The Importance of Being Idle
Oasis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause the land, it don't pay me
I begged my landlord for some more time
He said "Son, the bills waiting"
My best friend called me the other night
He said "Man, are you crazy?"
My girlfriend told me to get a life
But I don't mind
As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine
I'll be fine
If you give me a minute
A man's got a limit
I can't get a life if my heart's not in it
I don't mind
As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine
I'll be fine
If you give me a minute
A man's got a limit
I can't get a life if my heart's not in it
I lost my faith in the summertime
'Cause it don't stop raining
The sky all day is as black as night
But I'm not complaining
I begged my doctor for one more line
He said "Son, oh words fail me"
It ain't no place to be killin' time
I guess I'm just lazy
I don't mind
As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine
I'll be fine
If you give me a minute
A man's got a limit
I can't get a life if my heart's not in it
Yeah, yeah
The Importance of Being Idle by Oasis is a song that speaks about the singer's life and how he chooses to live it. The lyrics suggest that he has sold his soul before and his current situation is not much more hopeful. He is struggling to pay the bills while choosing not to have a stable job or a typical lifestyle. When his friends and girlfriend criticize him for being lazy, he doesn't mind as he finds peace in living a simple, laid-back life with a bed under the stars.
The song highlights the singer's frustration with life, his loss of faith, and his attempts to find happiness in the small things. When the singer says, "I can't get a life if my heart's not in it," it suggests he is choosing to live life on his own terms and find joy in the simple moments, rather than conforming to societal expectations of material success.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of mental health when the singer mentions his doctor prescribing him "one more line." It is possible that he is struggling with depression or anxiety, which is causing him to be unmotivated and disinterested in a typical lifestyle. Overall, the song reflects upon the importance of personal happiness and doing what makes you content, rather than conforming to societal pressures of achievement.
Line by Line Meaning
I sold my soul for the second time
I had to compromise my values again in order to survive
'Cause the land, it don't pay me
I work hard but I'm not making enough money to pay my bills
I begged my landlord for some more time
I asked my landlord for more time to pay my bills
He said "Son, the bills waiting"
My landlord refused to give me more time and demanded that I pay my bills
My best friend called me the other night
My friend recently talked to me
He said "Man, are you crazy?"
My friend thinks I'm making some unreasonable decisions
My girlfriend told me to get a life
My girlfriend thinks I should be more interested in things other than sleeping all day
She said "Boy, are you lazy?"
My girlfriend thinks I'm not making an effort in my life
But I don't mind
I don't care about what people think of me
As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine
As long as I have a bed to sleep on at night, I'm happy
I'll be fine
I'll be okay
If you give me a minute
If you give me some time
A man's got a limit
There's only so much a person can do
I can't get a life if my heart's not in it
I can't be happy if I'm not doing something that I'm passionate about
I lost my faith in the summertime
I became disillusioned with life during the summer
'Cause it don't stop raining
It rained a lot and made me feel depressed
The sky all day is as black as night
The sky was overcast and dark during the day
But I'm not complaining
But I'm not going to complain about it
I begged my doctor for one more line
I asked my doctor for another prescription for medicine
He said "Son, oh words fail me"
My doctor was unwilling or unable to give me what I wanted
It ain't no place to be killin' time
This isn't a good place or situation to waste time in
I guess I'm just lazy
I think that my lack of motivation and productivity is due to my own laziness
Yeah, yeah
An interjection expressing the singer's agreement, affirmation, approval, or enthusiasm
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Noel Gallagher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hurleyfunbags
One of their best.
@nickharrisomyspace
Masterpiece !!!
@jmuz96
Oasis is not a band, its a generation.
@forastero4ever
There`s no doubt: this is one of the three best song of Oasis that I`ve heard ever. Superb!!=D
@communismworks
By far their best video. Superb!
@beleg123
This song describes my way of life.
@SupersonicFox
that video IS amazing, Sunday morning call is another good one
@oasispain
Their best song this decade.
@hollyw1se
Oasis forever! Noel is a fucking genius & always will be. Mad fer it!
@MrEoghan1997
Playing this on friday in front of my class :)