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)
Portrait
Take That Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've gone too fast
And words begin to mean a little less
Bones stay strong
Cause the road ahead is long
And every voice will miss us when we're gone
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba [x2]
Let me hear you singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Skin don't stretch
It's way too new
And those who look back are only the fools
Take a portrait, 25 let me hear you singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Yeah I'm singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Let me hear you singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba [x2]
Years don't come too soon
And days be long and light
Future you can wait
Cause time's still on our side
Take a portrait, 25 let me hear you singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba [x2]
Let me hear you singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Yeah you're singing it out
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Oh sing it out
You're free to come alive
You're free to come tonight
The song "Portrait" by Take That is a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing the moments we have. The opening lines "Life slow down, you've gone too fast" paint a picture of someone who is feeling overwhelmed by the pace of life and the fact that time seems to be slipping away too quickly. The song urges listeners to take a step back and appreciate the beauty of life before it's too late.
The second verse, with the line "Skin don't stretch, it's way too new," encourages listeners to embrace the present moment and not worry about aging or the passage of time. It suggests that nostalgia and regret are the sign of a life not fully lived.
The chorus, with its repeated plea to "take a portrait" and sing it out, is a call to arms for listeners to celebrate and enjoy their lives while they still can. The song acknowledges that life is short, but suggests that we can make the most of it by staying present and engaged.
Overall, "Portrait" is a poignant and moving meditation on the importance of living life to the fullest and not taking a single moment for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Life slow down
Life seems to move at a very fast pace, so this line urges life to slow down.
You've gone too fast
The previous line shows that life is moving too fast, and the singer believes that it has already gone too fast.
And words begin to mean a little less
As time passes, words start to lose their weight, making communication less effective.
Bones stay strong
This line is a metaphor for inner strength that keeps a person upright and motivated.
Cause the road ahead is long
This line is reminding the person to stay motivated because the journey ahead is far from over.
And every voice will miss us when we're gone
This line acknowledges that everyone will be missed when they pass away, including the singer and the listener.
Take a portrait, 25 let me hear you singing it out
The phrase 'take a portrait' is a reminder to capture life's moments, and the number 25 represents youth and vitality. The following line urges the listener to express themselves through music.
Skin don't stretch
This line is a metaphor for being new to the world and not having the life experience to fully comprehend it.
It's way too new
The previous line is emphasized here by saying it's too new to handle the world's challenges.
And those who look back are only the fools
This line means that people who dwell on the past rather than looking forward are missing out on their present lives and opportunities.
Years don't come too soon
This line reminds the listener that there is always enough time in the future to accomplish goals and dreams.
And days be long and light
This line wishes for longer days filled with light, representing hope and joy.
Future you can wait
This line means that there's no rush to reach one's goals because the future holds endless possibilities.
Cause time's still on our side
This line emphasizes that there's still plenty of time in the future to live life to the fullest.
You're free to come alive
This line's message is that the listener has the power to live life to the fullest and experience what life has to offer.
You're free to come tonight
This line encourages the listener to let go of their inhibitions and live for the present, embracing every opportunity as if it's their last.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Gary Barlow, Howard Donaldson, Mark Owen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind