Bye Bye

About

Bye Bye appears on Under the Radar Vol. 3 and was written by Robbie Williams, Karl Brazil and Ben Castle, who also produced the track. Williams described it as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the cinematic spirit of 1980s pop, particularly the music of Huey Lewis and the News. “It’s pure 1980s Huey Lewis and the Newsness,” he explained. “Imagine the gorgeous girl in your shirt on a Harley Davidson, waving goodbye as she rides down the highway. That’s Bye Bye.”

The song was first introduced during Williams’ “song battles” on his Vloggy series, where fans voted between unreleased tracks for inclusion on the album. It ultimately beat the fan-favourite Home Again to secure a place on the final tracklist. Williams called it “a cinematic, fun track” in the spirit of Weird Science and Back to the Future, two films that inspired its sound and mood.

Musically, Bye Bye is driven by vibrant guitars, live drums and a slick, radio-ready chorus. Its mix of nostalgia and humour recalls Williams’ affection for glossy 1980s pop-rock, while its lyrics playfully sketch the image of an unattainable woman. “She’s as cold as ice, she can walk like the military right out of your life,” he sings — a lyric he later admitted was first written as “walk like a millipede,” changed only when he realised how long that would take.

“It’s just an 80s movie moment, really. She’s the impossibly beautiful girl riding off into the distance while you’re left there with your broken heart.”Robbie Williams

Fans and critics praised Bye Bye for its bright production and nostalgic charm, noting its balance of humour and sincerity. Its shimmering arrangement and cinematic imagery made it one of the lighter moments on Under the Radar Vol. 3, reflecting Williams’ continued fondness for the pop culture of his youth.