"The Hindu Times" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's lead guitarist

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 ...

, and was released as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from their fifth studio album, ''

Heathen Chemistry ''Heathen Chemistry'' is the fifth studio album by English rock band Oasis. It was released on 1 July 2002 by Big Brother Recordings. It is the first Oasis studio album recorded with guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, who both joined ...

'', on 15 April 2002. On the album, it segues directly into the next track, "Force of Nature." The song peaked at number one 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 ...

becoming the band's sixth number-one single in their native country, remaining on top for one week before being dislodged by the

Sugababes Sugababes are a British girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, Sugababes releas ...

' "

Freak Like Me "Freak Like Me" is the debut single of American R&B singer Adina Howard. It was released on January 25, 1995, as the lead single from her debut album, ''Do You Wanna Ride?''. It reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for two weeks, as ...

". The song also topped the charts in Canada, Italy and Scotland, and reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, and Spain. This is their first single to feature former

Heavy Stereo Heavy Stereo were an English alternative rock band, who were active from 1993 to 1999. There were known for their 1970s glam rock styled sound, and their sole album, ''Déjà Voodoo''. They were also on the same record label and opened for Oas ...

frontman

Gem Archer Colin Murray Archer (born 7 December 1966) is an English musician and singer, best known as a member of the English rock bands Oasis, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, making him, alongside Chris Sharrock, one of the only member ...

(rhythm guitarist) and then-former

Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...

frontman Andy Bell (bassist).

Background and composition

The song, which combines powerful rock with a psychedelic feel, was unveiled during Oasis' Autumn 2001 ''Noise and Confusion'' Tour. The song was due to be released commercially at the same time but Noel decided the track needed more work done on it to be suitable for release. Many have commented on the main guitar riff being lifted from the Stereophonics song, " Same Size Feet", which uses exactly the same, or at least very similar, guitar riff. The B-side, "Just Getting Older", was written at the time of the release of '' Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'' (2000). The second B-side, "Idler's Dream", is the only Oasis song to not feature any guitars and is one of the three, the others being "Married with Children" and "Sad Song", to not feature drums; the song consists simply of Noel Gallagher's vocals and a piano accompaniment. The title has little to do with the lyrics of the song, which are more in the vein of ''

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'''s "

Rock 'n' Roll Star "Rock 'n' Roll Star" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is the opening track from their debut album, '' Definitely Maybe'' (1994). Like the majority of the band's songs from this era, it was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, wh ...

". Noel got the name "The Hindu Times" from a T-shirt he saw in a charity shop. It has been speculated that the title refers to the main riff's similarity to

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...

in sound, sounding as if it were played on a

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...

. Gallagher himself says that it is because he had already named the song before any lyrics were written for it.

Critical reception

"The Hindu Times" was one of the first Oasis singles since the singles from ''

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is the second studio album by English rock band Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The str ...

'' (1995) to receive almost unanimously positive reviews from critics. In 2008 ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' listed the song as one of the greatest indie anthems of the 2000s. In October 2011, ''NME'' placed it at number 143 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In 2010, XFM listed it in their "1000 greatest songs of all time" list. "The Hindu Times" was scheduled to be played during the

Parade of Nations The Olympic Games ceremonies of the Ancient Olympic Games were an integral part of these Games; the modern Olympic games have opening, closing, and medal ceremonies. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies date back to the Ancient Games from ...

at the

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as an example of British music, but the Parade took much less time than expected, so the song was not used.

Music video

The original video was set to be filmed in New Delhi, but this did not work out. The music video was finally filmed at Abbey Road Studios, where the song was recorded. It features live footage of Oasis in recording sessions, as well as various words linked to India that keep appearing around the place.

Track listings

*UK CD single # "The Hindu Times" # "Just Getting Older" # "Idler's Dream" *UK 7-inch single # "The Hindu Times" # "Just Getting Older" *UK 12-inch single # "The Hindu Times" # "Just Getting Older" # "Idler's Dream" *UK DVD single # "The Hindu Times" # "The Hindu Times" (demo) # "10 Minutes of Noise and Confusion Pt One" (North America, June 2001) * The demo version of "The Hindu Times" is radically different from the finished album version. Most of the lyrics (sung by Noel) are different, and the slower sound of the song is much more "grungy", with a heavy drum loop running throughout the song. It is also a semitone higher in the demo. * The "10 Minutes..." documentary is the first part of a unique feature covering 48 hours on the road with Oasis during the

Tour of Brotherly Love The Tour of Brotherly Love was a 2001 tour of North America featuring Oasis, The Black Crowes, and Spacehog, three rock bands featuring pairs of brothers: Noel and Liam Gallagher, Chris and Rich Robinson, Royston and Antony Langdon, respectiv ...

which took place in the US with

the Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Ge ...

during May and June 2001.

Personnel

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 ...

– lead and backing vocals *

– lead guitar, backing vocals *

– rhythm guitar * Andy Bell – bass * Alan White – drums *

Paul Stacey Paul Stacey (born 27 September 1963) is a British guitarist and producer, best known for his work with Oasis, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and the Black Crowes. Biography Stacey's early work included the 1990s band, the Lemon Trees (wi ...

– piano, Mellotron

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hindu Times 2002 singles 2002 songs Canadian Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Scotland Oasis (band) songs Song recordings produced by Andy Bell (musician) Song recordings produced by Gem Archer Song recordings produced by Liam Gallagher Song recordings produced by Noel Gallagher Songs written by Noel Gallagher UK Singles Chart number-one singles