Half the World Away

About Half the World Away

"Half the World Away" is a song by English 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. The song is a slow acoustic tune with plodding keyboards, and the lyrics – much like "Rock 'n' Roll Star" – expresses a desire to leave a stagnant life in a boring city. The song is primarily in C Major. Recorded at The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas, USA in October 1994, "Half the World Away" was first released as a B-side to "Whatever" on 18 December 1994, reaching number 3 in the UK charts. In 1998 the song was included in The Masterplan, a collection of Oasis' best B-sides. The collection was a success, peaking at number 2 in the UK charts. The track is also included on Oasis' compilation album Stop the Clocks, which also reached number 2. The song reached number 56 in the UK charts in 2015 following the release of Aurora's cover version, marking their first top 100 song since the release of "Falling Down" in 2009. more »