Lyla (song)

This article is about the Oasis song. For the Avishai Cohen song, see Lyla (album).

"Lyla"
Single by Oasis
from the album Don't Believe the Truth
B-side
  • "Eyeball Tickler"
  • "Won't Let You Down"
Released11 May 2005 (2005-05-11)
StudioOlympic, Strangeways, Metropolis, Wheeler End and Capitol[1]
GenreRock[2]
Length5:12
LabelBig Brother
SongwriterNoel Gallagher
ProducersNoel Gallagher, Dave Sardy
Oasis singles chronology
"Songbird"
(2003) 		"Lyla"
(2005) 		"The Importance of Being Idle"
(2005)
Music video
"Oasis - Lyla (Official Video)" on YouTube

"Lyla" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. It was released in May 2005 as the first single from their sixth studio album, Don't Believe the Truth (2005).[1] "Lyla" was the band's first single following the departure of their long-time drummer Alan White, and replaced by Ringo Starr's son and the Who drummer Zak Starkey as an additional drummer of the band.[3][4]

The song was written by Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, who has varyingly described the track as "specifically designed for pogoing",[5] "annoyingly catchy", and the "poppiest thing since Roll with It".[6] Noting the varied influences of the song, Gallagher said that it was "The Soundtrack Of Our Lives doing the Who on Skol in a psychedelic city in the sky (or something)".[7]

Composition

Noel Gallagher says that the song existed in an early form as a song called "Sing" and dated from the Heathen Chemistry era.[8][9] He also says that the title for the final song should have been "Smiler", but was changed seeing as guitarist Gem Archer's previous band, Heavy Stereo, also had a song called "Smiler".[8][10] Noel has also joked with the fact that the Lyla in the song is actually the sister of the Sally mentioned in the Oasis single "Don't Look Back in Anger".[11] He also said that the song is a "love song", being about Sally's sister.[12]

Originally, Noel was dismissive of the song, saying that "Lyla" "isn't even the fifth best track on the album".[13] The song had existed as a demo since the early recording sessions for the album but was all but forgotten until practically the last minute.[14] However, Noel later admitted that he "didn't know how good it was 'til the first night we played it live", while Liam Gallagher said that he loved the "guitars, the drums, and the vocals" of the song.[8] In a 2006 interview, Noel framed that shift more broadly, saying: "Like Lyla for instance, I thought, `well that's pretty good' and then when people heard it they were going, `F***ing hell that's incredible'".[15]

In a June 2005 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Gallagher acknowledged another musical reference point when he described "Lyla" as the latest in a line of Oasis songs that "steal", saying that in this case it borrowed from the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man".[16] In the 2006 Uncut interview, he also said that the song might have been started after he had listened to the Who's "Armenia, City in the Sky", and added that "it's about a heroine", with the line "catch the silver star" possibly taken from the Woodstock film.[8]

Release

"Lyla" was released in Japan on 11 May 2005 and in the United Kingdom and Australia five days later, on 16 May.[17][18][19] It became the band's seventh UK number one when it reached top spot on the UK Singles Chart during its first week of release.[20] The song also debuted at number 31 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking at number 19. It also appeared on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at number eight. It was the first Oasis song to appear on any US singles chart since 2000, when "Go Let It Out" reached number 14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Sony's insistence that "Lyla" be released as the first single from the album helped to fuel the tension between the band and their record label, which led to Oasis not renewing their contract with the record label following the release of Don't Believe the Truth.[21]

Live performances

When performing on the UK music chart show Top of the Pops, Liam, who was forced to mime to the music, made no secret of the fact, walking away from the microphone with his mouth closed mid-way through lines that he was supposedly 'singing'. It would be Liam's last performance on the programme before its demise in late 2006. However, Noel and the rest of the band would return in August 2005 to perform "The Importance of Being Idle" and later in 2009 to perform their last ever released single "Falling Down".[22][23] Liam performed the song for the first time as a solo artist at Hackney Round Chapel (where the music video to "Lyla" was filmed) on 5 June 2019.[24]

Track listing

  1. "Lyla" (Noel Gallagher) – 5:12
  2. "Eyeball Tickler" (Gem Archer) – 2:47
  3. "Won't Let You Down" (Liam Gallagher) – 2:48
  • UK 7-inch single[28]
  1. "Lyla" (Noel Gallagher)
  2. "Eyeball Tickler" (Archer)
  1. "Lyla"
  2. "Lyla" (demo)
  3. "Can You See It Now?" (documentary)

Music video

The music video was directed by Tim Qualtrough.[30] The video features a woman in a flat being harassed by two men, who are eventually made to leave; one of the garages outside her flat then opens and she finds herself at a masquerade ball where Oasis are performing the song.[31] The Round Chapel in Hackney was used as a filming location, and the title character was played by Katrine De Candole.[32]

