The Shock Of The Lightning is a song by British rock band Oasis and is the fourth track from the band's seventh studio album Dig Out Your Soul. The song was released as the first single from the album on 29 September 2008. It received its first airplay on 15 August 2008 on multiple UK and Irish radio stations including the Ian Dempsey Breakfast show on Today FM in Ireland, BBC 6 Music by Shaun Keaveny, and by Chris Moyles on BBC Radio 1. Chris was joined by Noel Gallagher on the 15 August 2008.
Noel said of the song: "If 'The Shock of the Lightning' sounds instant and compelling to you, it’s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. 'The Shock of the Lightning' basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there’s a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best”. It was described by NME as "a massively improved version of 'It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)'" and featuring "love is a litany/a magical mystery" as the song's chorus.
The single is the first Oasis song to feature a remix on a studio release. The B-side is a remixed version of the album track "Falling Down" by The Chemical Brothers, who Noel has worked with in the past. However, a promo release of Oasis' cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize" contained the "Lynchmob Beats Mix" of "Champagne Supernova" by Brandon Lynch that was also re-released as a stand alone promo for Stop the Clocks. Consequently this is their first official CD single release that does contain a new track as a B-side.
On 30 July 2008, the official Oasis website posted a Dig Out Your Soul trailer which contained a 23 second clip of the intro to "The Shock of the Lightning" as well as a 20 second clip of the drum solo. On 15 August 2008, the song received it first airplay on the The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 with Noel Gallagher present. Noel said of the song on Shaun Keaveny's Radio 6 show, "It's a driving, pumping, pop, rock 'n' roll masterpiece". In NME, the song was named as 'song of the week' and received a score of 9/10, despite being referred to as "only the fifth best song on Dig Out Your Soul".
"The Shock Of The Lightning" entered the UK Singles Chart at #3, becoming the band's first lead single since their debut, "Supersonic", to fail to reach #1 in their homeland. However the song reached #12 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in the USA, making it their most successful single there since "Don't Go Away", which peaked on the chart at #5 in 1998. It also reached #93 on the Billboard Hot 100, their first song to chart on the Hot 100 since "Don't Look Back in Anger" in 1996.
Music video
The music video for the song (directed by Julian House and Julian Gibbs) debuted on the band's official site on 25 August at 17:30 (UK time) and was broadcast on Channel 4 at 23:40. The video depicts Liam singing and the occasional appearance of the rest of the band, intercut with stock footage related to the album's artwork. The opening shot of the video of silhouetted heads is a reference to the cover of the Rolling Stones compilation record Hot Rocks 1964-1971.
Track listing
All songs written by Noel Gallagher.
CD / 7"
"The Shock of the Lightning", 5:02
"Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers remix), 4:32
iTunes / Oasisinet exclusive bundle
"The Shock of the Lightning", 5:02
"Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers remix), 4:32
"The Shock of the Lightning" (music video)
