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.
Eight Letters
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Expendable soldiers smiling at anything
Raised on a feeling our lives would have meaning eventually
We were once the answer and then you discover
You're actually just one thing after another
And what was the question and why was the lesson so deafening?
And that was all that happened anyhow
You can look back but don't stare
Maybe I can love you out of there
And when I went away what I forgot to say
Was all I had to say:
Eight letters, three words, one meaning
And outside forces didn't make it easy
So I thought I'd go before you leave me
Self-preservation was no explanation for anything
But the truth is more than we'll ever comprehend
I'm just starting to understand, my friend
All of that distance, 'cause I fell in love with the enemy
This is all that matters now
And that was all that happened anyhow
You can look back but don't stare
Maybe I can love you out of there
And when I went away what I forgot to say
Was all I had to say:
Eight letters, three words, one meaning
And when I went away what I forgot to say
Was all I had to say:
Eight letters, three words, one meaning
At last, we meet on no man's land
Just footprints in the sand
We meet on no man's land, at last
And when I went away what I forgot to say
Was all I had to say:
Eight letters, three words, one meaning
And when I went away what I forgot to say
Was all I had to say:
Eight letters, three words, one meaning
One meaning
Just one meaning
The lyrics of Robbie Williams's song Eight Letters are complex and intense, exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. The opening lines describe a feeling of disillusionment, as the singer recalls how he used to be part of a group that believed in something bigger than themselves. They used to be the ones cleaning the streets, but they became the parade, smiling at anything, and hoping that their lives would eventually have meaning. However, they realized that they're just one thing after another, and they cannot escape the deafening lesson that life is trying to teach them.
The song then goes on to explore the complexities of love and relationships. The chorus repeats the phrase "Eight letters, three words, one meaning," which is a reference to the phrase "I love you." The singer regrets not saying these words before he left and hopes to love the other person out of their pain. The bridge then describes the difficulty of maintaining a relationship when there are outside forces at play, and self-preservation becomes the only option. But despite everything, the truth is more than we'll ever comprehend, and the singer is starting to understand this.
In conclusion, Eight Letters is a powerful and introspective song about love, loss, and self-discovery. The lyrics are complex and explore deep themes that are sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced the ups and downs of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
We became the parade on the streets that we once cleaned
We once were the ones responsible for cleaning the same streets we ended up walking on as celebrities who were cheered on by crowds.
Expendable soldiers smiling at anything
We were like soldiers, disposable and conditioned to put on a happy face to mask our true feelings.
Raised on a feeling our lives would have meaning eventually
We were taught to believe that our lives would have a greater purpose in the future.
We were once the answer and then you discover
We used to think we held all the answers until we realized that we really don't.
You're actually just one thing after another
Life is just a series of events, one after the other, without any sense of direction.
And what was the question and why was the lesson so deafening?
We never understood what we were being taught or why it seemed so overwhelming.
This is all that matters now
What we have in the present is what matters most.
And that was all that happened anyhow
We cannot change anything that has already occurred.
You can look back but don't stare
It's okay to reflect on the past, but don't let it consume you.
Maybe I can love you out of there
Maybe my love can help you move on from the past.
And when I went away what I forgot to say
When I left, I did not say what I truly meant.
Was all I had to say:
Sometimes the simplest expression contains the most profound message.
Eight letters, three words, one meaning
I love you.
And outside forces didn't make it easy
There were external factors that made it difficult for us to be together.
So I thought I'd go before you leave me
I decided to leave before you decided to leave me.
Self-preservation was no explanation for anything
I had no rational reason for leaving, it was just a way to protect myself.
But the truth is more than we'll ever comprehend
The truth about why things happened the way they did will always remain incomprehensible.
I'm just starting to understand, my friend
I am slowly beginning to make sense of what happened.
All of that distance, 'cause I fell in love with the enemy
The reason we were apart for so long was because I fell in love with someone that society deemed as not suitable for me.
At last, we meet on no man's land
We finally met at a place where neither of us had the upper hand.
Just footprints in the sand
We left only temporary marks in the world and our presence was fleeting.
One meaning
In the end, everything we have and everything we experience can all be attributed to one simple thing: love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: GARY BARLOW, ROBBIE WILLIAMS, JAMES URE, WILLIAM CURRIE, MARK OWEN, CHRISTOPHER JAMES ALLEN, WARREN CANN, JASON ORANGE, HOWARD DONALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dee Matta
I love Gary's version but i just NEEDED to hear you sing this one Robbie
KillerQueenKim
I just can't stop loving this song. I love the Progress version so much, but I'm just so in love with this piano version. x
Fernanda Pereira Carneiro
Both versions are just amazing....
Marco Sanchez
I just bought this album online this is an incredible ending to an amazing album. I cant wait to get it and hear over and over again.
Jeanette 1980
Love this song and love to hear you sing Rob..
AC72
I find it so beautiful that, after Jason was pointing out, how some lines of the song refer to Robbie only.. He decided to let Gary sing it, so that the song takes a whole new meaning... This whole Progress project was unique
Maria Salazar
Robbie... maravilloso, excelente....lo maximo !!
Barbara Zaccagnini
wow! this voice is amazing....
sarah c
Love this album, love it.
Barbara Gordon
Love it