Love Cheat (Demo)

About

Love Cheat was written by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers and released as a B-side to Millennium in September 1998. Recorded during the sessions for I’ve Been Expecting You, the track reflects Williams’s early lyrical fascination with fame, hedonism and romantic excess. Built on a raw, indie-leaning guitar sound, it has often been compared to the swagger of Oasis, a band whose influence can be heard in the vocal phrasing and attitude of the song.

The lyrics are a sardonic self-portrait of a womanising pop star, with lines such as “I’ll send my boys an order through Interflora, tell you lies like I love you and I adore ya.” Williams portrays a self-aware but unapologetic narrator, mocking the clichés of celebrity romance and tabloid culture that surrounded his early solo years. Musically, the track balances sharp, distorted guitar hooks with a loose, live-sounding rhythm that foreshadowed the more confident pop-rock tone of his later work.

Although never performed live, Love Cheat became one of the more memorable B-sides of the period among fans for its biting humour and distinctive vocal delivery. It captures Williams experimenting with his vocal style and persona, moving between arrogance and vulnerability while maintaining his signature wit.

I was writing a lot about the bloke I used to be. A bit of a lad, a bit of a mess, but it made good songs.Robbie Williams