Cast No Shadow - Remastered

Noel Gallagher wrote this about The Verve lead singer Richard Ashcroft (The Verve are best known for their 1997 single "Bittersweet Symphony"). He explained to Select magazine: "He always seemed to me to not be very happy about what was going on around him, almost trying too hard. That's why it goes, 'He was bound with the weight of all the words he tried to say.' I always felt he was born at the wrong place, and in the wrong place, and he was always trying to say the right things, but they came out wrong." "I played him the song, and he nearly started crying," Gallagher continued. "I was like, 'Come on, hold yourself together, son! Easy now!' "In a way, it's about all my friends who were in groups," he concluded. "We are bound with the weight of all the words we have to say. We're always looking for more."

Q Magazine asked Richard Ashcroft at what stage he realized the song was about him. He replied: "I think Brian (Cannon, designer) who does the sleeves told me about it. I think it's one of the best tunes that he's (Noel Gallagher) ever written as well. It's a great honor to be part of that and then when the album exploded like that it's great. I was just really buzzing. I think it was almost an afterthought (for Noel), but there was so many gags at the time because I was so thin – 'Is it because he's so thin that he casts no shadow, is that what it's about?' I did say to him, 'Am I a vampire what are you trying to say man?'"

In 2018, Ashcroft feuded with Noel Gallagher after Noel listed him as one of the stars who use an "army of songwriters." Ashcroft had befriended Noel's brother/nemesis, Liam, which may have triggered the comment. Liam defended Ashcroft on Twitter, telling his brother that Ashcroft "pi--es all over you."