"Live Forever" is a song by English rock band

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

. Written by

Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...

, the song was released as the third single from their debut album '' Definitely Maybe'' (1994) on 8 August 1994, just prior to that album's release. Gallagher wrote the song in 1991, before he joined Oasis. Inspired by

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

' " Shine a Light", "Live Forever" features a basic song structure and lyrics with an optimistic outlook that contrasted with the attitude of the

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...

bands popular at the time. The song was the first Oasis single to enter the top ten in the United Kingdom, and garnered critical acclaim. In 2017, lead singer

Liam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...

declared the song his favourite Oasis song. The

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...

certified the song double platinum in August 2021.

Background and recording

Noel Gallagher began working on "Live Forever" in 1991, while working for a building company in his hometown of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

. After his foot was crushed by a pipe in an accident, he was given a less-strenuous job working in the storeroom, allowing him more time to write songs. One night, he was listening to

' album '' Exile on Main St.''; while playing one of his own chord progressions, Gallagher noted that it sounded good against one of the vocal melodies from the album: "It was the bit from " Shine a Light" that goes ings "May the good Lord shine a light on you"", Gallagher recalled. Gallagher incorporated the melody, changing the line to "Maybe I don't really want to know". For a period afterwards, that was the only part of the song Gallagher had completed. Noel Gallagher presented a fully composed "Live Forever" to the band for the first time in early 1993 during rehearsals. According to drummer

Tony McCarroll Anthony McCarroll (born 4 June 1971) is an English drummer and one of the founding members of the English rock band Oasis, as their drummer from 1991 until his dismissal in April 1995. He played the drums on their debut album, ''Definitely May ...

, the band were admittedly awed by it.McCarroll, Tony (2010). ''Oasis: The Truth'',

Blake Publishing John Blake (born 6 November 1948) is an English publisher and former journalist. ''John Blake Publishing'' was acquired by Bonnier Publishing in May 2016. Blake joined ''Soho Friday'', launched in November 2018, a venture with Richard Johnson ...

, The song was later instrumental in helping the band secure their record deal with

Creation Records Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...

. Reflecting on when he first heard the song, Creation boss

Alan McGee Alan John McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for ''The Guardian''. He co-founded the independent Creation Records label, r ...

recalled, "It was probably the single greatest moment I've ever experienced with them". The demo version of "Live Forever" begins with an acoustic guitar intro. While recording the album version, the record's producer

Owen Morris Owen Morris (born in Caernarfon, Wales) is a Welsh record producer who has worked with rock bands including Oasis, the Fratellis, Ash, the View, Loso and the Verve. Biography Morris started working in the music industry as a sound engineer at ...

cut out this intro and replaced it with a drumbeat played by McCarroll. Morris further cut a second section in Gallagher's guitar solo. Gallagher was bemused by Morris' decision, and jokingly asked him through manager Marcus Russell to "not cut it in half again on the final mix". Morris said that the removed part made him think of "

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

in leather keks with a wind machine on the Grand Canyon".''Definitely Maybe'' VD Epic, 2004.

Composition

"Live Forever" is in the key of

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable com ...

(varispeeded up by less than half a semitone during mixing) and is based on a G–D–Am–C–D chord progression, with the G chord becoming an Em during the pre-chorus, though the key changes to

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

following the last chorus. The vocal melody only consists of a few notes. The simplistic arrangement of the song "meant the song never resolved". Guitarist Paul Arthurs said, "for me that song could keep going." The song begins with a voice whistling briefly and saying "Oh yeah", followed by a drum beat that plays unaccompanied for a few measures. An intermingling of the main guitar line, piano notes, and Liam Gallagher's vocals then enter. Each verse begins with Liam singing the phrase "Maybe/I don't really wanna know/How your garden grows/'Cause I just wanna fly", and each verse ends with the falsetto refrain. A guitar solo appears after the second refrain of "You and I are gonna live forever". After the third verse and refrain section, Liam Gallagher repeats the line "Gonna live forever!" four times with 'ache in his voice', followed by one final guitar solo. The song is interpreted to be an ode to Noel and Liam Gallagher's mother Peggy.Harris, John (2004). ''Britpop!: Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock'',

Da Capo Press Da Capo Press is an American publishing company with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. It is now an imprint of Hachette Books. History Founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers, it had additional of ...

