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.
John's Gay
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we're not quite cynical
And we've written on the wall 'John's gay'
He's gay
And Janet's friends with John
And she says that we're all scum
He just gets his homework done
What will we grow up to be?
(Ask your brother)
What will we grow up to see?
(Can't be bothered)
Will you still be friends with me
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen?
Martin grew out of his A-team vest
Nicked the pedals off my BMX
And he says that he's had sex with a girl
For effect, I lost my virginity
The year above us had discovered E
And I said, "It weren't for me, £12.50"
What will we grow up to be?
(Ask your brother)
What will we grow up to see?
(Can't be bothered)
Will you still be friends with me
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen?
We hide in bandstands and talk in the dark
Rain's never cold when you're young
We were devoted to us from the start
I know too much how to feel young
We've learnt to kick a ball
And we're not quite cynical
And we've written on the wall, 'John's gay'
He's gay
What will we grow up to be?
(Ask your brother)
What will we grow up to see?
(Can't be bothered)
Will you still be friends with me
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen?
What will we grow up to be?
(Ask your brother)
What will we grow up to see?
(Can't be bothered)
Will you still be friends with me
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen?
Young
The lyrics of the song "John's Gay" by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue take us back in time to when the singers were young and carefree. The song describes a group of friends who are growing up together, experiencing different things and wonder what the future holds for them. The line "We've learnt to kick a ball, but we're not quite cynical" depicts the naivety of youth and how innocent they were in their thoughts.
The song talks about how the boys write graffiti on the wall declaring "John's Gay," revealing their immaturity and lack of understanding of homosexuality. However, the lyrics also show how Janet, a friend of John's, stands up for him and rebukes the boys by calling them scum.
In the song, the singers reminisce on their childhood memories, such as playing in bandstands during the rain, and how they were devoted to each other from the start. The song ends with the singers questioning what they will be in the future and whether their friendships will last.
Overall, "John's Gay" is a nostalgic song that captures the innocence of youth, the experiences they go through, and the uncertainties of what the future holds.
Line by Line Meaning
We've learnt to kick a ball
We've mastered the physical skill of playing soccer
But we're not quite cynical
We're not completely jaded or distrustful of everything and everyone
And we've written on the wall 'John's gay'
We've written a message on a wall that says John is homosexual
He's gay
John is attracted to individuals of the same sex
And Janet's friends with John
Janet is friends with John
And she says that we're all scum
Janet expresses that she thinks we are all worthless
He just gets his homework done
John completes his academic assignments
And won't play not today
John doesn't feel like participating in physical activities today
What will we grow up to be?
What careers or occupations will we have when we are older?
(Ask your brother)
Suggestion to ask an older sibling for insight or advice
What will we grow up to see?
What will we experience or witness in the future?
(Can't be bothered)
Not interested or motivated in thinking about the future
Will you still be friends with me
Will our friendship endure over the years?
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen?
Refers to the ages of adolescence when these concerns commonly arise
Martin grew out of his A-team vest
Martin stopped wearing a vest with an A-Team logo on it
Nicked the pedals off my BMX
Stole the pedals from my childhood bicycle
And he says that he's had sex with a girl
Martin claims to have engaged in sexual activity with a female
For effect, I lost my virginity
To impress or make an impact, I had sex for the first time
The year above us had discovered E
Individuals one grade older than us had begun using the drug ecstasy
And I said, "It weren't for me, £12.50"
I expressed that the ecstasy drug was not appealing to me and was not worth the cost
We hide in bandstands and talk in the dark
We conceal ourselves in small circular pavilions and converse in the nighttime
Rain's never cold when you're young
When one is youthful, rain doesn't feel as uncomfortably chilly
We were devoted to us from the start
We were committed to our friendship from the beginning
I know too much how to feel young
I am too aware of the realities of adulthood to feel truly young
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Guy Chambers, Robert 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!