Knutsford City Limits

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Written by Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers and Kelvin Andrews, Knutsford City Limits offers one of the album’s sharpest fusions of humour and self-awareness. Named after the Cheshire town near Manchester, the song plays on Williams’ Midlands–Northern roots, using the fictional setting as a metaphor for class tension, celebrity and self-image. It was performed on UK television but not released as a single.

Musically, the track leans towards glam rock, with buzzing guitars and handclaps underscoring its swagger. Williams revels in irony, declaring “London’s got gimmicks, New York’s had its minute, but Knutsford City Limits” as both defiance and self-mockery. The lyric “You said I was northern scum, I was wounded baby, that’s fighting talk where I’m from” reflects the chip-on-the-shoulder wit that long defined his stage persona.

In every working-class northern boy, there’s a posh person dying to get out.Robbie Williams

The song also contains a subtle commentary on fame. “One transmission on the television saying I can’t do my job, well I just kept dancing” captures Williams’ determination to outlast critics and reclaim confidence through performance. Its brash rhythm and spoken asides evoke the theatrical energy of early glam-pop and reveal a musician unafraid to parody himself.

While Knutsford City Limits is light-hearted on the surface, its lyrics hint at deeper frustration with media scrutiny and social class perceptions. It remains one of Williams’ most character-driven tracks, a knowing portrait of a northern pop star caught between aspiration and identity.