Song Stories: Oasis D'You Know What I Mean

The third number-one single by Oasis is the next song to receive the song-story treatment. Released in July 1997, "D'You Know What I Mean" was the first single from the band’s third album, "Be Here Now". It became one of Oasis’ best-selling singles, moving 162,000 copies on its first day of release and 370,000 by the end of the week.

In 1997, Oasis was the biggest band in the world. The summer prior, they had played the largest British concerts ever, selling out two nights at Knebworth House. It’s safe to say the band knew they were at their peak. This song exemplifies that confidence and embodies the sheer excess of rock ‘n’ roll.

"D'You Know What I Mean" is over seven and a half minutes long and features strings, sound effects, and even Morse code. The Morse code was meant to be significant. Noel Gallagher commented in 1997, "We got hold of a code book and tried to tap out 'Bugger All' to follow that line 'Don't look back cos you know what you might see." However, that isn't what it says at all. I don't think anyone really knows what was said.

The song’s lyrics are quite profound, acting almost as a mission statement for Oasis. Noel stated in an interview, "I was going to make up some profound statement in the chorus, but I couldn't come up with anything that fitted. Then I just thought, 'All my people right here, right now, d'you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.' Very vague, very ambiguous, that'll do. Look in the mirror and wink while you're singing it, and it's quite saucy. And I fucking love that line, 'Coming in a mess, going out in style.' We were a bunch of scruffs from Manchester, and we're going out in a Rolls-Royce."

By this point, Oasis had definitely made it, and the whole song reflects that—from its length to its lyrics, references, and grand ideas. Oasis were no longer just lads from Manchester; they were fully-fledged rock stars.

If you thought the song was an epic affair, wait until you see the music video. The accompanying video for "D'You Know What I Mean?", directed by Dom and Nic, is set in a post-apocalyptic world. It shows the band performing as a growing number of military helicopters fly overhead. Several helicopters land, while a crowd gathers to watch the band play and throw colored smoke grenades. At the end, the band members board one of the helicopters and fly away.

In my opinion, this song perfectly encapsulates what Oasis was at that point. Noel, however, has expressed disdain for Be Here Now, commenting, "It’s the sound of a bunch of guys on coke, in the studio, not giving a fuck," and, "I hate that album for no other reason than I was there when I wrote it, and I shouldn’t have written it."

Despite his dislike for the record, Noel decided to remix "D'You Know What I Mean" in 2016, removing some of the bloated parts. This gave the song a new lease of life; it’s less muddy, and the individual band members’ contributions can be heard much more clearly.

This song represents Oasis at their peak, despite what some may say. While Be Here Now is not as good as Definitely Maybe or What’s the Story Morning Glory, I don’t believe it’s as bad as some critics claim either. However, for many, this album marked the start of the band’s decline. With this song, though, Oasis firmly cemented themselves as the best band in the world—and they acted like it.
"D'You Know What I Mean" remains a fan favorite and one of the Be Here Now tracks I hope they dust off for the Live 25 tour next year.

Thank you for reading.

Jack