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“I can’t get a life if my heart’s not in it.” – ‘The Importance of Being Idle’
Oasis’ later albums split opinions on a similar calibre as, say, the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. But what everyone can agree on, similar to how relieved the country was upon Thatcher’s fall, is how great a song ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ is; the music video, featuring the brilliant Rhys Ifans, emphasises this largely. The sultry sound and Noel’s soul-tinted voice created a new layer in Oasis’ music, setting the foundations for Noel to create the sound of his debut solo album six years later. This song displays the time in life when you feel lost but you cling on to the belief that “I’ll be fine.” The truth that it’s hard to do something you don’t want to do challenges the ideology of this materialistic, monetarist society, where morals and beliefs are often seconded to the need to make money. It’s sad that being true to yourself is labelled as idleness, and Noel challenges this idea perfectly.