My soul slides away,
but don’t look back in anger I heard you say.

The narrator in Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger” passes Sally—his ex-girlfriend—and has a quick conversation with her.  She’s unhappy. It seems she regrets breaking up with him. He tells her to truly reflect on her life and things aren’t as bad as she makes them out to be. We don’t get many details.

She says she’s not the type to reflect on the past because introspection brings her to unhappy thoughts.

The narrator takes a brief aside to think about how much better his life is now—without Sally. Sally picks up on this, but she mistakes his emotions for anger and tells him “don’t look back in anger”. Most likely he is just looking at her with pity or sadness or ambivalence.

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” has a great melody and a great title– one that can be a lesson that we can all do to remember. Although Sally doesn’t do well to articulate why she is saying it, maybe every time you see an ex, it is a good thing to repeat as a mantra. The vocals are sharp and sound very reminiscent of the glory days of The British Invasion in Rock, though their sound is similar to their contemporaries The Verve.

Don’t Look Back in Anger Lyrics

Slip inside the eye of your mind,
Don’t you know you might find
A better place to play.
You said that you’d never been,
But all the things that you’ve seen
Slowly fade away.

So I start a revolution from my bed.
‘Cause you said the brains I had went to my head.
Step outside, summertime’s in bloom.
Stand up beside the fireplace,
Take that look from off your face,
You ain’t ever gonna burn my heart out.

And so Sally can wait,
She knows it’s too late,
As we’re walking on by.
Her soul slides away.
But “Don’t look back in anger”,
I heard you say.

Take me to the place where you go
Where nobody knows,
If it’s night or day.
But please don’t put your life in the hands
Of a rock and roll band,
Who’ll throw it all away.

I’m gonna start a revolution from my bed.
‘Cause you said the brains I had went to my head.
Step outside ’cause summertime’s in bloom.
Stand up beside the fireplace,
Take that look from off your face,
‘Cause you ain’t ever gonna burn my heart out.

And so Sally can wait,
She knows it’s too late,
As she’s walking on by.
My soul slides away.
But “Don’t look back in anger”,
I heard you say.

So Sally can wait,
She knows it’s too late,
As we’re walking on by.
Her soul slides away.
But “Don’t look back in anger”,
I heard you say.

So Sally can wait,
She knows it’s too late,
As she’s walking on by.
My soul slides away.
But “Don’t look back in anger,
Don’t look back in anger”,
I heard you say.
At least not today.

written by Noel Gallagher