2019

It’s not surprising that Liam Gallagher has struggled to find his own creative voice in the decade since Oasis’ messy breakup. His attempt to form a new band with ex-members of Oasis minus his brother Noel was laughable for the simple fact that it was Noel who wrote all their songs (try to imagine a Who without Pete Townshend and you’ll get the picture.)

Half of Gallagher’s 2017 solo debut As You Were featured co-writing credits from big-time songwriters and producers Greg Kurstin and Andrew Wyatt, who have worked with everyone from Beck to Adele. Now, on his great new LP Why Me? Why Not, every single track is co-written by Kurstin and Wyatt, because as Gallagher himself has admitted, he’s not much of a songwriter. There may not be a “Wonderwall” or “Champagne Supernova” (even Noel hasn’t lived up to those classics) on the record, but hook-laden songs like “Once” and “Alright Now” stand up comfortably next to Oasis’ latter-day work.

The record opens with the scorching “Shockwave,” with Kurstin playing harmonica, tambourine, electric guitar, bass and drums, while Gallagher advises against making pretty beds and backstabbing friends. The overlying theme throughout the album is nostalgia; Gallagher even timed its release with the career-spanning documentary As It Was, a reflective look on his past and bitter breakup with Oasis. “You said we’d live forever/Who do you think you’re kiddin’?” he says in a nod to the Definitely Maybe track on “One of Us,” a heart-rendering highlight on the album. “You were only one of us in time.”

It wouldn’t be a Gallagher record without an ode to John Lennon, and Why Me? Why Not checks all the boxes. The album’s name is taken from the titles of two different Lennon drawings, while Gallagher describes title track — a groovy stomper with a searing riff — as resembling “Come Together.” The mournful melody of “Once” echoes Lennon’s “Jealous Guy,” with Gallagher sounding wiser than ever: “I think it’s true what they say that the dream is borrowed/You give it back tomorrow.”

After the fiery “The River,” the record closes with the aptly-titled “Gone,” a sparkling finale complete with a delicate string arrangement. “Oh I used to go away and come back another day,” he sings. “But now I don’t know how long I’m gonna be gone.” We hope it’s not long.

Liam Gallagher has released a new song, “Everything’s Electric,” co-written by and featuring drums from Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. The single is produced by Greg Kurstin, who worked with Gallagher on the former Oasis singer’s first two solo albums. Listen below.

According to a press release, “Everything’s Electric” takes cues from Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” and the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Gallagher will give the track its live debut at the BRIT Awards on Tuesday, February 8.

“Everything’s Electric” is Liam Gallagher’s first new song since 2020’s “All You’re Dreaming Of.” It’s also the first single from his next album C’mon You Know. The full-length, due out May 27, is Gallagher’s third solo LP, following 2017’s As You Were and 2019’s Why Me? Why Not.

Liam Gallagher has declared that despite going solo, he’ll ‘always be Oasis‘ – and it ‘doesn’t matter who wrote the f**king songs’.

Often at war with his brother and former bandmate Noel, the chief songwriter of Oasis, Liam has said that he believes he has every right to sing their tracks as he hits the road on his own. Speaking to NME for a rare, in-depth interview for this week’s cover, Gallagher said that he remains proud of his legacy as he embarks on his solo career.

“I f**king love Oasis. I am Oasis,” Liam told NME. “It doesn’t matter who wrote the f**king songs and who f**king sung them, I’m the one that f**king took them for a walk on the wild side. I’ll always be Oasis, man, that’s my f**king first love. I don’t yearn for it, though, like some people go on about.

Advertisement

“If I yearned for it I’d be sending our kid chocolate, not f**king hate mail.”

After teasing his debut solo track ‘Wall Of Glass‘, Gallagher’s solo album ‘As You Were’ will follow in October. Meanwhile, he kicks off a solo tour this week – find out which Oasis tracks he will and won’t be playing.

Did Liam Gallagher write songs?

Who wrote the best Oasis songs?

What is Liam Gallagher's best song?

Is Liam Gallagher allowed to play Oasis songs?