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.
Bag Full Of Silly
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always raining
Full of chippy max entertainment
Groovy Madchester
John split the atom
0-1-6-1
England's Seattle
And I know I should have written it down
In southern comfort I've forgotten you somehow
Last night this girl in my bed
I was telling her what I said
When all I had was potential and a head full of dreadful
With a bag full of silly
Walking through Piccadilly
And I... well anyway anyway
When you were asleep
Do so much to hurt me
Parts of Manchester
Make me feel dirty
Hacienda
On a gay night
Drop a little phallus
To make me feel right
And I think about you now and then
When I'm talking Touse to my friend
Last night this girl in my bed
I was telling her what I said
When all I had was potential and a head full of dreadful
With a bag full of silly
Walking through Piccadilly
And I... well anyway anyway
We're all made out of places
And I've been to a few
What I need now is an aerial view
'Cause I can see for myself
That I can see for myself
But oh... well anyway anyway
How I'd like to go to Manchester
To miles away
Ain't that hard through antics
When I close my eyes
Close my eyes
Close my eyes
Last night this girl in my bed
I was telling her what I said
When all I had was potential and a head full of dreadful
With a bag full of silly
Walking through Piccadilly
And I... well anyway anyway
The lyrics of Robbie Williams's song "Bag Full Of Silly" are a mix of nostalgia, heartbreak, and longing. The verses describe two different versions of Manchester, England. The first painted with a gloomy, rainy brush, full of "chippy max entertainment," while the second version "Groovy Madchester" is a more vibrant and lively version of Manchester, especially during the late '80s and early '90s music scene that came to be known as "Madchester" because of the popularity of bands such as The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays.
The singer reflects on the fact that he should have written something down over time, perhaps details of his past relationship, while he was drinking Southern Comfort, adding that he has forgotten them somehow. He then moves on to describe how he found someone new that he has been with, but while they lie in bed, he thinks back to a past love in Manchester, especially when he talks to his friend about her. The lyrics describe how he would like to go back to Manchester, but the geographical distance between them seems significant.
The chorus "Last night this girl in my bed, I was telling her what I said, When all I had was potential and a head full of dreadful With a bag full of silly, Walking through Piccadilly," highlights the idea of being young, foolish and head full of hopes and dreams, which he carries with him in a "bag full of silly" while walking through the streets with the woman he has recently slept with.
Line by Line Meaning
Gloomy Manchester
Manchester is known for its gloomy weather and bleak atmosphere.
Always raining
It rains a lot in Manchester, adding to the gloomy atmosphere.
Full of chippy max entertainment
Despite the gloom, Manchester has a vibrant entertainment scene, especially in the form of fish and chips shops, also known as 'chippies'.
Groovy Madchester
Manchester is also known for its vibrant music scene, especially during the Madchester era of the late 80s and early 90s.
John split the atom
Manchester was the birthplace of the first atomic theory, popularized by John Dalton.
0-1-6-1
The area code for Manchester, England.
England's Seattle
Similar to Seattle, Manchester has a reputation for being rainy and having a vibrant music scene.
And I know I should have written it down
The artist regrets not recording their memories and experiences of Manchester.
In southern comfort I've forgotten you somehow
The artist has moved on and forgotten someone important to them, possibly because they've been drinking Southern Comfort.
Last night this girl in my bed
The artist is sleeping with someone they don't really care about.
I was telling her what I said
The singer is reminiscing about the past and sharing their memories with the person they're sleeping with.
When all I had was potential and a head full of dreadful
In the past, the artist was full of potential but also had a lot of anxiety and dread.
With a bag full of silly
The singer had a lot of silly, inconsequential items with them at the time (possibly referring to drugs).
Walking through Piccadilly
The singer was walking through Piccadilly, a famous street in Manchester.
And I... well anyway anyway
The singer is changing the subject or moving on from the previous topic.
When you were asleep
The artist is talking directly to someone they used to be close with when they were asleep.
Do so much to hurt me
The person the artist is talking to hurt them in some way.
Parts of Manchester
The singer associates certain parts of Manchester with feelings of dirtiness or shame.
Make me feel dirty
These parts of Manchester make the singer feel ashamed or dirty.
Hacienda
A famous nightclub in Manchester during the Madchester era.
On a gay night
The artist is describing a night at the Hacienda when it was a gay club.
Drop a little phallus
The artist is referring to taking ecstasy or MDMA, which was popular in the Manchester music scene during the Madchester era.
To make me feel right
The singer took drugs to escape their feelings of shame or dirtiness associated with certain parts of Manchester.
And I think about you now and then
The artist still thinks about the person they used to be close with from earlier in the song.
When I'm talking Touse to my friend
The singer is reminded of this person when talking to another friend named Touse.
We're all made out of places
The singer is saying that our experiences and memories are tied to the places we've been and the things we've done there.
And I've been to a few
The singer has had a lot of experiences in different places.
What I need now is an aerial view
The artist needs perspective on their experiences, like an aerial view of a landscape.
'Cause I can see for myself
The artist wants to gain their own perspective and understanding.
But oh... well anyway anyway
The singer is changing the subject or moving on again.
How I'd like to go to Manchester
Despite the mixed feelings and memories, the singer still wants to visit Manchester.
To miles away
The artist considers Manchester to be far away from where they currently are.
Ain't that hard through antics
The artist believes that they can easily get to Manchester through some kind of mischievous or adventurous behavior.
When I close my eyes
The artist is visualizing their trip to Manchester with their eyes closed.
Close my eyes
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
Close my eyes
Repeating the previous line again for emphasis.
Last night this girl in my bed
Repeating the first verse to close the song.
I was telling her what I said
Repeating the first verse to close the song.
When all I had was potential and a head full of dreadful
Repeating the first verse to close the song.
With a bag full of silly
Repeating the first verse to close the song.
Walking through Piccadilly
Repeating the first verse to close the song.
And I... well anyway anyway
Repeating the first verse to close the song.
Contributed by Aubrey I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Philip Kassabian
on Win Some Lose Some
Yet another fantastic Robbie Williams song. Absolutely fantastic.
Philip Kassabian
on Millennium
What a fantastic song by Robbie Williams.
Edy Souza
on Advertising Space
:)
Edy Souza
on Angels
Love! Love!