Making Plans for Nigel

About

Making Plans for Nigel appeared as a B-side to Old Before I Die, with Robbie Williams covering XTC’s 1979 single written by Colin Moulding. The original, sung from the perspective of parents insisting their son is “happy in his work at British Steel,” became XTC’s breakthrough hit and an emblem of late-70s British pop satire.

Williams’ version retains the song’s sardonic tone but alters a key lyric, changing “British Steel” to “a fist of steel.” The tweak, made without comment at the time, has often been linked to his professional split from Take That and their manager Nigel Martin-Smith. The revision gives the cover a harder edge, shifting its meaning from social commentary to personal statement.

Musically, Williams’ version adopts the brighter, guitar-driven style of the Britpop era, aligning with the sound of his early singles. The arrangement is more straightforward than XTC’s original, with Williams’ vocal bringing a contemporary confidence that contrasted with the original’s detached irony.

The track appeared on the first CD edition of the single and reflected Williams’ growing interest in reinterpreting songs that resonated with his own experiences. Its mix of wit and defiance made it stand out among his 1997 B-sides, marking one of his earliest explorations of turning another artist’s words into his own story.