Monsoon

Album: Escapology (2002)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Monsoon" finds Robbie Williams expressing his bewilderment at fame, with the British singer questioning the reasons for his success. Williams had previously been a member of the boy band Take That, and after quitting, ended up more popular than his bandmates such as Gary Barlow, whose solo career ended with him being dropped by his label. As Williams puts it in the bridge: "I know much smarter men never got this far."

    This song also finds Williams delving into the darker side of fame, such as insanity and promiscuousness, with the lyrics referencing the multiple kiss-and-tell stories being sold about him at the time: "I'm glad that spending a night with me guaranteed you celebrity."
  • According to Williams, he almost scrapped this song because it was too self-critical. He ultimately decided to keep it, though, as he felt it was important for his fans to hear about tabloid rumors from his personal perspective. Williams explained: "An awful lot of stuff is written about me, there's a lot of speculation, and you have no forum to actually present yourself where people get an honest view of you. A lot of the time I can only do it through my lyrics. 'Monsoon' is a very honest version of what I think is going on."
  • This song features on Escapology, Williams' fifth album. It wasn't released as a single, but frequently appears in live sets to this day. Escapology has been described as a "concept album," with the lyrics focusing on fame, and the impacts this had on Williams' personal life and relationships. Escapology spawned four singles: "Feel," "Come Undone," "Something Beautiful," and "Sexed Up."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.