Written by lead guitarist and principal songwriter Noel Gallagher. It was one of the first songs he composed for the band, dating back to early 1992 during their initial rehearsals at the Boardwalk club in Manchester, England. At that time, Oasis was unsigned and performing in small venues, and recordings exist of the band practicing the track even then.
Oasis - All Around The World (1992 - Rehearsal)
Noel taught the song to his bandmates in a single, uninterrupted 11-minute take, which reportedly left guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs impressed by its ambition.
Gallagher has described it as one of the best songs he's ever written, envisioning it as a grand, orchestral rock opera from the start.
Despite its early creation, the song wasn't included on Oasis's debut album Definitely Maybe (1994) or their breakthrough follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995). Noel held off recording it because he wanted a lavish production that the band couldn't afford early on, given their limited budget with Creation Records.
In a 1994 interview known as "Wibbling Rivalry," Noel explained that the track required resources like multiple orchestras, stating it needed "not one, but two" for the full effect. He even considered it briefly for Morning Glory but replaced it with "Champagne Supernova" instead.
By 1997, after the massive success of their earlier albums, Oasis had the financial means to realize Noel's vision. The song was finally recorded for their third studio album, Be Here Now (1997). Initial demos were laid down in Mustique, where a six-minute version took shape, before full sessions at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, England.
Noel co-produced it with Owen Morris, creating a "wall-of-sound" style inspired by Phil Spector, featuring dense layers of guitars, "la la la" backing vocals, strings, horns, and harmonica by session musician Mark Feltham.
The track clocks in at over nine minutes, with an extended outro that includes repetitive builds and fades. About two minutes from the end were repurposed into a separate reprise that closes the album.
Additional backing vocals came from Noel and Liam Gallagher's then-wives, Meg Mathews and Patsy Kensit, as well as Richard Ashcroft of The Verve, who was in the studio during tracking.
The song premiered on BBC Radio 1's The Evening Session on August 11, 1997, just before the album's release.
Released as the third single from Be Here Now on January 12, 1998, the song became known for its epic length and bombastic style, which some critics saw as emblematic of the band's excess during their peak fame.
The music video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, pays homage to The Beatles' Yellow Submarine with colourful, animated visuals created by 24 animators over six months. Bonehead later described it as "okay, a bit Monty Python."
Overall, "All Around the World" represents Noel's ambition to craft an anthemic, uplifting track countering the grunge era's negativity, with lyrics emphasizing perseverance like "Please don't cry / Never say die."
It's often cited as a high point of Oasis's Britpop era, though its indulgence also marked the beginning of their critical decline.