E-mail from a Vampire

About

Email from a Vampire was released as a digital-only bonus track on In and Out of Consciousness in 2010. Written by Robbie Williams with Kelvin Andrews and Danny Spencer, the song continues the creative thread of the Reality Killed the Video Star sessions, pairing dark humour with sleek, electronic pop production from Trevor Horn. Although not issued physically, it became a fan favourite for its offbeat concept and distinctive atmosphere.

Musically, Email from a Vampire fuses a steady dance rhythm with moody synths and echoing vocals that create a nocturnal tone. Williams’s deep register and the filtered vocal effects suggest the voice of a restless narrator awake through the night. Horn’s production emphasises space and ambience, giving the track an almost cinematic quality reminiscent of 1980s new wave influences.

Lyrically, the song uses the metaphor of a vampire’s lifestyle—sleeplessness, isolation and aversion to light—to explore addiction, insomnia and the darker side of fame. The refrain “They don’t like sunlight, too bright, not nice” captures its sardonic edge, while lines about “talking right” and “sleeping through the day” hint at self-reproach and exhaustion. The use of email in the title anchors its gothic imagery in modernity, blending the supernatural with the digital age.

“It’s about those long nights when you can’t switch off, when everything’s upside down and you feel wired but empty.”Robbie Williams

Email from a Vampire stands out for its wit and melancholy, balancing playful lyricism with personal reflection. Though a minor track in Williams’s catalogue, it exemplifies the inventive tone of his late-2000s writing, where introspection and irony often coexist in the same song.