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.
Get the Joke
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doing it for liable
It's suing season
And I am broke
Buy me some happy
Find me some passion
Will it ever happen?
Sometimes you've got to get the joke
It's the only thing that keeps this bloke afloat
Who put this spanner in my spokes?
I can't change how it's wrote
Classy or flashy
At home with Lassie
They all walk past me
I wouldn't know
Make me a new man
Find me a new plan
I am a sports fan
A real bloke
Sometimes you've got to get the joke
It's the only thing that keeps this bloke afloat
Who put this chainsaw in my spokes?
I can't change how it's wrote
When my ship comes in
She'll be on it
Eating a fresh kebab
And I want it
And I want it now
Sometimes you've got to get the joke
It's the only thing that keeps this bloke afloat
Who put this chainsaw in my spokes?
I can't change how it's wrote
Sometimes you've got to get the joke
It's the only thing that keeps this bloke afloat
You get the dagger out of cloak
I can't change how it's wrote
Arse?
The song Get the Joke is a mid-tempo pop rock track by British singer Robbie Williams, included on his album The Heavy Entertainment Show, released in 2016. The lyrics of this song reveal a sense of humor and irony that the singer uses as a coping mechanism while going through tough times. In the first verse, Williams admits that he is going through a difficult financial situation due to some legal issues, and that he needs some happiness and passion in his life, wondering if these things will ever happen. He then uses a metaphor of a bike with a spanner in its spokes to describe how life sometimes gets in the way, and he cannot do anything about it.
The chorus "Sometimes you've got to get the joke, It's the only thing that keeps this bloke afloat, Who put this spanner in my spokes? I can't change how it's wrote" highlights the importance of humor and the ability to laugh at oneself as a way of dealing with adversity. Williams acknowledges that he is not living the high life and that people, including his dog Lassie, ignore him. He then asks someone to make him a new man and a new plan, revealing that he is a sports fan and a real man.
In the last verse, Williams says that he is waiting for his ship to come in and for the girl of his dreams to arrive, eating a kebab, which represents his desire for a down-to-earth woman who enjoys simple pleasures. The final chorus modifies the spanner metaphor, this time comparing his problems to a chainsaw in his spokes, and using a wordplay with the word "cloak," suggesting that he needs to get the "dagger out of the cloak," revealing a more serious side to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Put my hand on the Bible
I promise under oath
Doing it for liable
Acting with the threat of legal consequences
It's suing season
A popular time to initiate legal action
And I am broke
And I have no money
Buy me some happy
Purchase something that will bring me joy
Find me some passion
Help me discover something I feel strongly about
Will it ever happen?
Is it possible for me?
Heaven knows
Only God knows
Sometimes you've got to get the joke
Sometimes you need to lighten up and find humor in the situation
It's the only thing that keeps this bloke afloat
Laughter is the only thing that keeps me going
Who put this spanner in my spokes?
What obstacle is blocking me?
I can't change how it's wrote
I can't change the reality of what has happened
Classy or flashy
Dress sophisticated or attention-grabbing
At home with Lassie
Comfortable with simplicity
They all walk past me
People often ignore me
I wouldn't know
I am not sure
Make me a new man
Transform me into someone better
Find me a new plan
Help me develop a different approach
I am a sports fan
I enjoy watching athletic events
A real bloke
A typical guy
When my ship comes in
When my big moment arrives
She'll be on it
She'll be there
Eating a fresh kebab
Enjoying a delicious meal
And I want it
And I desire it
And I want it now
And I want it immediately
You get the dagger out of cloak
You remove the hidden threat
Arse?
An expression of surprise or confusion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@greciadelacruz4495
You just don´t know how many years I have been looking for this song.
@oceaqua
I stumbled on this video by accident. What a brilliant performance! Didn't even know it exists. Wonderful music, beautiful chemistry. This is real music. They are singing for the pure pleasure if it. To all the doubters, Robbie sings really well.
@manchesterlees4601
Robbie has the most fantastic voice
@moodyblues1273
Gary Nuttall is just too good. Gary and Robbie work well together.
@arLiChan1234
just re-watched my "Live in your living room" VCD... thanks for uploading this ... falling in love with this song again xx
@hughwhitla7930
Dear Robbie Williams when will you come to Republic Of Ireland and perform this song live in concert 🙏🙏
@rosie77881
pure pleasure to listen to
@irialefe13
Horse !
Horse ?
Horse !!
@myloverrw
I love Rob's smile!
@medusa4444
great rhythm !!!