"Half the World Away" is a song originally by British rock band Oasis that AURORA covered. It was officially released worldwide as the seventh single released by AURORA on November 6, 2015.[1] The song featured as the thirteenth track on deluxe versions of the album All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend.[2]
Background[]
The cover by Aurora was featured on the Christmas advert for UK department store John Lewis, which is one of the most anticipated TV commercials each year in the UK. The commercials are usually lengthy and feature a music soundtrack; John Lewis festive ads in the previous years have featured covers of classic tracks by Taken by Trees, Ellie Goulding, Slow Moving Millie, Gabrielle Aplin and Lily Allen. Aurora was 19 years old when she recorded the song, the first teenager John Lewis picked for the job.
Aurora had considered submitting a song for the 2014 John Lewis commercial a year earlier; after a short stint in the studio she found that the song was not quite right for her at the time. The song for that year's advert eventually became "Real Love" by The Beatles, covered by Tom Odell.[3]
Aurora told NME[4] how she ended up providing the soundtrack for the 2015 ad:
"I was playing a show in England in July, and I think one of the guys from John Lewis was there at my London show and apparently they liked something about me and my band and later we got a mail offering us to record this song – and we did! I really liked the song, so I said yes."
About the song[]
The final song was realized with feedback from John Lewis.[3] Aurora told Brixton Blog:
"They sent me an email asking me to record a version of Oasis' 'Half the World Away'. They wanted it to be open and emotional, we did the best we could. They liked the direction but wanted it a bit more quiet and simple, so we worked at it for them. I think it's a brilliant commercial. The song is very me as well. I probably would have added a little bit more spice but I like it. It doesn't steal any attention from the video."[5]
Former Oasis manager Alan McGee called the cover "rubbish".[6] Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher lamented to BBC DJ Jo Whiley:
"[The song] will forever be synonymous with Christmas from now on and, as is well known, it's not my favourite time of year. [...] Having said that, at least it comes with a cheque, which, believe me, is highly worthwhile. [...] Don't go buying me John Lewis vouchers for Christmas, trying to be a smart arse, inside a card that says 'Noel'."[7]
Interviewed by British newspaper The Sunday Times in 2018 and asked if she performs the song in her live sets (she did sing the song live a couple of times), Aurora said:
"Maybe at the first show after the ad came out, I played it then, in the UK. But I haven't since. There's a line in there that I don't like, 'This old town don't smell too pretty.' It doesn't sound like me. I like many of the other lines, it's just that one that bothers me, and it made me think, 'OK, not again'."[8][9]
Lyrics[]
I would like to leave this city
This old town don't smell too pretty and
I can feel the warning signs running around my mind
And when I leave this island
I book myself into a soul asylum
I can feel the warning signs running around my mind
So here I go
I'm still scratching around in the same old hole
My body feels young but my mind is very old
So what do you say?
You can't give me the dreams that are mine anyway
You're half the world away
You're half the world away
And when I leave this planet
You know I'd stay but I just can't stand it and
I can feel the warning signs running around my mind
And if I could leave this spirit
I'll find me a hole and I'll live in it and
I can feel the warning signs running around my mind
So here I go
I'm still scratching around in the same old hole
My body feels young but my mind is very old
So what do you say?
You can't give me the dreams that are mine anyway
You're half the world away
You're half the world away
You're half the world away
I've been lost, I've been found
But I don't feel down
You're half the world away
I've been lost, I've been found
But I don't feel down
I don't feel down
(I don't feel down)
Lyrics transcribed by listening.
Music video[]
The music video for the cover was released on November 12, 2015.[10] It was directed by Kenny McCracken.
Behind the scenes[]
Audio[]
John Lewis commercial[]
Charts[]
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 22 |
| Scotland (OCC)[12] | 4 |
| UK (OCC)[13] | 11 |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- A shorter version of the song ("Radio Edit") appeared on several compilations.[14]
- The Oasis song was inspired by "This Guy's in Love with You", a 1968 somg written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David.[3][15]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/9vNmA8S_tU/
- ↑ https://aurora.lnk.to/AllMyDemons
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://www.ba.no/kultur/konsert/aurora/noel-gallagher-kunne-ha-stoppet-denne-versjonen-det-gjorde-han-ikke/f/5-8-199375
- ↑ http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/aurora-qa-meet-the-little-known-singer-covering-oasis-for-john-lewis-14342
- ↑ https://brixtonblog.com/2015/11/interview-aurora-john-lewis-advert-singer/
- ↑ https://www.gigwise.com/news/103711/
- ↑ https://www.nme.com/news/music/noel-gallagher-50-1204426
- ↑ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/magazine/culture/aurora-aksnes-interview-the-singer-on-wildness-and-whimsy-dwjx58dx3
- ↑ https://twitter.com/LiveNationUK/status/1030084332910731265
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/9_sYoXkxdA/
- ↑ http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement
- ↑ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20151113/41/
- ↑ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20151113/7501/
- ↑ https://musicbrainz.org/recording/a4b288a9-6f6e-460a-9103-15396052cf5c
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Guy%27s_in_Love_with_You
[]
| v • e All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend | |
|---|---|
| Featured Tracks | |
| Deluxe Tracks | |
| Super Deluxe Tracks | |
| Producers | |
| Related | |
| v • e Singles | |
|---|---|
| 2012 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | |