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.

big beef
Robbie Williams Lyrics

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On the road to Damascus
I met you and the task was thankless
We were carefree and classless
And then you changed
I'm nouveau rich
What can I do

You're legionnaires on a summer breeze

It's who you do
You had something to put to me now
I got something I'm gonna stick in you

I couldn't give a flying toss 'bout the relatives you lost
I think it's better that
Your bloodline stops from here
On in and
Whoops there I go again
With friends that I wanna rip apart

Limb by limb
Soak the skin with paraffin
Drop a row
Hit'n the limb
And Max let's see what happens
Hey now you're getting in my way now
You're a waste of time
You're a waste of time

You got under my radar
You said kicking shins in the clock end
Was just a phase so I paged ya
And you became my new best friend
For a while

I should have known you were a psychopath
It's who you do
I was lonely we were having a laugh
Should have known but worshipped a few

I couldn't give a flying toss 'bout the relatives you lost
I think it's better that
Your bloodline stops from here
On in and
Whoops there I go again
With friends that I'd like to tear apart

Limb by limb
Soak the skin with paraffin
Drop a row
Hit'n the limb
Oh Max let's see what happens

Hey now there's nothing left to say now
You're just a waste of time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Robbie Williams's song "Big Beef" describe a toxic friendship that has taken a turn for the worse. The singer of the song, who used to be carefree and classless, met the other person on the road to Damascus. They were friends for a while until the other person changed drastically. The singer is now nouveau rich and feels helpless. Their friend is described as legionnaires on a summer breeze, which alludes to an army that moves smoothly and without resistance. The singer conveys their frustration by stating that they have something to stick in their friend.

The chorus of the song repeats the line, "I couldn't give a flying toss 'bout the relatives you lost, I think it's better that your bloodline stops from here on in." This line is a harsh criticism of the friend, stating that they are not worth anything to the singer. The singer describes wanting to rip their friends apart limb by limb and soak their skin with paraffin, which suggests a desire for extreme violence. They mention Max, which is possibly a reference to Max Martin, who worked with Robbie Williams on his music.

In the end, the singer decides that their friend is a waste of time and tells them that there's nothing left to say. The lyrics provide a raw insight into the emotional turmoil and frustration that can be caused by a toxic friendship.

Line by Line Meaning

On the road to Damascus
The singer met the person while traveling and their meeting had no profound significance

I met you and the task was thankless
Meeting the person had no meaningful purpose or outcome

We were carefree and classless
They were not concerned with any societal structures or values

And then you changed
The person's behavior or actions shifted

I'm nouveau rich
The artist has recently become wealthy

What can I do
The singer is unsure how to handle their newfound wealth and status

You're legionnaires on a summer breeze
The person is easily influenced and prone to following the crowd

It's who you do
The person's tendency to follow the crowd is a defining trait

You had something to put to me now
The person has something to say to the artist

I got something I'm gonna stick in you
The artist plans to retaliate or harm the person

I couldn't give a flying toss 'bout the relatives you lost
The singer does not care about any loss or tragedy experienced by the person's family

I think it's better that Your bloodline stops from here On in
The artist believes that the person's family line should end with them and not continue

Whoops there I go again With friends that I wanna rip apart
The singer has a desire to harm or destroy their own friends

Limb by limb Soak the skin with paraffin Drop a row Hit'n the limb And Max let's see what happens
The singer has a violent plan and intends to carry it out on someone named Max

Hey now you're getting in my way now You're a waste of time You're a waste of time
The person is now a hindrance to the singer and a waste of their time

You got under my radar
The person was not initially noticed, but has since become a problem for the artist

You said kicking shins in the clock end Was just a phase so I paged ya And you became my new best friend For a while
The person claimed to have had a violent phase but reassured the artist, leading to a friendship

I should have known you were a psychopath It's who you do
The singer realizes too late that the person has dangerous tendencies and this is part of their identity

I was lonely we were having a laugh Should have known but worshipped a few
The singer was willing to overlook the person's negative traits due to feeling lonely and lacking good friendships

Hey now there's nothing left to say now You're just a waste of time
The artist has nothing more to say to the person and considers them a complete waste of time

Contributed by Jonathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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