di Alessia Nichele
Care Lettrici e cari Lettori,
Welcome back! Ben ritrovati a questa nuova edizione del “Tip of the Peel”, la rubrica di inglese de Il Pelapatate.
In questa edition vogliamo mettervi alla prova: cosa vi viene in mente leggendo questa frase?
“Today is gonna be the day…”
Vi è bastato leggere queste poche parole per iniziare a cantare nella vostra testa, vero? Se avete seguito gli ultimi Mondiali di calcio, probabilmente sapete già dove vogliamo arrivare.
Durante le partite dell’Inghilterra, infatti, avrete sicuramente notato i tifosi cantare tutti insieme “Wonderwall” degli Oasis. E diciamocelo: è praticamente impossibile leggere quelle parole senza sentire partire la melodia nella propria testa.
Ma vi siete mai chiesti che cosa significa davvero Wonderwall? E soprattutto: perché si chiama proprio così?
In questa edizione speciale del “Tip of the Peel” faremo un piccolo viaggio nella storia di una delle canzoni inglesi più famose di sempre: da Noel Gallagher agli Oasis, dal significato misterioso del titolo fino agli spalti dei Mondiali.
So…let’s peel it!
TIP OF THE PEEL – “WONDERWALL” EDITION
“Wonderwall” was written by Noel Gallagher, guitarist and main songwriter of Oasis, and was released in 1995 as part of the album “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?”. It was sung by his younger brother, Liam Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis. With Liam’s distinctive voice and Noel’s songwriting, “Wonderwall” became one of Oasis’s most successful and iconic songs, gaining worldwide popularity and becoming a true anthem of the 1990s.
Noel Gallagher has explained that the title was inspired by “Wonderwall Music”, a 1968 album by George Harrison, the Beatles guitarist.
Down here you can find a short excerpt from the song:
…
“And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don’t know how
Because maybe
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You’re my wonderwall”
…
You’re singing it in your head, aren’t you?
SO…WHAT IS A “WONDERWALL”?
Let’s start with the title.
The word wonder can mean a feeling of surprise or admiration, but it can also mean to ask yourself something.
Wall, of course, means a wall.
So, if we translated wonderwall literally, we could say something like “wall of wonder”.
But careful: this is not really the meaning of the song. It’s not as if there were a specific definition for the entry ‘wonderwall’ in the dictionary. In fact, in the song, it is more like an evocative image, something that can have different meanings depending on how you interpret it.
BUT…WHO IS THE “WONDERWALL”?
And here comes the most interesting part. Who is the song really about? Over the years, Noel Gallagher has given different explanations.
At the time of the song’s release, many people thought it was about his then-girlfriend, Meg Matthews. Later, Noel explained the song differently: he described the Wonderwall as an imaginary friend who comes to save you from yourself.
So, the Wonderwall can be seen as a special person, someone you imagine will be there when you need them, someone who can help you, understand you or get you through a difficult moment.
And perhaps this is exactly what makes the song so universal.
There doesn’t have to be just one Wonderwall. It could be a person, a friend, someone you love…or even something that gives you strength.
FROM OASIS TO THE FOOTBALL STANDS
In 2026, “Wonderwall” became one of the songs associated with England’s World Cup journey. Fans and players sang it together after victories, turning a 1995 song into a shared moment for the English national team.
And perhaps this is the nicest connection with the meaning of the song. A Wonderwall can be someone who supports you. And in those moments, in the stadium, everyone was singing together.
Peel it further: Wonderwall is a perfect example of how words and expressions can be more complicated than they seem. We can’t always translate an English word with one exact Italian word. Sometimes, we need to understand the image, the context and the story behind it.
E per questa edizione speciale è tutto. Vi diamo appuntamento alla prossima newsletter con nuove espressioni e curiosità del “Tip of the Peel”. Stay tuned!
