“Cigarettes & Alcohol” is a standout track by Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. It was released as the fourth single from their debut album Definitely Maybe on 10 October 1994 by Creation Records. The song appears as track 8 on the album and runs approximately 4:49 (album version).
It captures the raw, hedonistic spirit of early Oasis with its swaggering rock 'n' roll energy, working-class frustration, and unapologetic celebration of simple (and not-so-simple) escapes from everyday drudgery.Recording and CreationNoel wrote the song in his Manchester flat while still relatively unknown, long before Oasis exploded. He was playing electric guitar with the amp cranked up in a block of flats, and a neighbour (possibly a Hacienda crew guy) once questioned him about the riff on the stairs. Noel didn't care — he figured no one beyond the rehearsal room would ever hear it.When he brought it to the band in rehearsals, rhythm guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs immediately recognised the main riff as a lift from T. Rex's 1971 glam rock classic "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" (also known as "Get It On"). Bonehead tutted and pointed it out, but Noel shrugged it off with his classic "I don't give a shit" attitude, famously replying something like "No one's gonna hear it anyway." The riff became one of the most shameless (and effective) "borrows" in Noel's songwriting catalogue, turning a glam staple into a Britpop anthem.
The track was recorded during the Definitely Maybe sessions, with the classic early lineup: Liam on lead vocals, Noel on lead guitar and songwriting, Bonehead on rhythm, Guigsy on bass, and Tony McCarroll on drums. Producer Owen Morris (who co-produced and mixed the album) helped shape its massive, crunchy sound. Like many early Oasis tracks, it has that raw, live-off-the-floor energy with layers of overdriven guitars.
The song doesn't glorify addiction so much as it reflects the limited options for escape felt by many young people at the time — "make it happen" becomes a rallying cry for seizing the moment rather than waiting for a better life that might never come. Lines about "doing the white line" add a drug reference that fits the era's excess. Fans and critics often see it as a mission statement for Britain's disaffected youth, full of attitude and black humour.
Liam delivers it with perfect sneering swagger, turning the mundane into something epic.
"Cigarettes & Alcohol" peaked at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the second Oasis single to crack the Top 10 (after "Live Forever"). It spent a remarkable 35 weeks on the chart and even re-entered multiple times, at one point setting a record for the most chart entries by a single in the UK Top 75.
The single came with a strong set of B-sides, typical of Oasis's generous singles era:
- "I Am the Walrus" (live) — a feedback-drenched, raucous cover of The Beatles classic. The liner notes claimed it was recorded at the Glasgow Cathouse, but it was actually from a soundcheck at the Gleneagles Hotel for a Sony seminar. Crowd noise was lifted from a Faces bootleg to maintain the "band of the people" image.
- "Listen Up" — a strong, extended mid-tempo rocker often praised as one of their better non-album tracks.
- "Fade Away" — another fan favourite that later became a live acoustic staple, blending punk energy with a hopeful message.
These B-sides are frequently ranked among Oasis's best extras.
Alongside tracks like "Supersonic," "Shakermaker," and "Live Forever" (which you've asked about previously), "Cigarettes & Alcohol" helped cement Definitely Maybe as one of the greatest debut albums ever. It perfectly sums up early Oasis: borrowing from glam and rock legends but injecting pure Manchester working-class attitude, melody, and volume. Many fans point to its opening riff and hook as the moment the band's rock 'n' roll DNA fully clicked.