Half The World Away

"Half the World Away" is a song by British Rock band Oasis. It is well known as the theme tune to the popular BBC sitcom The Royle Family. The song was written by Oasis' lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, who also provides lead vocals, taking over from Oasis' regular lead singer, Liam Gallagher. The song is a slow acoustic tune with plodding keyboards, and the lyric - much like "Rock 'n' Roll Star", one of Oasis' most famous songs - expresses a desire to leave a stagnant life in a boring city. Recorded at The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas in October 1994, "Half the World Away" was first released as a B-side to "Whatever" on 18 December 1994, reaching #3 in the UK charts.[1] However, the song gained mass public exposure when it was selected by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash to be the theme tune to their sitcom The Royle Family. In 1998 the song was included in The Masterplan; a collection of Oasis' best b-sides. The collection was a success, peaking at #2 in the UK charts. The track is also included on Oasis' compilation album Stop the Clocks, which also reached #2. In interviews, Gallagher - who is famous for "borrowing" from other musicians - has admitted the tune to "Half the World Away" was adapted from "This Guy's In Love With You" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. He commented "It sounds exactly the same. I'm surprised he hasn't sued me yet!"[3]