Berliner Star

About

Written by Robbie Williams and Norwegian songwriter Boots Ottestad, Berliner Star was released as a B-side to Something Beautiful in July 2003. Recorded during the Escapology sessions, the track fuses glam rock, psychedelia and tongue-in-cheek storytelling, set against a backdrop of heavy guitars and thundering drums. Its vivid lyrics and theatrical flair have made it one of the most memorable outtakes from the era.

The song’s title and occasional German phrases — “Wunderbar,” “Auf Wiedersehen, Berliner Star” — nod to both Berlin’s decadent musical history and Williams’ fascination with European pop culture. Lyrically, it chronicles a self-destructive relationship laced with religion, drugs and desire. Lines like “Weed was evil, so we smoked it in the lobby in the hotel foyer” and “Jesus, God came between us, you fell for Jesus” typify Williams’ irreverent mix of humour and confession.

It’s a song about a relationship that went a bit sideways — passion, madness, and too many substances. It’s messy, but that’s the point.Robbie Williams

The raucous production and shouted refrains give Berliner Star the edge of a live performance, while the bridge’s soaring vocals — “You were everything to me” — bring a surprising emotional core. It’s a chaotic, swaggering slice of rock theatre that captures the contradictions of the Escapology era: excess and emotion, rebellion and remorse, all rolled into one.