, p. 177. In general the lyrics of the song stress an optimistic outlook. Noel Gallagher explained that "At the time . . . it was written in the middle of

and all that, and I remember

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...

had a tune called '

I Hate Myself and Want to Die I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...

', and I was like . . . 'Well, I'm not fucking having that.' As much as I fucking like him /nowiki>Nirvana_frontman_ /nowiki>Nirvana_frontman_Kurt_Cobain">Kurt_Cobain.html"_;"title="/nowiki>Nirvana_frontman_Kurt_Cobain">/nowiki>Nirvana_frontman_Kurt_Cobain/nowiki>_and_all_that_shit,_I'm_not_having_that._I_can't_have_people_like_that_coming_over_here,_on_Heroin.html" ;"title="Kurt_Cobain.html" ;"title="Kurt_Cobain.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain">/nowiki>Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain">Kurt_Cobain.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain">/nowiki>Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain/nowiki> and all that shit, I'm not having that. I can't have people like that coming over here, on Heroin">smack, fucking saying that they hate themselves and they wanna die. That's fucking rubbish. Kids don't need to be hearing that nonsense." While Gallagher has stated he did not intend "Live Forever" as a direct retort to Nirvana or their music (being a professed fan of the band), he contrasted the lives of Cobain and his band at that point, saying, "Seems to me that here was a guy who had everything, and was miserable about it. And we had fuck-all, and I still thought that getting up in the morning was the greatest fuckin' thing ever, 'cause you didn't know where you'd end up at night. And we didn't have a pot to piss in, but it was fucking great, man". Gallagher considers the line "We see things they'll never see" the most important line of the song, explaining that old friends tend to laugh at jokes and stories that "no one else gets".

Release and reception

"Live Forever" was released on 8 August 1994 as the band's third single, less than a month before the release of their debut album, '' Definitely Maybe''. Like the album cover, the picture sleeve for the single was one of several references to the Beatles that Oasis incorporated into their artwork. In the case of "Live Forever", the sleeve image was a photo of

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's childhood home at

251 Menlove Avenue 251 Menlove Avenue is the childhood home of the Beatles' John Lennon. Located in the Woolton suburb of Liverpool. It was named Mendips after the Mendip Hills. The Grade II listed building is preserved by the National Trust. Residence of John L ...

in the

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

suburb of Woolton, taken by rock photographer Michael Spencer Jones. The song had been part of the band's set for longer than a year at that point, and had amassed so many mentions in reviews of the group that, according to Harris, "its release s a singlehad long seemed inevitable." In its review of the single, '' NME'' found "Live Forever" to be an improvement over Oasis' previous singles, concluding, "Basically, what thus far looked like obnoxious Manc arrogance suddenly looks like sheer effortlessness. A terrific record." While Oasis' first two singles, "

Supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...

" and "

Shakermaker "Shakermaker" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. It was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. The song was first released as a second single on 20 June 1994 and later released on Oasis' debut album ''Definitely Maybe'' (1994). The s ...

", were modestly received, it was "Live Forever" that "got the world's attention". "Live Forever" became Oasis' first top-ten hit, reaching number ten on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1994. In 1995, the song charted in the United States, reaching number two and number ten on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

''s

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

and

Album Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in M ...

charts, respectively. Noel Gallagher commented on the praise given to the song: "People said to me after 'Live Forever', 'Where are you gonna go after that?' And I was like, I don't think it's ''that'' good. I think it's a fucking good song, but I think I can do better." "Live Forever" has garnered additional acclaim years after its release. In 2006, "Live Forever" was named the greatest song of all-time in a poll released by '' Q''; the song had ranked ninth in a similar ''Q'' poll three years prior. In 2007, "Live Forever" placed number one in the ''NME'' and

XFM Radio X is a British National commercial radio station focused on alternative music, primarily indie rock, and owned by Global. Radio X launched in 1989 as a pirate radio station, a licensed London-wide station in 1997 and nationally in 2 ...

poll of the 50 "Greatest Indie Anthems Ever".

