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.
Never Touch That Switch
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the vessel there's a switch in the middle
You really shouldn't fiddle cause its toxic
Listen up 'cause it's a red light
And the pressure's blowing up tight
There's a schism in the time mechanism
There's a schism in the time mechanism
Never touch that switch
You don't know what it can do.
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
See the futures in the distance
I know I'm facing some resistance
Getting back within the blink of a bubble
Time machine never gives us any trouble.
There's a riot down in Shelton
Only minutes after Brixton but this city never made it on the telly
Or the rumble of the nations underbelly
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
You know you're heading for a meltdown, and you're living in a tin town
Thinking that you're gonna be somebody, living in the land of milk and honey
Listen up 'cause it's a red light, and the futures blowing up tight
There's a schism in the time mechanism, there's a schism in the time mechanism
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
You don't know what it can do.
The song “Never Touch That Switch” by Robbie Williams is a metaphorical warning about the dangers of playing with something that one doesn't truly understand. The "switch" in the middle of the vessel is a symbol for the power and control humans desire to have over time and space, while the "time mechanism" represents the delicate balance of a future that could all fall apart if the switch was wrongly tampered with. Williams' lyrics are mysterious and somewhat unsettling, "the size of which is paradoxic" meaning that the switch is both small, yet capable of unimaginable power. He advocates against taking risks with the unknown, using words like "toxic" to convey how catastrophic the consequences of even being curious, especially if one doesn't know the full extent of what they are meddling with.
Williams warns in the song about the potential for disaster, referencing a riot in Shelton which didn’t make it on TV, but could potentially escalate into something much worse. The lyrics "the pressure's blowing up tight" suggests a sense of urgency, indicating that the future could collapse in a blink of an eye. The overall message in the song is one of caution, that we should not mess with forces beyond our understanding. Given that the song was released in 2006 during the aftermath of 9/11 and around the time rising tensions with North Korea and Iran, it is not unreasonable to think that the song was partially influenced by ongoing political events.
Line by Line Meaning
Size of which is paradoxic the only way you're gonna stop this
The situation is paradoxical and stopping it seems impossible.
In the vessel there's a switch in the middle
There is a switch in the middle of the time machine.
You really shouldn't fiddle cause its toxic
It is dangerous to play with the switch.
Listen up 'cause it's a red light
Pay attention because there is a warning.
And the pressure's blowing up tight
The pressure is building and becoming more intense.
There's a schism in the time mechanism
There is a problem in the time machine's mechanism.
Never touch that switch
Do not touch the switch.
Even if you want to
Even if you are tempted to.
You don't know what it can do.
You are not aware of the consequences of touching the switch.
See the futures in the distance
The future can be envisioned but distant.
I know I'm facing some resistance
There are obstacles in the way.
Getting back within the blink of a bubble
Going back in time is quick and effortless.
Time machine never gives us any trouble.
The time machine rarely malfunctions.
There's a riot down in Shelton
There is violence occurring in the town of Shelton.
Only minutes after Brixton but this city never made it on the telly
Despite being close to Brixton, this city's situation is not being reported on the news.
Or the rumble of the nations underbelly
The sound of discord within the country is not being heard by others.
You know you're heading for a meltdown, and you're living in a tin town
You are headed towards disaster while living in a cheap and temporary place.
Thinking that you're gonna be somebody, living in the land of milk and honey
You believe you will become successful while living in a place of abundance.
There's a schism in the time mechanism
There is a problem in the time machine's mechanism.
Never touch that switch, even if you want to.
Do not touch the switch, even if you are tempted.
You don't know what it can do.
You are not aware of the consequences of touching the switch.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANIEL SPENCER MOULD, KELVIN ANDREWS
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!