Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and song… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, Life thru a Lens, was released in 1997, and included his signature song, "Angels". His second album, I've Been Expecting You, featured the songs "Millennium" and "She's the One", his first number one singles. His discography includes seven UK No. 1 singles, and all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK, with two of them in the top 60, and he gained a Guinness World Record in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his Close Encounters Tour.

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.

Reverse
Robbie Williams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We're in land on fire
In the middle of the sea
When you close your eyes
Tell me what you hear
Tell me what you feel
When you cross that heart
And you hope to die
You might get your chance

It could be tonight, could be tonight

Oooooo
Can you feel it coming
Oooooo
Can you feel the calling

So put your hand in my hand
Watch them burning down this island
To see your brown eyes there
Lit by the riots that they're running from

It's just a bad day
Not a bad life
I've seen your eyes
You were bona fide
Born to fight
There'll be someone here
When they come for me
They need to cross that place
Where a heart should be,
Where a heart should be

Oooooo
Can you feel the calling
Oooooo
Can you feel the calling

May this moment of surrender
Live in your heart forever
The earth will move and shake
But they can never keep us apart
Born to the life they gave us
Of bitterness and failures
Though I may lose myself
They can never keep us apart
We're in a land on fire
In the middle of the sea
When I close my eyes
Only you, only me

Oooooo
This is our finest hour
Underneath the seats of power
The earth will break the chains
You know they'll never
Keep us apart
So put your hand in my hand
God knows, we own this island

The truth will move and shake
But they can never keep us apart

Overall Meaning

In the song Reverse, Robbie Williams sings about a passionate love amidst chaos and turmoil. He describes being in a land on fire in the middle of the sea, a metaphor for being surrounded by chaos and danger. He asks the listener to close their eyes and tell him what they feel and hear. He suggests that this could be their chance to live fully and passionately, hinting at the possibility of death looming in the air.

The chorus of the song expresses a sense of anticipation and urgency, as Williams repeats "can you feel it coming?" and "can you feel the calling?" He invites the listener to join him, to put their hand in his, and to watch the world around them burn. He asks them to look into his brown eyes and to feel the passion and fire that is running through them.

The bridge of the song shifts the focus from the external chaos to the internal struggle of the individual. Williams suggests that even though the world around them may be bitter and full of failures, they were born to fight. He promises that there will be someone there for the listener when they come, and that they will never be alone.

Overall, Reverse is a song about passion, love, and the need for connection in a world that can often seem chaotic and hopeless.

Line by Line Meaning

We're in land on fire
We are in a place filled with chaos and turmoil.

In the middle of the sea
Despite being surrounded by vast emptiness, we find ourselves trapped in this situation.

When you close your eyes
When you shut out the external world for a moment.

Tell me what you hear
Let me know what sounds or noise you perceive when your mind is free from distraction.

Tell me what you feel
Express the emotions that stir within you when you're not busy with the outside world.

When you cross that heart
When you swear or make a solemn promise to someone or to yourself.

And you hope to die
You use this phrase to emphasize the solemnity of your oath, as in, "I swear on my life."

You might get your chance
There may be an opportunity for you to keep that promise.

It could be tonight, could be tonight
It might happen tonight, or it might not, but the possibility exists.

Can you feel it coming
Do you sense that something significant is about to happen?

Can you feel the calling
Do you hear the invitation or the summons to action?

Watch them burning down this island
Observe the chaos and destruction taking place around us.

To see your brown eyes there
In the midst of all this chaos, seeing your eyes gives me a sense of peace and hope.

Lit by the riots that they're running from
Your eyes are bright and intense, shining with a light that has been ignited by the turmoil and unrest surrounding us.

It's just a bad day
This is just a moment of adversity, not a reflection on the quality of our entire lives.

Not a bad life
Our existence as a whole is not as disastrous as this moment might suggest.

You were bona fide
You are authentic and genuine in the way you carry yourself.

Born to fight
You have an innate capacity for conflict and perseverance that is part of who you are.

There'll be someone here
I will always be here for you when you need me.

When they come for me
In moments of danger or adversity, I know I can count on your support and protection.

They need to cross that place
Anyone who wants to harm me or hurt me will have to go through you.

Where a heart should be,
If someone wants to get to me, they will have to go through the part of you that is most vulnerable and emotionally connected.

May this moment of surrender
Let this moment of letting go and trusting each other stay with us forever.

Live in your heart forever
Keep that feeling of intimacy and connection in your soul always.

The earth will move and shake
The world will keep turning, and significant events will happen, but we will endure.

But they can never keep us apart
External forces may try to pull us apart, but we are stronger together than we are apart.

Of bitterness and failures
Our lives have been complicated and challenging, filled with disappointment and regret.

Though I may lose myself
Even if I get lost or experience difficulties, I know that you will always be there for me.

This is our finest hour
This moment of shared commitment and intimacy is the high point of our relationship.

Underneath the seats of power
Despite the political and social structures that threaten to divide and conquer us, we are united in our love and support of each other.

The earth will break the chains
In time, the oppressive systems and structures that seek to divide us will crumble and fall.

You know they'll never keep us apart
No matter what happens, we will always find a way to come together and support each other.

God knows, we own this island
Despite the chaos and danger around us, we have a sense of ownership and control over our environment.

The truth will move and shake
The truth is a powerful force that can upend our preconceptions and assumptions about ourselves and the world around us.

But they can never keep us apart
No matter what happens, our bond and love will always be stronger than any external force trying to break us apart.

Contributed by Dominic M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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