The Nature of Reality

Album: Dig Out Your Soul (2008)
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Songfacts®:

  • This was written by bass player Andy Bell. He told Q magazine October 2008 that as soon as he joined Oasis, Noel Gallagher encouraged him to write for the band. The bassist didn't want this number to be used as it was personal, but Gallagher chose it for the album. Bell explained the song: "I got divorced. And I went through therapy. It felt like my life was empty of love at the time and the way I dealt with that was by becoming a staunch atheist, having been brought up as a Christian. It was a very religious upbringing. So I read Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, and decided I wanted to be an intellectual - scientific, logical and rational. And out of that came this tune. It's me deciding there's no mystery. Later on, I stopped having the therapy and ended up falling in love again, and now I'm all Catholic-crossed up. (Fondles collection of silver crosses round neck.) I wouldn't say I'm religious, but I'm definitely spiritual. Now, as far as I'm concerned, it's all about love. We don't know what love is, but we know that it's all there is."
  • Andy Bell (from Q magazine): "I taught Noel the guitar parts and then let him roll with it. Gem played bass on it. I don't play on it at all. I wanted to make sure that it sounded right in the control room where it was being played."

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