The video for The Road To Mandalay shows Robbie and four friends, driving a Jensen FF (a rare MKIII car, number 130/317, of which only 15 were built from a total of 320 FF's) & Ford Transit van, alternatively goofing around and scoping out a money transport van and the people who transport the money. When the robbery goes down, Robbie and his friends dress with masks covering their faces and run into the transport van with a truck. Holding up a sign demanding the money (and showing the dog of one of the drivers, thus showing they know where to find the driver's family), they quickly move the money to another van, then celebrate while driving off. Robbie invites his friends to his new plush house, celebrating with plenty of champagne and cake. The video ends with the van nearly running over an elderly lady, and with Robbie waking up startled next to his girlfriend.
The single became Williams' fourth number-one hit in the United Kingdom and his second in New Zealand, it made its mark around Europe charting inside the top ten in most countries, the single went on to sell 70,186 in its first week in the United Kingdom, and overall sales exceeded the 340,000 copies being certified Silver by the BPI.
The Road to Mandalay
Robbie Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
There's nothing funny left to say
This somber song would drain the sun
But it won't shine until it's sung
No water running in the stream
Everything I touched was golden
Everything I loved got broken
On the road to Mandalay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Bum ba dum
There's nothing left for you to give
The truth is all that you're left with
Twenty paces then at dawn
We will die and be reborn
I like to sleep beneath the trees
Have the universe at one with me
Look down the barrel of a gun
And feel the moon replace the sun
Everything we've ever stolen
Has been lost returned or broken
No more dragons left to slay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Bum ba dum
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Ba da da da da dum bum bum
Ba da da da da dum bum bum
Bum ba dum
Save me from drowning in the sea
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
There's nothing funny left to say
The lyrics of Robbie Williams’s song “The Road to Mandalay” describe a man who is revisiting his past, full of regrets and mistakes. The first verse has him pleading for someone to rescue him from his own self-destructive tendencies (symbolized by the threat of drowning in the sea) and to beat him up on the beach, almost as a wake-up call. The second verse highlights the somber, melancholy tone of the song, as everything he touches falls apart and he laments his past mistakes. The chorus is a repeated reminder of his journey, which is the path that has led him to where he is now. Finally, the last verse looks upward as he sleeps beneath the trees, and he contemplates the beauty of the universe. He then shifts his focus to the inevitability of death and rebirth, as he faces it courageously.
This song is a metaphor for the struggles of life, the choices we make, and the consequences we face. The sea represents the unknown that lies ahead and the beach reminds us that we cannot escape the consequences of our actions; we must face them head-on. The journey to Mandalay is a reference to Rudyard Kipling's poem "Mandalay" which was written in 1890 and describes the city of Mandalay in Burma. The city in the song is a metaphor for the singer's own path through life, with all its ups and downs. The song tells a story of one man's journey to self-discovery and acceptance, with all its trials and tribulations.
Line by Line Meaning
Save me from drowning in the sea
Please help me get out of trouble, I am in deep waters
Beat me up on the beach
I would rather have physical pain on a sandy shore, than deal with the emotional pain of my past
What a lovely holiday
Even the beauty around me doesn't bring me happiness as I am still haunted by my demons
There's nothing funny left to say
The humor has died and the reality of my sadness is all that's left
This somber song would drain the sun
My sadness is so strong that it could consume even the brightest things in life
But it won't shine until it's sung
The only way for me to release my sadness is through my music
No water running in the stream
There is no life or hope left
The saddest place we've ever seen
This place of sadness is where I am stuck but I keep moving on
Everything I touched was golden
Everything in life was once working out for me
Everything I loved got broken
But now things seem to fall apart
On the road to Mandalay
This journey in life I have been on
Every mistake I've ever made
All the mistakes in my entire life
Has been rehashed and then replayed
I've been stuck in the past and can't seem to move on
As I got lost along the way
I have lost myself trying to fix what went bad
There's nothing left for you to give
Guilt and sadness are all that remain
The truth is all that you're left with
Accepting the truth of past wrongs is all that's left
Twenty paces then at dawn
Facing the consequences is coming fast
We will die and be reborn
Starting afresh after the consequences
I like to sleep beneath the trees
Finding simple joys in life now
Have the universe at one with me
Feeling a part of nature brings me peace
Look down the barrel of a gun
Life's dark moments still haunt me
And feel the moon replace the sun
But finding light even in the darkest of moments
Everything we've ever stolen
Things we took that weren't ours
Has been lost returned or broken
Nothing lasts forever, even those material things that were acquired through unfair means
No more dragons left to slay
I have overcome my life trials and difficulties, but it took its toll on me
Bum bum bum ba da dum bum bum
Instrumental break
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Guy Chambers, Robert Peter Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marinaptwoz2688
In love with this song
Here you have the lyrics 💛
Verse 1]
Save me from drowning in the sea
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
There's nothing funny left to say
This sombre song would drain the sun
But it won't shine until it's sung
No water running in the stream
The saddest place we've ever seen
[Chorus]
Everything I touched was golden
Everything I loved got broken
On the road to Mandalay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
[Post-Chorus]
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom badom
[Verse 2]
There's nothing left for you to give
The truth is all that you're left with
Twenty paces then at dawn
We will die and be reborn
I like to sleep beneath the trees
Have the universe at one with me
Look down the barrel of a gun
And feel the moon replace the sun
[Chorus]
Everything we've ever stolen
Has been lost, returned or broken
No more dragons left to slay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
[Post-Chorus]
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom badom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom badom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom bom bom ba da dup bom bom
Bom badom
[Outro]
Save me from drowning in the sea
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
(....)
@paulinthailand
one of the most underrated songs ever
@geroteitge6214
100 % yes !
@hippytrippy1254
paul lunney agree
@May04bwu
I've known this song for a long time but never knew it's by Robbie.
@volynetsliudmyla4265
as always
@maximmaxim5451
for sure
@al2498
I dont know what is better: The lyrics, the melody, how it slowly but surely gets faster, the voice - or just Robbie. One of the most underrated songs ever.
@Blueluise
spanische Fliege, Robin Schulz...
@salmakhaled6098
Robbie of course
@menenernesta.cosentino
Everything oh I've got broken pam para roum pan 🥘 everything we ve losteen