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.
One For My Baby
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no one in the place
Except you and me
So set 'em up Joe
I got a little story
I think you should know
To the end
Of a brief episode
Make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
I got the routine
Put another nickel
In the machine
Feelin' so bad
Won't you make the music
Easy and sad
I could tell you a lot
But it's not
In a gentleman's code
Just make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
You'd never know it
But buddy I'm a kind of poet
And I've got a lot of things
I'd like to say
And when I'm gloomy
Won't you listen to me
Till it's talked away
Well, that's how it goes
And Joe I know your gettin'
Anxious to close
And thanks for the cheer
I hope you didn't mind
My bending your ear
But this torch that I found
It's gotta be drowned
Or it's soon might explode
Make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
The long, it's so long
The long and winding road
The song "One for My Baby" is a melancholic lament of a man who has come to a bar at a very late hour when there is no one in the place, except for himself and Joe, the bartender. The lyrics describe the man's emotional state, which is very low, and he is looking for solace from his sorrows. He sets the scene by asking Joe, the bartender, to "set 'em up", i.e., to give him another drink. He then goes on to say that he has a little story that he thinks Joe should know. The man is drinking to the end of a brief episode, but he does not reveal what that episode is, except that it has brought him to his current low state.
The lyrics are plaintive and will resonate with anyone who has ever had a drink to drown their sorrows. The man is seeking comfort in alcohol, and he wants to hear some "easy and sad" music to match his mood. He is a poet at heart and has a lot of things he would like to say to someone who would listen. The man's words are disarming and will easily find a way into the listener's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
It's quarter to three
It's late in the night
There's no one in the place
The place is empty except for me and you
Except you and me
We are the only ones here
So set 'em up Joe
Joe, please serve us some more drinks
I got a little story
I have something to share with you
I think you should know
I believe you should hear it
We're drinking my friend
We're having a drink together
To the end
To the end of something
Of a brief episode
Of a short period of time
Make it one for my baby
Please pour me one more drink
And one more for the road
One more drink to finish off the night
Put another nickel
Add another coin
In the machine
To play some music
Feelin' so bad
Feeling down and low
Won't you make the music
Please play some music that is
Easy and sad
Simple and melancholic
I could tell you a lot
I have many things to say
But it's not
But it's best
In a gentleman's code
To keep silent and respect the code of conduct
You'd never know it
You wouldn't guess it
But buddy I'm a kind of poet
But I consider myself as a poet, my friend
And I've got a lot of things
I have many thoughts and ideas
I'd like to say
That I would like to express
And when I'm gloomy
And when I feel sad
Won't you listen to me
Would you lend me your ears
Till it's talked away
Until I've talked about it and let it out
Well, that's how it goes
That's just how things are
And Joe I know your gettin'
Joe, I know you are starting to feel
Anxious to close
Worried about closing up for the night
And thanks for the cheer
Thank you for the company
I hope you didn't mind
I hope you didn't find it bothersome
My bending your ear
Me sharing my thoughts and talking to you
But this torch that I found
But this feeling that I've discovered
It's gotta be drowned
It needs to be extinguished
Or it's soon might explode
Or else it will soon burst out uncontrollably
The long, it's so long
The night feels very long
The long and winding road
The journey ahead is long and complicated
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
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!