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)
The Day the Work Is Done
Take That Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The work is done
A place for everything til everything is in its place
And every setting sun
When the work was done
Was a day that didn't go to waste
When all the work is done
It will be done
And in dirty towns we will settle down
Manufacture for the human race
The greatest story that was ever told in the lights of history
Was the grand designs of other men
And they built those walls for you and me
So don't start thinking we can start again
Start a riot in the streets my friend
Or they'll start pulling us apart again
'Cause idle hands make idle men
Don't start thinking with your heart again
'Cause idle hands make idle men
When the work is done, the work is done
We'll bebionic and beyond the circuits of our minds
We'll get nothing done under electric sun
Leave the weight of labor far behind
We're the greatest story that was ever told
But we don't know where we're from
And the walls became but a memory
Of the days when all the work begun
So don't start thinking we can start again
Start a riot in the streets my friend
Or they'll start pulling us apart again
'Cause idle hands make idle men
Rejoice the day, the day the work is done
Rejoice the day, the day the work is done
Everybody's counting hours
Everybody's counting hours
Til the day the work is done
Til the day the work is done
So don't start thinking we can start again
Start a riot in the streets my friend
Or they'll start pulling us apart again
'Cause idle hands make idle men
So don't start thinking we can start again
Start a riot in the streets my friend
Or they'll start pulling us apart again
'Cause idle hands make idle men
Rejoice the day,the day the work is done
Rejoice the day, the day the work is done
Everybody's counting hours
Everybody's counting hours
The Day the Work Is Done is a thought-provoking song by Take That that reflects on the value of work and the role it plays in society. The song begins by describing the satisfaction of completing work and having everything in order. It then goes on to suggest that work is essential for human progress and manufacturing, and that without it, society would cease to function. The lyrics also touch upon the idea of automation, suggesting that in the future, humans will become increasingly reliant on machines.
The chorus seems to suggest that while work is important, it can also be a burden that distracts us from the more important things in life. The line "leave the weight of labor far behind" implies that the band members are looking forward to a time when work is no longer such a dominant force in their lives. However, they also seem to recognize that work is necessary for progress, and that it cannot simply be abandoned.
One interesting aspect of this song is the way it blends together a variety of different themes and ideas. The references to manufacturing and automation suggest a fascination with technology and progress, while the talk of "dirty towns" and "walls" harks back to a simpler, more communal way of life. The song also contains a somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere, suggesting that unless we continue to work and progress, our society will break down.
Overall, The Day the Work Is Done is a complex and thought-provoking song that offers the listener plenty to mull over. Its mix of optimism and pessimism suggests that while work is a necessity, it can also be both a blessing and a curse.
Line by Line Meaning
When all the work is done
Once every task has been completed
The work is done
All labor has come to an end
A place for everything til everything is in its place
Order is created when everything has been properly arranged
And every setting sun
Each day's end
When the work was done
After all work had been finished
Was a day that didn't go to waste
It was a productive day
When all the work is done
Once every task has been completed
It will be done
All labor will come to an end
Producing everything for everything to be replaced
The creation of new things to replace what is old and worn-out
And in dirty towns we will settle down
Living in unpleasant places, we will stay put
Manufacture for the human race
Producing things for the benefit of people
The greatest story that was ever told in the lights of history
The most significant tale ever recounted from ancient times
Was the grand designs of other men
It was about the great plans made by other individuals
And they built those walls for you and me
They constructed walls for the benefit of all
So don't start thinking we can start again
Do not believe we can begin anew
Start a riot in the streets my friend
Cause a commotion in the roads, my friend
Or they'll start pulling us apart again
Otherwise, they will cause us to become separated again
'Cause idle hands make idle men
Being lazy causes one to be unproductive
Don't start thinking with your heart again
Do not let your emotions control your thoughts
When the work is done, the work is done
Once every task has been completed, all labor has come to an end
We'll bebionic and beyond the circuits of our minds
We will transcend our limitations through technology and mental strength
We'll get nothing done under electric sun
Under the influence of electricity, we will be unproductive
Leave the weight of labor far behind
Abandon the burden of work completely
We're the greatest story that was ever told
We are the most significant tale ever recounted
But we don't know where we're from
Despite our importance, we do not know our origins
And the walls became but a memory
The walls only remain in our recollections
Of the days when all the work begun
Of the time when all the labor started
Rejoice the day, the day the work is done
Celebrate the day when all labor has been completed
Everybody's counting hours
Everyone is tracking time
Til the day the work is done
Until all labor has been completed
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK ANTHONY OWEN, ROBERT PETER WILLIAMS, GARY BARLOW, HOWARD PAUL DONALD, JASON THOMAS ORANGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carole Rutherford
I think this one is my favourite on this album. I love the lyrics. Both Progress and Progresses have been quite profound with their lyrics. Clearly sending out a message. Wonder if anyone else can see that.
KirstyTT94
I adore this song. It is my faviourate out of both progress and progressed :) Big love for Take That and Gary Barlow ;D x
MissMatoki
This song is really good, espacially the chorus
chiffmonkey
What an unusual blend of Eurythmics + The Prodigy + Sparks + Keane
Elizabeth Lockman
@AIM1VOICE I see it! I LOVE THIS ONE.
Sarah Berry
@milkshake6789 This was written in 2008, well, partly. Gary said that it was written during the writing of The Circus album but it didn't fit on that album, and Robbie loved it so worked on it to go on this album. So, this was written before Kidz.
Fran Constantine
Listen to Kidz. Then listen to this one. Then look at the news... Is somebody else connecting the dots or i'm just an stupid conspiration freak? Take That are AWESOME
dksw96
they came to my country in 1995 but i was born in 1996.. shitttt.. 1year
scamrasc
@Neramy i think it means get up and do something. don't just wait for it to happen but take charge. "don't start thinking we can star again start a riot in the streets my friend" "idle hands make idle men"
Bianca Catlady
you've sped it up, if been listening to the cd today..it sounds faster this one....but still thanks for putting it up