Greenlight

About

Green Light is the thirteenth track on Under the Radar Vol. 1, written by Robbie Williams with Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis and produced by the same duo. It was recorded during sessions for Take the Crown and became one of Williams’ personal favourites from those recordings. He later described it as a nostalgic look back at his youth and the fleeting thrill of the club scene before fame and addiction took over his life.

The song’s title refers to permission, possibility and desire. In interviews, Williams explained that it was inspired by the “green light” he and friends would give one another during their nights out in the early 1990s, when they lived impulsively and without restraint. He said the lyrics were drawn from memories of clubbing in Birmingham and Warrington, painting a vivid picture of euphoria, attraction and escape. Beneath its upbeat energy, the song also carries a note of melancholy for a past that could not last.

Musically, Green Light combines shimmering synth layers with a steady, pulsing rhythm and one of Williams’ most emotive vocals on the record. Its soaring chorus and haunting bridge, built around the refrain “Leave the light on,” give it a cinematic sweep. The track became a standout moment of his 2019 Under the Radar live show at the Roundhouse, where it was performed with full band and brass, earning an ecstatic response from fans.

“It’s an ode to the dying of the past, a past me. It’s probably what people talk about when they have a midlife crisis, grieving the groovy person they used to be. This is the short while while it was still fun.”Robbie Williams

Green Light captures both the thrill and the sadness of youthful freedom, turning nostalgia into one of the most affecting performances on the album.