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 11 April 2005
Epic [62]
Japan 11 May 2005 CD [17]
Australia 16 May 2005 Helter Skelter [19]
United Kingdom
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • DVD
 Big Brother [18]

The song was included on the soundtrack of the football video game FIFA 06.[63][64]

References

  1. ^ a b "Lyla". Oasis. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  2. ^ "10 Best Oasis Songs from "Champagne Supernova" to "Lyla"". Consequence. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  3. ^ "Lyla at 20: 10 facts about the Oasis single". Radio X. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Don't Believe The Truth". Oasis. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  5. ^ "Oasis Pledges New 'Truth' In May". Billboard. 7 March 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Top News on Oasis, Liam and Noel Gallagher : March 2005". Oasis Newsroom. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  7. ^ "New Oasis album - Gallagher does track by track for DiS". Drowned in Sound. 6 April 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d "Liam And Noel Interview From Uncut Magazine Part One". Stop Crying Your Heart Out. 4 October 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  9. ^ "Lyla at 20: 10 facts about the Oasis single". Radio X. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  10. ^ "Lyla at 20: 10 facts about the Oasis single". Radio X. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  11. ^ "Top News on Oasis, Liam and Noel Gallagher : April 2005". Oasis Newsroom. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  12. ^ "Top News on Oasis, Liam and Noel Gallagher : April 2005". Oasis Newsroom. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  13. ^ "Noel Gallagher: Single Lyla Almost Not Made". Female First. 25 March 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  14. ^ "Noel Gallagher: Single Lyla Almost Not Made". Female First. 25 March 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Oasis Interviews Archive: November 2006". Oasis Interviews Archive. November 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  16. ^ "Noel & Liam Gallagher - The Daily Telegraph - 4th June 2005". Oasis Interviews Archive. 4 June 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  17. ^ a b "Oasis | Artist Information". Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on 7 April 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. ^ a b "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 14 May 2005. p. 31.
  19. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 16/05/2005" (PDF). ARIA. 16 May 2005. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2005. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  20. ^ a b "LYLA – OASIS". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 March 2026. Cite error: The named reference "uk" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  21. ^ "On This Day In Oasis History..." Stop Crying Your Heart Out. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  22. ^ "Lyla at 20: 10 facts about the Oasis single". Radio X. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Oasis". Top of the Pops Archive. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  24. ^ "Watch Liam Gallagher perform 'Columbia' and 'Lyla' solo for the first time". NME. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Lyla – EP". Apple Music. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  26. ^ Lyla (UK CD single liner notes). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2005. RKIDSCD29.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ^ Lyla (European & Australian CD single liner notes). Oasis. Helter Skelter Records. 2005. HES 675920 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ^ Lyla (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2005. RKID29.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ Lyla (UK DVD single liner notes). Oasis. Big Brother Recordings. 2005. RKIDSDVD29.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ^ "Oasis - Lyla". YouTube. Oasis. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  31. ^ "Oasis: Lyla [MV]". MUBI. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  32. ^ "Lyla at 20: 10 facts about the Oasis single". Radio X. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  34. ^ "Oasis – Lyla" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  35. ^ "Oasis – Lyla" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  36. ^ "Oasis – Lyla" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  37. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  38. ^ "R&R Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1614. 8 July 2005. p. 57. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  39. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". Tracklisten. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  40. ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 23. 4 June 2005. p. 67. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  41. ^ "Oasis: Lyla" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  42. ^ "Oasis – Lyla" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  43. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  44. ^ "Top 50 Singles Εβδομάδα 10–17/7" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on 18 July 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2020. See Best Position column.
  45. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  46. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Lyla". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  47. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  48. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 25, 2005" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  49. ^ "Oasis – Lyla" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  50. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  51. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 28/5/2005 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  52. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  53. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  54. ^ "Oasis – Lyla". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  55. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  56. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  57. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  58. ^ "Classifiche annuali 2005 FIMI Nielsen, dominano gli artisti italiani" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original on 6 May 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2021. Click on Scarica l'allegato.
  59. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  60. ^ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Modern Rock Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. 16 December 2005. p. 52.
  61. ^ "British single certifications – Oasis – Lyla". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 May 2023. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Lyla Oasis in the "Search:" field.
  62. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1601. 8 April 2005. p. 21. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  63. ^ Giles, Will (24 September 2015). "From Fatboy Slim to Jerk It Out: The 16 best FIFA songs ever". Metro. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  64. ^ McCambridge, Ed; White, Mark (21 September 2023). "Ranked! The 100 best FIFA songs ever". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
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