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.
Cursed
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rip your skirt off
Wipe the hurt off
You know it tears my heart out when you
Flirt with danger
And any stranger
You're not as stupid as I look
You wrote the book
Cursed
Since your birth dear
And your worst fears
Have all come true
Held my hand when I got my first tattoo
I was naked when they penetrated
Told everyone I'd slept with you
Thought you liked it and you wouldn't deny it
Saint Peter's gonna be unfaithful
Tell God he's got a dirty angel
Cursed
Since your birth dear
And your worst fears
Have all come true
Babe you're not the first
Here on earth dear
Cause I'm still here
And I'm cursed, too
Cursed like you
Hush
Baby sleep now
We all love you
We always did
Cursed
Since your birth dear
And your worst fears
Have all come through
Babe you're not the first
Here on earth dear
'Cause I'm still here
And I'm cursed, too
Cursed like you
Hush
Baby sleep now
We all miss you
We always will
The lyrics of Robbie Williams's song Cursed are powerful and packed with emotions. The song speaks about a person, most likely a lover, who is cursed and plagued by unfortunate events all their life. The opening verse sets the tone of the song and describes the person digging their polished nails into the dirt and ripping their skirt off while wiping the hurt off. This line is indicative of someone who is anguished, frustrated, and potentially angry. The following lines convey the pain that the singer is feeling when the person they love flirts with danger and any stranger. The chorus talks about the person being cursed since birth, and all their worst fears kept coming back to haunt them.
Robbie Williams, in the second verse, delves deeper into describing the relationship between the two. He talks about how the person held his hand when he got his first tattoo, and how he went on to describe this person as his lover to others, thinking that they would like it and not deny it. However, the reference to Saint Peter being unfaithful and telling God he has a dirty angel might be a suggestion that Williams's partner could be unfaithful. The chorus follows where the singer admits that he, too, is cursed, just like his partner.
In the final verse, Robbie Williams tries to console his lover as he describes her as a baby that needs to sleep now. He mentions that all of us miss her, and we always will, which could imply that the partner may have died or left. Overall, Cursed is a song that speaks of love, pain, and suffering, exploring the painful complexities of the human heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Dig your polished nails into the dirt
Get your hands dirty and fight your own battles
Rip your skirt off
Be free from what society has dictated and be your true self
Wipe the hurt off
Heal from your past wounds and move forward
You know it tears my heart out when you
Your actions hurt me deeply
Flirt with danger
Take unnecessary risks that put you in a harmful position
And any stranger
Be vulnerable and trust anyone that comes along
You're not as stupid as I look
I may appear foolish, but don't underestimate me
Before I could read
You were already ahead of me in making life decisions
You wrote the book
You're the expert at living life
Cursed
Your life has been plagued by misfortune
Since your birth dear
From the moment you came into this world
And your worst fears
What you're most afraid of
Have all come true
Has manifested into your reality
Held my hand when I got my first tattoo
You were there for me during my defining moments
I was naked when they penetrated
I was vulnerable and taken advantage of
Told everyone I'd slept with you
I tried to make myself more significant by associating with you
Thought you liked it and you wouldn't deny it
I assumed that you enjoyed the attention and wouldn't object
Saint Peter's gonna be unfaithful
Even the religious ones aren't immune to temptation
Tell God he's got a dirty angel
Even the purest souls can have a dark side
Babe you're not the first
You're not alone in feeling cursed and hopeless
Here on earth dear
Living in this world is a struggle for all of us
Cause I'm still here
I'm still alive, fighting and surviving
And I'm cursed, too
I'm also affected by the hardships of life
Hush
Be still
Baby sleep now
Rest easy now and let go of your burdens
We all love you
You are loved and accepted
We always did
Our love for you was always there
We all miss you
You're gone but not forgotten
We always will
Our love for you will never fade away
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adrian Deevoy, Guy Chambers, Robert Peter Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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!