The second single by Oasis, released on 20 June 1994 by Creation Records. It appears as track 2 on their explosive debut album Definitely Maybe (August 1994). Written by Noel Gallagher, with Liam Gallagher on lead vocals, the song runs 5:08 long and embodies the raw, swaggering, no-nonsense energy that defined early Oasis.
The verse melody borrowed from “I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing”, leading to them being sued by Coca Cola
The track was recorded in two main phases: initial sessions in October 1993 at Out of the Blue Studios in Manchester, with further work on 14 April 1994. It was one of the earlier songs captured during the Definitely Maybe sessions, produced by the band with Owen Morris (who helped shape the album's massive sound).Like "Supersonic" (which you asked about previously), "Shakermaker" has a loose, live-off-the-floor feel. The rhythm section — Tony McCarroll's straightforward, pounding drums (this was actually the last Oasis studio track to feature the original drummer before he was replaced) — drives a simple 12-bar blues structure, but with the V chord raised to a flat-VII for extra swagger. Noel's crunchy, overdriven guitars and Liam's sneering, cocksure delivery give it that classic Oasis wall of sound.
The single reached number 11 on the UK singles chart. Certified gold by the BPI in 2021 for 400k units sold.
Noel has described the lyrics as straight from "the world around him" — a collage of childhood memories, pop culture references, and random observations rather than a linear story. The song has a playful, almost childish escapism mixed with rock 'n' roll defiance.The title comes from the Shaker Maker, a popular 1970s children's toy (a plastic mold kit where you added plaster and shook it to "make" figures like animals or characters). Other references include:
- "Mr Soft" — from a Trebor Soft Mints advert that used Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's song.
- "Mr Clean" — nodding to The Jam's song (one of Noel's favourite bands).
- "Mr Benn" — the classic British children's TV cartoon about a man who tries on costumes and enters adventures.
- The memorable final verse: "Mr Sifter sold me songs when I was just sixteen / Now he stops at traffic lights but only when they're green" — written on the spot in a taxi.
Liam reportedly pestered Noel for a last verse while they were heading to the studio. The taxi stopped at traffic lights outside Sifters, a real record shop in Burnage, Manchester (run by Peter Howard). Noel, who used to buy old records there as a teenager, quickly scribbled the lines. It became one of the song's most loved moments — a perfect snapshot of everyday Manchester life.