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"The Importance of Being Idle" is a song by the English rock band Oasis from their sixth studio album, Don't Believe the Truth (2005), written and sung by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was released on 22 August 2005 in the UK as the album's second single. The song was written by Gallagher in the summer of 2004, before the band made their final attempt at recording what would become Don't Believe the Truth. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying there for a week, marking the first time that Oasis had ever earned two successive number ones in the same calendar year (having also charted at number one earlier in 2005 with "Lyla").
The promo film was directed by Dawn Shadforth, whose previous videos include Kylie Minogue's award-winning "Can't Get You Out of My Head". Shadforth's film for "The Importance of Being Idle" starred Welsh actor Rhys Ifans and pays homage to the style of early 1960s kitchen sink drama British films, and is set during preparations for a funeral procession in a northern town, with the extravagant undertakers parading the coffin at the video's climax and Ifans playing the part of a high-kicking funeral director whose own funeral it is.
The video is based on the film and play Billy Liar with Ifans playing the role of Billy. The Gallaghers play Shadrack & Duxbury, the owners of the funeral parlour where Billy works. The rest of the band (Gem, Andy and Zak) make brief appearances as lazy workers playing cards in an undertaker's office. The video is similar in style and concept to the black and white 1966 music video for "Dead End Street" by The Kinks. Liam Gallagher's second child, Lennon, cameos in this video.
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