Several obscure tracks avoid offensive content. Meanwhile, “Where Did It All Go Wrong?” and “Sunday Morning Call” point out that selfishly using people has negative consequences ranging from loneliness to regret. “Let’s All Make Believe” condemns hypocrisy while encouraging listeners to act kindly and depend on one another. Lead vocalist Noel Gallagher thanks the rescuer of his heart and states, “There’s nothing more to be/If you can be the remedy who heals love” (“Who Feels Love”). On “Roll It Over,” he objects to those who build relational barricades and expresses frustration with “plastic people” who “try to sit with me around my table but never bring a chair.”
After telling a crowd of people to “go to hell,” one obscenely titled track repeats the line, “Kids running around naked, f—ing in the bushes.” Gallagher claims to feel “godlike” (“I Can See a Liar”), while “Gas Panic” questions the very existence of God.
An export of Manchester, England, Oasis has the ability to pen a worthwhile lyric. Several appear on Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. But there’s no excuse for cuts like “F—ing in the Bushes.” Back in 1997, Gallagher told MTV, “People think I’m irresponsible. I am irresponsible. I’m in a rock ‘n’ roll group; I’m supposed to be irresponsible.” Not exactly a mission statement young fans should echo.