REWIND back to the 1990’s | Written by: Angela N. | Photo: Album Promotion – Robbie Williams XXV
Let me start by admitting that I wasn’t old enough to enjoy the chaotic energy of Let Me Entertain You when it was first released. I have, however, been raised in the shadow of Robbie’s work. I can spot the chorus’ melody playing from a small speaker in the corner of a busy shopping mart, easily. Simply watching videos of his performances leaves me feeling electric. Even here, more than twenty years after Let Me Entertain You was released, Robbie’s charisma is unlike anything else I have experienced.
Robbie Williams was born in Stoke-On-Trent in the early seventies. His cheeky mannerisms aren’t a product of fame but something he has always had with him. Sischievous as he was, he didn’t even pass his final high school papers. After failing his GCSEs, he found a job as a salesperson. When his mom saw a call to audition for a boy band, she convinced Robbie to try his luck. That is how Robbie joined Take That.
After enjoying several hits and successes, Take That split up early in 1996. Then, Robbie decided to launch his solo career with his debut album “Life Thru a Lens.” Let Me Entertain You was the fifth single from the album. The black and white mask borrowed from the band Kiss, the lyrics subtly asking a girl to cheat on her boyfriend, and the rock n roll undertones all tell the story of the rebellion and reckless abandon of a boy whose creativity had been sitting too still while in a boy band.
Robbie co-wrote the song with his writing partner Guy Chambers. Trust the two to throw words such as effigy into a chilled verse. I bet a small fortune that very few people know what they are screaming when they sing that line. One of my other favourite lines from the duo is, “Little Bo Peep has lost his sheep, he popped a pill and fell asleep.” How did they come up with this stuff?
Let Me Entertain You peaked at #3 in the UK Charts. The song is such a fan favourite that it has become customary for Robbie to open his concerts with it. It always brings out energy and a sense of fun in Robbie and his listeners. Furthermore, it transcends time and age. It is one of those songs I wouldn’t hesitate to play when my whole family is around. Even his haters can’t resist bopping their heads to the tune.
Robbie Williams is now almost fifty years old. It’s a hill I am willing to die on, but I think that he looks great for his age. He is still rocking rock-inspired hairstyles and spotting jewellery that would make drill rappers jealous. His life is, however, a far cry from the Robbie that wrote Let Me Entertain You. What makes him great, however, is that you can still expect him to bring the same energy he brought when he first performed the song in 1997.
