Lazy Days

About

Lazy Days bursts open Life Thru a Lens with a rush of confidence and chaos; the sound of Robbie Williams stepping into freedom after Take That. Co-written with Guy Chambers, it was among the first fruits of their enduring creative partnership, recorded at Matrix Studios in London in early 1997.

The song's jangling guitars and sweeping strings capture the mid-'90s Britpop mood, yet beneath its euphoria lies a plea for purpose. Williams later described it as a hymn to escape: a song about trying to outrun anxiety through hedonism and hope. He said:

It's about escapism. About how we spend our lives trying to find something to make us feel alive.Robbie Williams

Released in July 1997 as the album's second single, Lazy Days reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Critics praised its blend of confidence and confusion, a balancing act that mirrored the 23-year-old singer's own life at the time.

The Simon Hilton-directed video translated that tension into dreamlike imagery: carnival performers, open skies, and a restless Williams caught between innocence and indulgence. He later reflected:

I was looking for something to believe in again. Lazy Days was me pretending everything was fine, when really I was terrified.Robbie Williams>

Beneath its bright surface, the track introduced the emotional duality that would define Williams' solo career; a performer torn between bravado and vulnerability.