Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and song… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, Life thru a Lens, was released in 1997, and included his signature song, "Angels". His second album, I've Been Expecting You, featured the songs "Millennium" and "She's the One", his first number one singles. His discography includes seven UK No. 1 singles, and all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK, with two of them in the top 60, and he gained a Guinness World Record in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his Close Encounters Tour.

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.

Coffee Tea & Sympathy
Robbie Williams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

With all the will in the world
I’m still powerless
I found myself breaking the girl
The king is half undressed
She’s not my saviour
(I don’t want your love)
Don’t take my seed
(It’s not your love that I need)

You’re in no danger caressing me
But you’re talking to a man I’m not supposed to be

And the clothes remain the same
I fear to face the walk of shame
Been nice to know you
I’m soaking in the morning rain
Find my car forgot your name
Been nice to hold you

Don’t feel small
When I don’t call
If I could talk I’d tell you
If I ever did don’t answer kid
I’ve only lies to sell you
I’ll be your stranger
(I don’t want your love)
If you’re in need
(It’s not your love that I need)
It’s odd behaviour seducing me
I’m a million miles away and she’s too blind to see

And the clothes remain the same
I fear to face the walk of shame
Been nice to know you
I’m soaking in the morning rain
Find my car forgot your name
Been nice to hold you

Step on board the gravy train
Same old faces different names
You bet your life I will complain
Cause I’m a sensitive boy
The real McCoy
Don’t wanna stick me on your bed post
And I never really will forget you
I’m sorry dear have I met you
All that you take from me is coffee and tea and sympathy

And the clothes remain the same
I fear to face the walk of sham
Been nice to know you
I’m soaking in the morning rain
Find my car forgot your name
Been nice to hold you

I have my needs
I hope she leaves
(All that you take from me is coffee and tea and sympathy)
I have my needs
I hope she leaves
(All that you take from me is coffee and tea and sympathy)

And the clothes remain the same
I fear to face the walk of sham
Been nice to know you
I’m soaking in the morning rain

Find my car forgot your name
Been nice to hold you

Overall Meaning

The song "Coffee, Tea & Sympathy" by Robbie Williams tells the story of a man who has given up on a relationship and is trying to break away from it. He acknowledges that he has been unfaithful, but he cannot seem to help himself - he is "powerless." He tells the woman that he doesn't want her love and doesn't need it, but he still wants physical intimacy from her. He's dealing with a lot of guilt and shame about the situation, and he doesn't feel good about himself as a result. The chorus "all that you take from me is coffee and tea and sympathy" illustrates how he feels used and taken for granted in the relationship.

The second verse continues in the same vein as the first, with the man acknowledging his faults and the strange circumstances of their relationship. He's afraid to face the consequences of his actions, and he's feeling hopeless and lost. The last verse is somewhat of a departure from the others, with the man expressing frustration with the people around him ("same old faces different names") and his own sensitivity. He doesn't want to be used as a conquest by the woman he's seeing, and he's frustrated that he can't be more honest with her about his feelings.

Overall, "Coffee, Tea & Sympathy" is a melancholy song about the complexity of relationships and the difficulties of human connection. The lyrics are honest and insightful, capturing the emotions of both the man and the woman involved in the affair.

Line by Line Meaning

With all the will in the world I’m still powerless
Despite my best intentions, I cannot control my actions.

I found myself breaking the girl
I caused harm to a woman I was involved with.

The king is half undressed She’s not my saviour (I don’t want your love) Don’t take my seed (It’s not your love that I need) You’re in no danger caressing me But you’re talking to a man I’m not supposed to be
I am not in love with this woman, and don't want to lead her on. I am concerned about the possibility of unwanted pregnancy, and am not the person she thinks I am.

And the clothes remain the same I fear to face the walk of shame Been nice to know you I’m soaking in the morning rain Find my car forgot your name Been nice to hold you
I regret my actions and am left feeling embarrassed and ashamed. I am trying to forget this woman and move on.

Don’t feel small When I don’t call If I could talk I’d tell you If I ever did don’t answer kid I’ve only lies to sell you I’ll be your stranger (I don’t want your love) If you’re in need (It’s not your love that I need) It’s odd behaviour seducing me I’m a million miles away and she’s too blind to see
I am not interested in pursuing a relationship with this woman, and don't want her to feel hurt by my lack of communication. I know I have been dishonest in the past and do not want to continue leading her on. I am physically and emotionally distant from her.

Step on board the gravy train Same old faces different names You bet your life I will complain Cause I’m a sensitive boy The real McCoy Don’t wanna stick me on your bed post And I never really will forget you I’m sorry dear have I met you All that you take from me is coffee and tea and sympathy
I am often taken advantage of and don't want to be used for casual sex. I know I will continue to feel hurt by this situation because I am sensitive. I don't want to be just another notch on someone's bedpost. Despite everything, I will remember this woman and our time together, but all that she has gained from me is comfort and kindness.

I have my needs I hope she leaves (All that you take from me is coffee and tea and sympathy)
I have physical desires and hope that this woman will leave me alone. All she has received from me is emotional support and compassion.

And the clothes remain the same I fear to face the walk of sham Been nice to know you I’m soaking in the morning rain Find my car forgot your name Been nice to hold you
I am still struggling with feelings of regret and shame. I wish this woman well and am trying to move on, but am haunted by memories of our time together.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GLEN BALLARD, BILLY MORRISON, ROBERT PETER WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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