Take That is an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group c… Read Full Bio ↴Take That is an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer and primary songwriter, with Owen and Williams initially providing backing vocals and Donald and Orange serving primarily as dancers.

The group have had 28 top-40 singles and 17 top-5 singles on the UK Singles Chart, 12 of which have reached number one, including "Back for Good", "Never Forget", "Patience" and "Greatest Day". They have also had eight number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart. Internationally, the band have had 56 number one singles and 39 number-one albums. They have received eight Brit Awards—winning for Best British Group and Best British Live Act. In 2012 they received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Take That has been certified for 14 million albums and 11.4 million singles in the UK.

Williams left the band in 1995 while the four remaining members completed their world tour and released a final single before splitting up in 1996. After filming a 2005 Take That: For the Record about the group and releasing a new greatest hits album, a four-piece Take That without Williams officially announced a 2006 reunion tour around the UK, entitled The Ultimate Tour. On 9 May 2006, it was announced that the group were set to record new material together once again; their fourth studio album, Beautiful World, was released in 2006 and was followed up with The Circus, in 2008. The group achieved new success as a four-piece, scoring a string of chart hits across the UK and Europe while selling over 45 million records worldwide. Williams rejoined Take That in 2010 for the band's sixth studio album, Progress. Released on 15 November of that year, it was the first album of new material to feature Take That's original line-up since their 1995 album, Nobody Else. It became the fastest-selling album of the 21st century and the second fastest-selling album in British history.

In 2014, the band recorded a seventh studio album, this time as a trio without Williams and Orange. The album, titled III, was released in November 2014 and became the band's seventh number one. It was preceded by the single "These Days", which became the band's 12th number one single in the UK.

In 2011, Take That set the new record for the fastest-selling tour of all time in the UK with Progress Live, beating the previous record set by their Circus Live Tour in 2009. At the 2011 Brit Awards they won Best British Group. In 2012, Forbes named them the fifth highest-earning music stars in the world. The group performed at the London 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony, playing "Rule the World" while the Olympic Flame was extinguished. In the same year, the Official Charts Company revealed the biggest-selling singles artists in British music chart history with Take That currently placed at 15th overall, making them the most successful boy band in UK chart history. Four of their albums are listed in the best-selling albums of the millennium, with three of them among the 60 best-selling albums in UK chart history.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_That

Studio albums
Take That and Party (1992)
Everything Changes (1993)
Nobody Else (1995)
Beautiful World (2006)
The Circus (2008)
Progress (2010)
Progressed (2011)
III (2014)
Wonderland (2017)
This Life (2023)

Champion
Take That Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Champagne from a fast-food restaurant paper cup
Candle conversations in a power cut
Sometimes broken plans can end up
Better than when they're not breaking up
So, I won't settle down
No, I won't settle down
For a while

And it feels like
It's been a long time
Coming

I'm a light-headed dreamer
I am a little bit yesterday
I'm a nice try
I'm a little bit broken
I'm a last chance flying high
I'm a patched-up champion
Of the world
Feeling like a king
But I'm still broken
Yeah, I'm still broken

Headlights shine like diamonds in the pouring rain
Wrapped around the city making silver chains
Sometimes things look better when you're looking from
Far away
Oh, yeah

And it feels like
It's been a long time
Coming

I'm a light-headed dreamer
I am a little bit yesterday
I'm a nice try
I'm a little bit broken
I'm a last chance flying high
I'm a patched-up champion
Of the world
Feeling like a king
But I'm still broken
Yeah, I'm still broken
Yeah, I'm still broken

Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm a patched-up champion of the world
I'm a light-headed dreamer
I'm a little bit yesterday
I'm a champion of the world
I'm a champion of the world

I'm a champion of the world
I'm a champion of the world

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Take That's song "The Champion" convey a message of resilience, self-acceptance, and finding strength even in moments of brokenness. The opening lines, "Champagne from a fast-food restaurant paper cup, Candle conversations in a power cut," paint a picture of unexpected circumstances. These lines suggest that sometimes plans don't go as expected, but that doesn't mean they can't turn out for the better.

The chorus, "And it feels like it's been a long time coming," expresses a sense of longing or anticipation for something. It suggests that the journey towards becoming a champion or achieving personal success has been a challenging and lengthy process.

The lines, "I'm a light-headed dreamer, I am a little bit yesterday," highlight the singer's introspection and self-awareness. They acknowledge that they might have made mistakes in the past, but they still possess the qualities of ambition and hope that come with being a dreamer.

"I'm a little bit broken" and "I'm still broken" repeatedly appear throughout the song. These lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability, emphasizing that even champions can have their insecurities and flaws. However, they also suggest that being broken doesn't diminish one's capacity for success or strength. It's an acknowledgment that despite past experiences, the singer still possesses qualities that make them a champion.

The repetition of "I'm a champion of the world" in the closing lines reinforces the theme of self-acceptance and resilience. It's a declaration that despite their flaws and past mistakes, the singer acknowledges themselves as a champion. This repetition serves as an empowering reminder that one's personal journey and experiences shape who they are and can still lead to success, regardless of any brokenness they may feel.

Line by Line Meaning

Champagne from a fast-food restaurant paper cup
Finding luxury and joy in unexpected places

Candle conversations in a power cut
Finding solace and connection during difficult times

Sometimes broken plans can end up
Unforeseen changes can lead to better outcomes

Better than when they're not breaking up
Improved situations compared to when they remain unchanged

So, I won't settle down
Refusing to become complacent or stagnant

No, I won't settle down
No, I won't settle down

For a while
Temporarily resisting the idea of commitment

And it feels like
Experiencing a sensation or impression

It's been a long time
The passage of an extended period

Coming
Approaching or nearing

I'm a light-headed dreamer
Being a dreamer with a carefree disposition

I am a little bit yesterday
Carrying a sense of nostalgia or being slightly outdated

I'm a nice try
Putting in effort, even if it may not succeed

I'm a little bit broken
Feeling emotionally damaged or vulnerable

I'm a last chance flying high
Seizing the final opportunity and being in a state of excitement and success

I'm a patched-up champion
Having overcome challenges and emerged victorious, despite some imperfections

Of the world
In the grander scheme of things

Feeling like a king
Experiencing a sense of power and superiority

But I'm still broken
However, there are still underlying emotional wounds

Headlights shine like diamonds in the pouring rain
Finding beauty and allure in difficult circumstances

Wrapped around the city making silver chains
Creating connections and interweaving stories throughout the urban landscape

Sometimes things look better when you're looking from
Gaining perspective and seeing improvement when viewing from a distance

Far away
A significant physical or emotional distance

Oh, yeah
Expressing affirmation or agreement

Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm

I'm a patched-up champion of the world
Having overcome challenges and emerged victorious, despite some imperfections, on a global scale

I'm a champion of the world
Being triumphant and successful on a grand scale

I'm a light-headed dreamer
Being a dreamer with a carefree disposition

I'm a little bit yesterday
Carrying a sense of nostalgia or being slightly outdated

I'm a champion of the world
Being triumphant and successful on a grand scale

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: Benjamin Mark Weaver, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jamie Norton, Mark Anthony Owen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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