Noel has produced quite a lot of dodgy lyrics (especially on Be Here Now) and he's not Chris Difford or Dylan to be sure. But there are some songs where he is really on form lyrically. Live Forever from the very first Oasis album being one, The Importance of Being Idle on the last album being another. Basically he's lazy and if he can't be bothered he bends to fit rather than leaving the song unfinished for weeks. When his muse if with him he's fine, and he's especially good on both Anthems and recycling and revitalising other people's tunes. Only Dylan probably did the latter more!

Just how good a folksinger and writer Tom Robinson can be was demonstrated on the Faith, Folk & Anarchy project in his "Indian Summer" of 2001/2002, even if he was supposed to be providing the "Anarchy".