Williams has received a record 18 Brit Awards, winning Best British Male Artist four times, Outstanding Contribution to Music twice, an Icon Award for his lasting impact on British culture, eight German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 1990s. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), he has been certified for 20.2 million albums and 8.66 million singles in the UK as a solo artist. Five of his albums have also topped the Australian albums chart, and has sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart. His three concerts at Knebworth in 2003 drew over 375,000 people, the UK's biggest music event to that point. In 2014, he was awarded the freedom of his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent and had a tourist trail created and streets named in his honour. Williams' thirteenth album, XXV was released on 9 September 2022.
After 15 years, Williams rejoined Take That in 2010 to co-write and perform lead vocals on their album Progress, which became the second-fastest-selling album in UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time. The subsequent stadium tour, which featured seven songs from Williams' solo career, became the biggest-selling concert in UK history when it sold 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours. In 2011, Take That frontman Gary Barlow confirmed that Williams had left the band for a second time to focus on his solo career, although he stated that the departure was amicable and that Williams was welcome to rejoin Take That in the future. Williams has since performed with Take That on three separate television appearances, and collaborated with Barlow on a number of projects such as the West End musical The Band.
Advertising Space
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What was in your heart when it stopped going
The whole world shook
A storm was blowing through you
Waiting for God to stop this
And up to your neck in darkness
Everyone around you was corrupted
There's no dignity in death
To sell the world your last breath
We're still fighting
Over everything you left
I saw you standing at the gates
When Marlon Brando passed away
You had that look upon your face
Advertising space
No one learned from your mistakes
We let our prophets go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is advertising space
Through your eyes the world was burning
"Please be gentle, I'm still learning"
You seemed to say as you kept turning up
They poisoned you with compromise
But at what point did you realize
Everybody loves your life but you?
A special agent for the man
Through Watergate and Vietnam
No one really gave a damn
Do you think the C.I.A. did?
I saw you standing at the gates
When Marlon Brando passed away
You had that look upon your face
Advertising space
No one learned from your mistakes
We let our prophets go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is advertising space
No one learned from your mistakes
We let our prophets go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is advertising space
I've seen your daughter man
She's cute
I was scared but I wanted to
Boy, she looks a lot like you
The lyrics of Robbie Williams's song Advertising Space delve deep into the existential crisis of life and death. The opening lines "There's no earthly way of knowing, What was in your heart when it stopped going," speak volumes about our limited understanding of the mysteries surrounding life after death. The next lines "The whole world shook, A storm was blowing through you," depict the turbulence and chaos around death, which can leave everyone feeling vulnerable and disturbed, unable to make sense of what just happened.
The lyrics, "There's no dignity in death, To sell the world your last breath," express the harsh reality of how death is often commodified and turned into a spectacle for the world to see, even though it diminishes the dignity of the person who passed away. The lines "We're still fighting, Over everything you left" touch upon the never-ending strife and struggles that continue even after one's death.
The song continues to delve into the life of a famous personality who was also a prophet and how they are often misunderstood and their message gets lost in the chaos of the world. The lines "No one learned from your mistakes, We let our prophets go to waste," are a poignant reminder of how we often fail to learn from the experiences of those who came before us.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no earthly way of knowing
It's impossible to know for sure
What was in your heart when it stopped going
What were you feeling when your heart stopped?
The whole world shook
The impact of your passing was felt by everyone
A storm was blowing through you
You were going through a difficult time
Waiting for God to stop this
Hoping for divine intervention
And up to your neck in darkness
Feeling overwhelmed by the situation
Everyone around you was corrupted
The people in your life were not a positive influence
Say something
Please communicate with us, we want to understand
There's no dignity in death
Passing away is not an honorable thing
To sell the world your last breath
Your final moments were made public for others to profit from
We're still fighting
There is still conflict and tension among friends and family after you're gone
Over everything you left
We're arguing and disagreeing over what you left behind
I saw you standing at the gates
In my mind, I picture you at the gates of heaven
When Marlon Brando passed away
Around the same time Marlon Brando died
You had that look upon your face
You had an expression that I couldn't quite read
Advertising space
It feels like even death is a form of advertising or publicity
No one learned from your mistakes
We didn't seem to learn anything from your life and legacy
We let our prophets go to waste
We don't seem to appreciate or value the people who try to guide us
All that's left in any case
Despite everything that happened, this is all that remains
Is advertising space
Even in death, it feels like everything is a show or a form of entertainment
Through your eyes the world was burning
From your perspective, the world was in chaos and destruction
"Please be gentle, I'm still learning"
You were experiencing life and trying to figure things out
You seemed to say as you kept turning up
It felt like you were always there, even through the difficult times
They poisoned you with compromise
The people around you pressured you to give in and conform
But at what point did you realize
When did you finally figure out what was happening?
Everybody loves your life but you?
Did anyone truly understand the struggles you faced?
A special agent for the man
You were working for someone in power
Through Watergate and Vietnam
During significant historical events that impacted the nation
No one really gave a damn
People didn't seem to care about what you were doing
Do you think the C.I.A. did?
Or did even they not care about your contributions?
I've seen your daughter man
I came across your daughter recently
She's cute
She's attractive and likable
I was scared but I wanted to
I was hesitant, but curious to know more
Boy, she looks a lot like you
Your daughter strongly resembles you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Duffy, Robert Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edy Souza
:)
@sofiamidori7271
Essa música é linda e jamais envelhece. Uma homenagem clara que Williams fez ao ícone Elvis Presley e a crítica de como a sociedade o tornou apenas uma figura comercial de marketing, ignorando suas emoções e sua vida pessoal turbulenta, sua insatisfação e suas angústias. A boneca que aparece no clipe faz referência a sua ex esposa, Priscilla (ela está vestida exatamente igual Priscilla Presley em seu casamento). No trecho do refrão em que é citado Marlon Brando, Williams busca compará-lo ao mesmo final triste que Elvis teve, o qual também sofreu a desumanização social, sendo transformado em um mero produto da indústria midiática (Brando faleceu em 2004, enquanto Elvis em 1977). "Todo mundo ama a sua vida, exceto você", neste trecho fica ainda mais claro o quanto Elvis estava insatisfeito consigo mesmo, depressivo, ansioso e com diversos pensamentos os quais faziam o querer tirar sua própria vida, e, ainda assim, a sociedade queria cada vez mais consumi-lo, pois todos o amavam. Simplesmente uma obra de arte feita por Robbie Williams, a qual merece, de fato, total reconhecimento.
@humbertomoraesvieira5789
Incrível análise... Parabéns.
@carmemalvesdias9693
Grata por compartilhar conosco , aprendi e amei muito .
@victorantoninevieira1361
Perfeita análise, estou treinando essa música na minha voz.
@estephanosouza1134
Pow a sua explicação está perfeita! Gostei demais, quando eu vi esse clip em 2003 acreditava ser uma homenagem ao Elvis...
@halo_mtv
igual a gente nunca envelhece
@FitnessFusionFacts
Listening to Advertising Space just hits you right in the gut. The rawness in his voice and the haunting melody create this atmosphere of melancholy that's hard to shake off. It's like a heartbreaking story unfolding with every verse, diving into the emptiness behind all the glitz and glamour. You can feel the pain and loneliness seeping through the lyrics, painting a picture of someone searching for meaning in a world that's obsessed with superficiality. It's a song that leaves you with a heavy heart and a lot to ponder.
@majdap.180
No nudity no bullshit just talent and an incredible voice. A real artist. This song is a masterpiece.
@stefan8487
Yes, it is.