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.
Life Thru a Lens
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything feels so boring
Is that where it ends
Live your life through a lens
Hair is the new hat, brown is the new black
She shouldn't wear this, he shouldn't wear that
Pleasure and leisure, make mine a double measure with friends
Who laughs the longest who drives the hardest
Pleasure and leisure, make mine a double measure with friends
Just because I ain't double barreled
Don't mean I haven't traveled well
Can't you tell!
Oh no it's quite appalling
Your conversation is boring as hell, oh well!
Wake up on Sunday morning
And everything feels so boring
Is that where it ends
With your life through a lens
And now your boyfriend's suspicious
So go home and wash the dishes
And wash them well so he can't tell
She's looking real drab just out of rehab
I'm talking football she's talking ab fab
Your clothes are very kitch
Just because your daddy is rich
You sound so funny with your voice all plummy
Now your check's just bounced better run to your mummy
And you know it's a class act she'll never ask for it back
Just because I ain't double barreled
Don't mean I haven't traveled well
Can't you tell!
Mix with the local gentry and don't crash Tarquin's Bentley
I'll take the bends with our life through a lens
You're scared of the poor and needy
Is that why you're all inbreedy?
They're just like you, they need love too
Wake up on Sunday morning
And everything feels so boring
Is that where it ends
With your life through a lens
And now your boyfriend's suspicious
So go home and wash the dishes
And wash them well so he can't tell
"Life Thru a Lens" by Robbie Williams is a song about the emptiness of living our lives dictated by society and social conventions. The song starts by describing the feeling of waking up on a Sunday morning and realizing that everything is boring, like there is nothing to look forward to. Williams then goes on to criticize the superficiality of socialites and their obsession with fashion and leisure. He mockingly describes the unrealistic standards that society sets for people, constantly telling them what to wear, what to do, and how to behave. He also calls out the classism and elitism that exists in the upper echelons of society and how those who aren't privileged enough to be part of that circle are often looked down upon.
The chorus of the song repeats the line, "Is that where it ends, with your life through a lens," which is a reference to the idea that people often live their lives through the lens of a camera or social media, only showing the edited and curated version of their lives to the world. The song implies that this way of living is not fulfilling and that there is more to life than just trying to fit in with society's expectations.
The second verse of the song is an extension of the first, with Williams continuing to criticize those who are obsessed with appearance and social status. He describes a scene where a girl who has just come out of rehab is criticized for looking "drab," while he is trying to have a conversation about football, which the girl is not interested in. He also mocks those who try to sound posh and upper-class, despite not coming from that background. He ends the verse by emphasizing that just because he may not come from an aristocratic background doesn't mean he hasn't experienced a lot in life.
Overall, "Life Thru a Lens" is a commentary on the pressures of conformity and the shallowness of a society that values superficiality above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up on Sunday morning
Starting the day feeling dissatisfied and unfulfilled
Everything feels so boring
Lacking excitement and stimulation
Is that where it ends
Questioning whether life is meant to be like this
Live your life through a lens
Viewing and experiencing life through a filter or facade
Hair is the new hat, brown is the new black
Trends and fads constantly change, and people try to keep up with them
She shouldn't wear this, he shouldn't wear that
Society imposes rigid standards for how people should look and dress
Pleasure and leisure, make mine a double measure with friends
Seeking out hedonistic and carefree activities with companions
Fashion tardis down at Quo Vadis
A nightclub where people go to escape and lose themselves in the moment
Who laughs the longest who drives the hardest
Measuring success and achievement by superficial standards
Just because I ain't double barreled
Not being born into a wealthy or privileged family
Don't mean I haven't traveled well
Being well-traveled and culturally knowledgeable, despite not being born into privilege
Oh no it's quite appalling
Expressing disapproval or disgust towards others' vapid conversations
Your conversation is boring as hell, oh well!
Finding others' topics of discussion dull and uninteresting
And now your boyfriend's suspicious
Attracting unwanted attention and suspicion from others
So go home and wash the dishes
Retreating to mundane domestic chores to avoid further scrutiny
She's looking real drab just out of rehab
Passing judgment on others' post-recovery appearance and demeanor
I'm talking football she's talking ab fab
Facing a disconnect in interests and priorities with others
Your clothes are very kitch
Being criticized for having unfashionable or tacky attire
Just because your daddy is rich
Benefiting from financial privilege and social connections
You sound so funny with your voice all plummy
Having a condescending tone or accent that betrays one's elitist background
Now your check's just bounced better run to your mummy
Experiencing consequences for overspending and living beyond one's means
And you know it's a class act she'll never ask for it back
Assuming that wealthy individuals will never ask for money back when they lend it to others
Mix with the local gentry and don't crash Tarquin's Bentley
Socializing with other wealthy and influential individuals while adhering to their codes and norms
I'll take the bends with our life through a lens
Accepting the trappings and illusions of wealth and status as a way of life
You're scared of the poor and needy
Feeling threatened or revulsed by those who are not wealthy or privileged
Is that why you're all inbreedy?
Joking about the potential effects of maintaining a narrow and exclusive social circle
They're just like you, they need love too
Recognizing that people from all backgrounds crave connection and acceptance
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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!