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"Don't Go Away"
Single by Oasis
from the album Be Here Now
B-side	"Cigarettes & Alcohol" (live) "Sad Song" "Fade Away" (Warchild version)
Released	13 May 1998 (1998-05-13)
Recorded	1997
Genre	Rock Britpop
Length	4:48
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Noel Gallagher
Producer(s)	Owen Morris Noel Gallagher
Oasis singles chronology
"All Around the World" (1998) "Don't Go Away" (1998) "Acquiesce" (1998)
Be Here Now track listing
12 tracks "D'You Know What I Mean?" "My Big Mouth" "Magic Pie" "Stand by Me" "I Hope, I Think, I Know" "The Girl in the Dirty Shirt" "Fade In-Out" "Don't Go Away" "Be Here Now" "All Around the World" "It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)" "All Around the World (Reprise)"
Music video
"Oasis - Don't Go Away" on YouTube

"Don't Go Away" is a song by English rock band Oasis from their third album, Be Here Now (1997). Written by Noel Gallagher, the song was released as a commercial single only in Japan, peaking at number 48 on the Oricon chart, and as a promotional single in the United States and Canada. The track reached number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and number 15 on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart in late 1997.

Background and composition

Although "Don't Go Away" appears for the first time in 1997, its origins date back to 1993, when Oasis spent time with The Real People at their studio in Liverpool. "Don't Go Away" was included in a batch of songs written under the wing of the Griffiths brothers (which also included "Columbia", "Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Rockin' Chair" and others). Ultimately, portions of "Don't Go Away" drew comparisons to The Real People's song "Feel the Pain" (which was initially recorded for The Real People's album Marshmellow Lane in 1992 but the album remained unreleased until 2012).

Liam Gallagher claims to have cried while recording the song, as a result of dwelling on "a certain thing". He said, in a 1997 interview, "I just thought 'fuck that, I can't be singing this song' and I had to go away and sort myself out". Listening back to the song he admits to being very proud of his vocal performance.

In a 1997 interview promoting Be Here Now, Noel Gallagher had the following to say about the song: "It's a very sad song about not wanting to lose someone you're close to. The middle eight I made up on the spot – I never had that lyric until the day we recorded it: 'Me and you, what's going on?/ All we seem to know is how to show/ The feelings that are wrong.' It's after a row. Quite bleak."

"We put Burt Bacharach horns on because he was the master of break-up songs. I did all the string arrangements. I tried to keep them as simple as possible. I like the way Marc Bolan used them on 'Children of the Revolution'. People do remember string parts as separate hooklines, you know. You just don't want to use them slushily."

Artwork

The cover of the single features the old Liverpool Speke Airport building. The airport is famous as the scene at which thousands of hysterical fans greeted The Beatles on their return to Liverpool at the height of Beatlemania. Derelict at the time, it has now been turned into a hotel. The aeroplane is an Avro Lancastrian.

Scruton critique

The song is analysed by philosopher Roger Scruton in his book Modern Culture, in particular with reference to the line: "Damn my education, I can't find the words to say / About the things caught in my mind". Scruton writes, "Here, encrypted within the routine protest, is a more strangulated cry—a protest against the impossibility of protest. Trapped as he is in a culture that treats articulate utterance as a capitulation to the adult world, the singer can find no words to express what most deeply concerns him. Something is lacking in his world—but he cannot say what. He excites his fans to every kind of artificial ecstasy, knowing that nothing will be changed for them or him, that the void will always remain unfilled".

B-sides

The live version of "Cigarettes & Alcohol" was recorded 14 December 1997 at the G-MEX Exhibition Centre in Oasis' home town of Manchester.

"Sad Song" originally appeared as a bonus track on the vinyl release of the first Oasis album, Definitely Maybe. It also appeared on the Japanese CD edition of Definitely Maybe.

The 'Warchild' version of "Fade Away" is from The Help Album recorded in September 1995. It features Noel on vocals, and guests Johnny Depp on guitar, Kate Moss on tambourine and Liam and Lisa Moorish on backing vocals. All proceeds from that track went to Warchild Charities.

Music video

The video to "Don't Go Away" shows the band in a house whilst changing sizes. One part of the video shows many versions of Liam Gallagher floating whilst holding an umbrella. The video was directed by Nigel Dick and was filmed on 11 and 12 August 1997 in Chertsey and London, UK.

Track listings

US promo CD

1. "Don't Go Away" – 4:48

Japanese CD single

1. "Don't Go Away" – 4:43
2. "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (live) – 4:58
3. "Sad Song" – 4:16
4. "Fade Away" (Warchild version) – 4:08

Personnel

Oasis

• Liam Gallagher – lead vocals, tambourine
• Noel Gallagher – lead guitar, acoustic guitar
• Paul Arthurs – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
• Paul McGuigan – bass
• Alan White – drums

Additional musicians

• Mike Rowe – electric piano
• Nick Ingman – string and brass arrangements

Charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions

Kate Rusby recorded the song for her 2019 album Philosophers, Poets & Kings. Rusby had previously performed the song live on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio show in 2016.

References

Notes

1. Released as a commercial single only in Japan.

References

1. McCarrol, Tony (2010). Oasis: The Truth, Blake Publishing, ISBN 1843582465
2. Sprecher, Lorrie (2014). "In His Hands". Pissing in a River: A Novel. Feminist Press at the City University of New York. ISBN 978-1558618527. And I played her the electric version of 'Don't Go Away' from a 1997 concert in Manchester, even though that song is a rip-off of the Real People song 'Feel the Pain'.
3. McGowan, Mark (15 August 2017). "Liam Gallagher Explains 'Drug Fueled' Rant On Twitter". LADbible Group. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
4. MTV Uncut interview, New Year's Eve, 1997
5. Scruton, Roger (22 September 1998). "Youth Culture's Lament". City Journal. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
6. "Home". War Child. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
7. "PRODUCTIONS 1997". Nigel Dick – Director. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
8. Don't Go Away (US promo CD liner notes). Oasis. Epic Records. 1997. ESK 2591.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Don't Go Away (Japanese CD single liner notes). Oasis. Epic Records. 1998. ESCA 6948.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3376." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
11. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3354." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
12. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (4.12. – 11.12.1997)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 5 December 1997. p. 30. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
13. "Oasis Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
14. "Oasis Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
15. "Oasis Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
16. "Oasis Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
17. "Oasis Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
18. "Oasis Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
19. "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
20. "Best of '97: Modern Rock Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. 28 December 1997. p. 30.
21. "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. 25 December 1998. p. 36.
22. "British single certifications – Oasis – Dont Go Away". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
23. "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1215. 19 September 1997. p. 80.
24. "Oasis | Artist Information". Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on 7 April 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
25. "Philosophers, Poets & Kings". Kate Rusby. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
26. "BBC Radio 2 – Jo Whiley, Kate Rusby In Session, Kate Rusby covers Oasis' Don't Go Away". BBC. Retrieved 20 May 2019.

• 1997 songs
• 1997 singles
• Epic Records singles
• Music videos directed by Nigel Dick
• Oasis (band) songs
• Song recordings produced by Noel Gallagher
• Songs written by Noel Gallagher
• Sony Music Entertainment Japan singles