Posted by This story is part of the book:
Mama Mia Let Me Go!
A journey through the most intriguing lyrics and stories in rock music
Hold up
Hold on
These are not words. They are like sirens. It’s Liam Gallagher addressing you, in the first verses of Stop Crying Your Heart Out. He’s sending you a warning. He’s your friend and it’s time to give him your attention.
A few notes come from the understated piano. The words come slowly, because each one requires its own dedicated focus. Liam’s voice is pulsating, resonating. Dear friend, listen to me now.
May your smile
Shine on
It’s an invitation, a prediction. It’s almost magical. The drums come in and the mood changes. It’s almost like, my dear friend, we are picturing your smile.
That smile will help you start again.
That smile will appear on your face, as soon as you let Oasis guide you. You just have to learn how to trust them. That’s their strength, by the way: you can trust them. You play them, and immediately you find yourself. You identify yourself in the beauty of their forms. The golden rule that says that beauty is born from simplicity, ring true, and is the most sensual form of attraction possible.
And this is the trademark of Oasis, the last soldiers of the British invasion, the bishops of Britpop: direct songs, generational dialogue built on effective instrumental bases, and detailed riffs that grip you, making you dream about the Beatles and the canon of British music history.Stop Crying your Heart Out is just that: a conversation between Oasis and the listeners of the 90s and the 00s. The song was born as a way for Noel Gallagher to support a friend in need. Since then, the song has become everything we want to hear from those who love us, when all we need is love.
Just try not to worry
You’ll see them some day
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
“Dear friend, you will see those stars again,” Liam says in the chorus. His voice becomes a form of guidance, like a lighthouse guiding the way to your inner courage.
The drums you hear before the second stanza represent the first step towards a new happiness and the echo from Noel is simply your own renewed, confident reaction, once you are aware that the stars will come out again.
And the stars do indeed come out. Together with Noel’s electric guitar that, in the closing riff – that extraordinarily simple yet perfect riff – will whisper the notes of change, of a new happiness. It’s a message for the whole generation.
This story is part of the book:
Mama Mia Let Me Go!
A journey through the most intriguing lyrics and stories in rock music
