Happy Birthday Jesus Christ

About

Happy Birthday Jesus Christ appears as the seventh track on the Christmas Future disc of The Christmas Present. Written by Robbie Williams with Flynn Francis, Conrad Olsen and Philipp Steinke, it is one of the album’s most humorous and subversive pieces, blending satire with sincerity.

Williams described the track as “a bit subversive” and “not your middle-of-the-road archetypal Christmas song,” explaining that he wanted to write something playful yet affectionate about the origins of the holiday. The lyric celebrates Jesus as both a religious and cultural icon, touching on modern consumerism with lines such as “You make people here so happy, love that thing you did with the scampi.”

Musically, Happy Birthday Jesus Christ merges gospel flourishes, brass, and a buoyant pop rhythm. Its chorus spells out “L-O-V-E,” underlining the song’s central message of unity beyond creed or denomination. Williams has said the song is “a laugh with Jesus, but also a nod to him, like saying, ‘You’re the man.’”

“It’s a religious song if the message from religion is love. That’s what the chorus is about.”Robbie Williams

In interviews, Williams linked the lyric to his own family, noting the diverse faiths within his household and describing them as “the embodiment of the coexist movement.” Performed live during his 2019 Christmas Party concerts, the track became a fan highlight for its joyful energy and wry humour, showing how Williams can merge wit, reverence and pop craftsmanship in equal measure.