"Cast No Shadow" is a song by English rock band Oasis from their 1995 album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?.

Background

Noel Gallagher wrote the song for his friend Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve; in the sleeve notes of the album, Gallagher dedicated the song "to the genius of Richard Ashcroft". Ashcroft later said that he considered the song to be "a great honour". "Cast No Shadow" was originally intended to be a B-side, but this changed when the song turned out to be better than expected. "Cast No Shadow" was the last song written for the album; the track was composed by Gallagher while he was riding the train to return to the recording studio in Wales. Gallagher referred to the song's lyrics as "the best words I ever wrote."

Musical style and reception

Gallagher initially wanted the song to sound like Pink Floyd, particularly their album Wish You Were Here and its title track, which shared the same opening chords as "Cast No Shadow". Kenneth Partridge of Billboard magazine called the song a "sparkly blues-tinged ballad." Music critic Derek B. Scott remarked, "a Beatles-influenced vocal harmony that includes falsetto and echoing of words is heard in 'Cast No Shadow'". Nathan Stephens-Griffin from the band Martha stated about the song, "compared to some of the more classic Britpoppy ones, it has a really cool melancholy, dark, epic vibe." The magazine Mojo said that the song "was an uncharacteristically gentle reflection on his [Noel Gallagher's] difficulties with expressing any deep emotion, both personally and in his lyrics."

Personnel

Certifications