# Just what is a "wonderwall" anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325 "2004-08-24T20:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/1 "2004-08-24T20:09:58Z")
So some Oasis came up on my MP3 shuffle this morning, and I got to wondering just what a " wonderwall" is. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/2 "2004-08-24T20:33:09Z")
From [this site](http://www.superseventies.com/harrison1.html): > [@](#): > > All Things Must Pass consists primarily of Hindu scripture set to music, and each of the major tenets of the philosophy get at least a passing mention. “All Things Must Pass” advises a resigned attitude toward external events, and “Beware Of Darkness” warns against maya, the material world’s wonderwall of illusion. The two most eloquent songs on the album, musically as well as lyrically, have mysterious, seductive melodies, over which faded strings and horns hover like Blue Jay Way fog. It was also the [title of a movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065224/) that George Harrison did the soundtrack for. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/3 "2004-08-24T20:35:41Z")
It’s a reference to a [George Harrison album](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000008GEG/ref=pd_sbs_m_5/002-7179610-5353651?v=glance&s=music) and song (and movie I believe). ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/4 "2004-08-24T20:39:26Z")
From [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065224/plotsummary](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065224/plotsummary) : > [@](#): > > The eccentric professor Collins lives completely secluded in his chaotic apartment. When the model Penny moves in next to him, he becomes fascinated of her. He drills holes in her walls and ceiling and peeps on her day and night. He loses himself in daydreams and delusions. So in the context of the movie, Wonderwall refers to the wall between the crazy man and the beautiful girl. I can relate. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/5 "2004-08-24T20:42:39Z")
Oh dear. Some questions are really better left unasked. “What does this Oasis lyric mean?” is, most definitely, one of those questions. And I say this as someone who ranks _What’s The Story Morning Glory_ in the Top 10 of the 90s . ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/6 "2004-08-24T20:52:29Z")
I thought this thread was going to be about the band Travis’s song [“Writing to Reach You”](http://www.lyricscafe.com/t/travis/writingtoreachyou.html) > [@](#): > > Every day I wake up and it’s Sunday > Whatever’s in my head won’t go away > The radio is playing all the usual > And what’s a wonderwall anyway ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/7 "2004-08-24T21:04:17Z")
What’s a wonderwall? YOU are. You’re _my wonderwall!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/8 "2004-08-25T06:15:02Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I thought this thread was going to be about the band Travis’s song [“Writing to Reach You”](http://www.lyricscafe.com/t/travis/writingtoreachyou.html) That was my thought too. Damn you for getting to it first! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/9 "2004-08-25T08:23:03Z")
If you ever have to ask: “_something-something-Oasis-something_?” 99% of the time the answer will be: “_something-something-the beatles-something_” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/10 "2004-08-25T14:23:37Z")
Huh. I thought it was just a gibberish word, but it actually seems to mean something. Thanks all. And I was totally expecting someone to come in here and say what **Seven** did. Didn’t they claim they were going to be bigger and better than the Beatles? ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/11 "2004-08-25T14:48:53Z")
by the way, anybody heard the ryan adams version of the song? excellent stuff. ryan adam’s oeuvre is kind of a mixed bag, but this song ranks up there with anything off of “heartbreaker.” ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/12 "2004-08-25T15:43:06Z")
> [@down by law](#): > > by the way, anybody heard the ryan adams version of the song? > > excellent stuff. ryan adam’s oeuvre is kind of a mixed bag, but this song ranks up there with anything off of “heartbreaker.” That’s not the 60’s martini lounge-style version, is it? (Which some radio station played, jokingly, as being “the original version”.) ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/13 "2004-08-25T15:44:28Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > That’s not the 60’s martini lounge-style version, is it? > > (Which some radio station played, jokingly, as being “the original version”.) it’s more like the “i need some prozac” version. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/14 "2004-08-25T15:45:43Z")
No, no, the lounge version of “Wonderwall” was by Mike Flowers. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-a-wonderwall-anyway/261325/15 "2004-08-25T22:52:31Z")
It’s one of the coolest game show bonus rounds I’ve ever seen.