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.
Ghosts
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The only man who made you come
When you cried, you cried for us
And when we died, you died alone
Gravity's calling
Don't go home
Where are we
For one of us
I always thought it was for you
And when I lied
Oh I lied for us
Because you never heard the truth
I am lying alone tonight
Don't go home
Where are we
If we are ghosts
(A long long time ago)
It looks like we could have made it baby
We are ghosts
(A long long time)
Me and you
We are ghosts
(A long long time ago)
We could have made it
We are ghosts
(A long long time)
Me and you
(Ago)
Look at the time its taken me
To get away from what was said
I'll never leave
I'll always love
You know that all those words are dead
Buried in yours tonight
Move aside
I'm taking you home
On the radio
She was that summer song
Packing them in
Making them dance
A law of her own
Taking the time to sing it
I don't need you
But I'm lost
I'm lost without you tonight
Have you no heart
Where are we
(Everybody sing it)
Hold
A love like gold
Then fold
They're taking down our satellite
We are ghosts
Josephine
I'll follow your star tonight
We are ghosts
If not tonight
Then when will she say
(Everybody sing it)
We're not ghosts
The lyrics to Robbie Williams's song "Ghosts" are deeply introspective and emotionally charged. The song seems to be about a relationship that has ended and the aftermath of that separation. The lyrics are poetic and convey a sense of loss and confusion, as well as a desire to find closure and move on from the past.
The first verse of the song is particularly poignant, with Williams singing about being the "only man who made you come" and how they cried together, but ultimately "when we died, you died alone." There is a sense of mourning and regret in the lyrics, as if Williams is reflecting on what could have been if things had gone differently.
The chorus of the song is where the title comes from, with Williams and a chorus of backing vocals singing "we are ghosts" repeatedly. This seems to be a metaphor for how the relationship is over and they are both just echoes of what once was, haunting each other in a way.
The rest of the lyrics continue to explore the emotions of the situation, with Williams singing about how he lied for the relationship and how he always thought he was doing what was best for the other person. There is a sense of confusion and despair in the lyrics, as if Williams is struggling to understand what went wrong and how to move forward.
Overall, "Ghosts" is a powerful song that explores the complexities of love and loss. The lyrics are poetic and emotional, conveying a sense of sadness and longing that will resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I stand victorious
I am standing here feeling triumphant and successful
The only man who made you come
I am proud to be the only man who was able to bring you to climax
When you cried, you cried for us
When you were upset or saddened, it was for our relationship and not just for yourself
And when we died, you died alone
When our relationship ended, you were the one who suffered the most
Gravity's calling
I feel like the forces of the universe are pulling me down
Don't go home
Please don't leave me
Where are we
I don't know where we stand with each other anymore
Did what I could
I did everything in my power to make this relationship work
For one of us
But unfortunately, it wasn't enough for both of us
I always thought it was for you
I used to think that I was doing all of this for your benefit
And when I lied
But looking back, I realize that I did lie to you
Oh I lied for us
I thought that lying was necessary to keep us together
Because you never heard the truth
But in reality, you never really understood how I felt
I am lying alone tonight
And now I am alone, thinking about everything that has happened
If we are ghosts
If our relationship is over and we are just memories of each other
(A long long time ago)
(It feels like it was a very long time ago)
It looks like we could have made it baby
I wish that we hadn't given up on our relationship, and that we could have made it work
Me and you
The two of us together
(Ago)
(In the past)
Look at the time its taken me
I've spent so much time trying to get past this
To get away from what was said
Trying to distance myself from the hurtful things that were said
I'll never leave
But no matter what, I know that I will always love you
I'll always love
My love for you will never fade
You know that all those words are dead
All of the things we said to each other in the past are meaningless now
Buried in yours tonight
I am thinking about our relationship and how it ended, even in my dreams
Move aside
Pushing away any negative emotions and focusing on the present
I'm taking you home
I want to be with you, no matter what it takes
On the radio
A song is playing on the radio
She was that summer song
The song is reminding me of a past love, who was like a summer romance
Packing them in
The song was popular and drew a lot of attention
Making them dance
People were dancing to the music
A law of her own
The person being referenced was unique and had their own way of doing things
Taking the time to sing it
The singer of the song took their time to make it sound good
I don't need you
I don't want to be defined by my relationship and need to move on
But I'm lost
But in reality, I feel lost without you
I'm lost without you tonight
I miss you and am feeling lonely tonight
Have you no heart
Why can't you see how much I'm hurting?
Josephine
A name of someone who is important to the singer
I'll follow your star tonight
I am going to pursue my love, no matter what
If not tonight
If I can't reconnect with my love tonight
Then when will she say
When will my love realize how I feel and come back to me?
Hold
I want to hold you
A love like gold
I cherish our love and it is worth more than anything
Then fold
But our love has already ended
They're taking down our satellite
Our relationship has been broken beyond repair
We are ghosts
We are no longer together and are just memories of each other
(Everybody sing it)
(This line is repeated as part of the song)
We're not ghosts
But we still cling to the hope that someday we will be together again
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: CHRIS ZASCHE, JOSIAH JOHNSON, CHARITY THIELEN, KENNY HENSLEY, TYLER WILLIAMS, JONATHAN RUSSELL
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!