Most people have recognised that Oasis are The Beatles' biggest fans, stealing piano riffs and choruses like they were theirs by right.
But for frontman Liam Gallagher, the obsession with John Lennon bordered on the supernatural. Liam famously claimed that he first got into rock music after being visited by John Lennon's ghost when he was just 16 years old.
This deep-rooted fixation continued throughout his career, famously culminating in a bizarre encounter with actor Sacha Baron Cohen, where Liam boldly declared himself to be the literal reincarnation of Lennon, jumping up and shouting, "I am John Lennon!".
Taking his dedication a step further, Liam even named his son Lennon in 1999.
This led to an unforgettable meeting with Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. During a visit to her New York apartment, Yoko told Liam that calling his son Lennon was "a bit of a silly name" and worried the boy would get picked on. Liam cheekily fired back, "No, it's a bit silly being called Yoko isn't it?
So Lennon it is". Despite the banter, Yoko made him a cup of tea, offered him a go on her piano (which Liam politely declined), and even gifted him a flower that John had worn during a gig with Elton John.
It's no surprise then that Liam penned the Oasis song I'm Outta Time for the 2008 Dig Out Your Soul album with John Lennon completely in mind.
According to Liam, the track took him a staggering nine years to fully write and complete. As a direct tribute, an interview with the man himself is played in the background of the song's closing moments.
"As Churchill said, it's every Englishman's inalienable right to live where the hell he likes. What's it going to do, vanish? It's not going to be there when I get back?"
This quote is particularly haunting because the audio sample is taken from one of Lennon's very last interviews in 1980, recorded just hours before he was tragically gunned down.
Liam tells the story that Lennon was bitching about the media fuss he was causing when he decided he wanted to live in America and had applied for a Green card.
The musical arrangement itself wears its Beatles influences proudly on its sleeve. The piano played before the chorus is incredibly similar to the iconic backing chords used in "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles.
Furthermore, the piano deeply emulates Lennon's popular solo track "Jealous Guy" with its distinctive three-octave jumps in C major. This was a deliberate stylistic change as the track was written by Gallagher as a specific, highly personal tribute to his ultimate idol.
I'm Outta Time Youtube Video
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