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.
My Culture
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That bring tears to my eyes
Poppa said we had to be wise to live long lives
Now I recognize what my father said before he died
Vocalized things I left unsaid
Left my spirit unfed for too long
I'm coming home to my family where I can be strong
For you I plan to be
This is what my daddy told me
I wish he would hold me a little more than he did
But he taught me my culture
And how to live positive
I never want to shame the blood in my veins
And bring pain to my sweet grandfather's face
In his resting place
I'll make haste to learn and not waste
Everything my forefathers earned in tears
For my culture
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm waters (for my culture)
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again
Hello Dad, remember me
I'm the man you'd thought I'd never be
I'm the boy who you reduced to tears
Dad, I've been lonely for twenty seven years
Yeah, that's right, my name's Rob
I'm the one who landed the pop star's job
I'm the one who you told look don't touch
I'm the kid who wouldn't amount to much
I believe in the senses sight and sound
I have always been too loud
Won't you help me drown it out
I'm what I feel, what I'm feeling is surreal
I'm a mass of spinning wheels
Always digging in my heels
Now I've got the faith to
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm waters
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again
Huh, this is what my daddy told me
I wish he would hold me a little more than he did
But he taught me my culture
And how to live positive
I never want to shame the blood in my veins
And bring pain to my sweet grandfather's face
In his resting place
I'll make haste to learn and not waste
Everything my forefathers earned in tears
For my culture
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm waters
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again
(For my culture)
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm waters
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again
(For my culture)
The lyrics to Robbie Williams's song "My Culture" address the importance of heritage and ancestry in the artist's life. Williams reflects on the words of his father, who stressed the need to be wise in order to live a long life. The artist recognizes that he left many things unsaid and that he needs to reconnect with his family and his cultural roots. By doing so, Williams hopes to find strength and a sense of continuity in his life. He seeks to honor his ancestors and avoid shaming his family's bloodline. The lyrics express Williams's desire to learn from the past and not waste the struggles and tears of his forefathers.
The song touches on topics such as father-son relationships, family dynamics, and the importance of cultural identity. Williams's relationship with his father is a central theme throughout the song, as he recounts the loneliness he had felt for 27 years. He expresses a longing for his father's affection and the belief that he has finally found his faith. The lyrics contemplate on the idea of destiny and the impact of one's ancestry.
Line by Line Meaning
When I look back over the years at the things
That bring tears to my eyes
Reflecting on the past and the things that evoke emotions in me
Poppa said we had to be wise to live long lives
Now I recognize what my father said before he died
My father taught me the importance of wisdom and I now understand it
Vocalized things I left unsaid
Left my spirit unfed for too long
Leaving things unsaid and unexpressed has taken a toll on me
I'm coming home to my family where I can be strong
For you I plan to be
Within me, my ancestry, giving me continuity, huh
Going back to my roots and heritage to find inner strength and continuity for my future plans
This is what my daddy told me
I wish he would hold me a little more than he did
But he taught me my culture
And how to live positive
My father instilled in me the positive aspects of my culture and though I wish he was more affectionate, I am grateful for it
I never want to shame the blood in my veins
And bring pain to my sweet grandfather's face
In his resting place
I'll make haste to learn and not waste
Everything my forefathers earned in tears
For my culture
I am determined to honor my ancestors and not tarnish my bloodline by making good use of what they have achieved and faced hardships for
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm waters
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again
Recovering from a setback and standing up again like emerging from the water onto land
Hello Dad, remember me
I'm the man you'd thought I'd never be
I'm the boy who you reduced to tears
Dad, I've been lonely for twenty seven years
Addressing my estranged father and acknowledging the past hurt, loneliness, and the personal growth I have undergone
Yeah, that's right, my name's Rob
I'm the one who landed the pop star's job
I'm the one who you told look don't touch
I'm the kid who wouldn't amount to much
Listing my successes despite my father's doubts and restrictions on me
I believe in the senses sight and sound
I have always been too loud
Won't you help me drown it out
I'm what I feel, what I'm feeling is surreal
I'm a mass of spinning wheels
Always digging in my heels
Now I've got the faith to
I place importance on sensory experiences especially sound, have struggled with being too expressive but am willing to change, and have unwavering faith now
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DUNCAN PHILIP BRIDGEMAN, JAMES DAVID CATTO, MAXWELL ALEXANDER FRASER, NIGEL BUTLER, ROBERT PETER 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!