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

labelled the song as Oasis' best ever track and said of the song; "It's an honest, aspirational sentiment just as the photo of John Lennon's childhood home on the single's sleeve is an honest, tasteful exhibition of fandom." The music site went on to praise the song for its 'fearless optimism'. On 2 April 2018, Live Forever reached number one on Radio X's Best of British poll. On 5 April 2021, "Live Forever" reached number one on Radio X's Best of British 2021 poll.

Music videos

Two music videos were made for "Live Forever" for British and American airplay. The original video, shot on 24 July 1994, was directed by Carlos Grasso and features unusual imagery such as

sitting on a chair affixed to a wall, and a number of scenes are devoted to the band burying drummer

alive. Some of the UK version of the promotional video was filmed at the Strawberry Fields memorial, the area of New York City's

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

dedicated to

—the single cover features

, the childhood home of Lennon. The American video, directed by Nick Egan features the band playing in an office with pictures of

Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...

, John Lennon,

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Marc Bolan Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted in ...

, and

Bobby Moore Robert Frederick Chelsea Moore (12 April 1941 – 24 February 1993) was an English professional footballer. He most notably played for West Ham United, captaining the club for more than ten years, and was the captain of the England natio ...

on the wall. Both videos are included on the 2004 ''Definitely Maybe'' DVD. The British music video now has over 30 million views on YouTube.

Live performances

"Live Forever" is a crowd favourite to play at concerts. In some concerts, most notably Manchester in 1996, a slideshow of famous deceased musicians Oasis admired—such as

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements ...

, and

—would be displayed behind the band, with a picture of

always at the end of the slideshow. During the early years, Liam Gallagher would personally sing the falsetto part, "You and I, we're gonna live forever." Noel Gallagher eventually picked up the role of singing the falsetto, as "Liam thought it was a bit gay." On 4 June 2017, Liam performed the song with

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...

frontman Chris Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland at the ''

One Love Manchester One Love Manchester was a benefit concert and British television special on 4 June 2017, organised by American singer Ariana Grande, Simon Moran, Melvin Benn and Scooter Braun in response to the Manchester Arena bombing after Grande's concer ...

'' benefit concert for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing. In February 2018, Liam performed the song at the

2018 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2018 was the 38th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music show, the Brit Awards. It was held on the 21st February 2018 at the O2 Arena in London, with Jack Whitehall as the host. The Brit Award statuette desig ...

as tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack as

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

was unable to attend due to illness. On 26 March 2022, Liam dedicated his performance of "Live Forever" to

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) ...

drummer

Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he ...

, who died a day prior, during a

Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. I ...

fundraiser at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London.

Track listings

All tracks are written by

. * UK single (CD) # "Live Forever" – 4:38 # "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32 # "Cloudburst" – 5:21 # "

" (live April '94) – 5:13 * UK single (12") # "Live Forever" – 4:38 # "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32 # "Cloudburst" – 5:21 * UK single (cassette, 7") # "Live Forever" – 4:38 # "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32 * European single (CD) * Australian single (CD, cassette) # "Live Forever" (

radio edit In music, a radio edit or radio mix is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form. Radio edits may als ...

) – 3:43 # "Live Forever" – 4:38 # "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32 # "Cloudburst" – 5:21 # "Supersonic" (live April '94) – 5:13 * US promo (CD) # "Live Forever" (edit) – 3:49 # "Live Forever" (LP version) – 4:36 * US promo (cassette) # "Live Forever" – 4:38 # " I Am the Walrus" (live at

Glasgow Cathouse The Glasgow Cathouse (also known as the Cathouse Rock Club) is a long-established alternative music nightclub on Union Street in Glasgow. It is well-known for hosting live gigs, with globally successful, mainstream bands such as Oasis, Pearl Jam ...

, June '94) – 8:15 * Dutch single (CD) # "Live Forever" (radio edit) – 3:43 # "Up in the Sky" (acoustic) – 3:32

Personnel

– lead vocals,

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called " zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, tho ...

– lead and acoustic guitars, backing vocals * Paul Arthurs – rhythm guitar, piano * Paul McGuigan – bass guitar *

– drums

Charts and certifications

Charts

Certifications

Notes

References

{{Authority control 1994 singles 1994 songs Creation Records singles Epic Records singles Oasis (band) songs Song recordings produced by Liam Gallagher Song recordings produced by Noel Gallagher Songs written by Noel Gallagher