About
Dirty Rotten appears on Under the Radar Vol. 3 and was written by Robbie Williams, Karl Brazil and Ben Castle, with production by Brazil and Castle. The song combines neurotic stream-of-consciousness lyrics with upbeat pop production, exploring the chaos of modern anxiety through humour and rhythm. Williams described it as “a dreamlike sequence looked upon from a great height, trying to get outside of my thought process.”
Originally, the track contained a spoken sample from the 1976 film Network, in which a TV newscaster declares, “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” The line was removed when the film studio demanded a large licensing fee, and Williams replaced it with the chant “I need big balls.” The result is a track that swings between existential questioning and comic absurdity, balancing frustration with self-parody.
Musically, Dirty Rotten is driven by pulsing bass, layered keyboards and syncopated percussion, giving it a restless, propulsive energy. Williams delivers the rapid-fire verses almost in one breath, a technique he jokingly demonstrated during the Under the Radar live show. The song’s blend of manic rhythm and candid reflection mirrors the racing thoughts of anxiety while maintaining an infectious groove.
“I feel like killing somebody, not literally, but kind of. It’s me having an anxious moment, stepping above it to look down at what’s going on in my mind.”Robbie Williams
The lyric video, created by Wobbly Lobster Studio, visually mirrors Williams’ inner monologue with shifting fonts and animated text, emphasising the humour and chaos of the song’s structure. Dirty Rotten has been praised for its clever juxtaposition of dark self-examination and danceable energy, standing as one of the album’s most inventive and witty moments.
Lyrics
It's not what I wanna do
I don't know what I wanna do
But I don't wanna die
I've been fighting for a cause of some sort
I do not know what it is
But I know that I have to be righteous
If I need to get to the other side of where
I'm going wherever that was at the beginning
It's now not the same it's different
I've been searching for a long, long time
Come from a long, long line
Of searchers searching for whatever it is
I've got to keep on going
Got to keep on being stronger
Got to believe there's something for me on the other side to touch
What happens when we die man
Where the hell do we go
Ever I thought I know I do not know
Why do I need to know
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
While I'm here I'm taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
Taking shit but taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
So where do I go
What do I say when I get there
To the people that I will meet
Do I say hello or do I say hey
Will they respond with kindness
Or will they have some of their own shit going on that I will take as being my fault
Deep deep thoughts that take up all my time, oh my
Deep deep thoughts make me angry angry
Makes me wanna fight, makes me wanna kill somebody
Not not not literally, well well well kind of
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
While I'm here I'm taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
Taking shit but taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
Big big balls you need
Big big balls you need
Big big big big big big balls you need
Big big balls you need
Big big balls you need
Big big big big big big balls
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
While I'm here I'm taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
Taking shit but taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
While I'm here I'm taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
What was I born with? Nothing
Then we all go back to nothing
Taking shit but taking something
Dirty rotten good for nothing
Take the world for a ride
If there's a riot inside your mind
Dirty rotten good for nothing
Take the world for a ride
If there's a riot inside your mind
Dirty rotten good for nothing
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Robbie Williams, Ben Castle, Karl Brazil