For a very long time Oasis was one of my favourite bands. I was in the 9th grade when I finally got to see them live in Singapore. For reference, it was the April of 2009, they had sold out the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tt was a pretty defining moment in my life because just a few months later, in August, the band would officially announce their break up. Being at that show felt like fate, because I felt like I had become a part of history, of their history. I was apart of something bigger than me. And whilst to many of you it might seem insignificant or kinda just a meh thing to be so excited to be apart of, but to me, it meant something.
Oasis hold a special place in my heart to this day - so when I woke up and caught wind they had released something, I was excited. I didn’t know much more than that there was a song, old, new, live, acoustic, I didn’t know what to expect but all I can say now is that I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve personally always been drawn to their earlier work (Definitely Maybe will always be the top of my list) so when I heard Don’t Stop, it felt reminiscent of the old them. It reminded me of other classics like Half The World Away, a little bit of Champagne Supernova and hints of Sad Song - songs from forever ago that always made me feel less alone in this world.
With all that’s going on right now, Don’t Stop is a small something that reminded me to never let go of hope. It’s easy to get lost in the chaos that is life - the depression one might feel when things are not going according to plan, the feeling of loneliness when everyone seems worlds away, the general melancholy of remembering what was but is not longer. The line that stands out to me the most is in the first verse - don’t stop dreaming, which seems a bit obvious but at a moment like this feels immensely important.
Although the song isn’t really Oasis - in the sense that it’s mainly Noel singing over an acoustic guitar, it is very much Oasis. Just not the loud, brash lads we also know, but when they show their quieter side. Like any great band, there needs to be a balance of both and it’s songs like this one that unite us all during the hard times and gives us a little hope. As the song continues, in the chorus Noel sings “Don't stop being happy, Don’t stop your clapping, Don’t stop your laughing…It’s alright” and he’s right.
If things aren’t alright now, it doesn’t mean it won’t ever be. We grow, things change, we learn, things don’t go according to plan, we mess up but at the end of the day we must remember it’ll be alright.
Hope you’re all staying safe out there.
