About
Meet the Stars was written by Robbie Williams and Stephen Duffy. It appeared as the B-side to “Tripping” in 2005 and was later included on the compilation In and Out of Consciousness. The song was recorded during the sessions for Intensive Care, Williams’ first full album with Duffy following his long partnership with Guy Chambers.
Musically, the track leans toward electronic pop, built around drum-machine rhythms and shimmering synths. Its reflective lyric finds Williams revisiting the early days of fame, with references that evoke the end of his time in Take That and the uneasy transition to solo success. The title phrase, “when the stars were people you’d want to know,” points to a nostalgic view of celebrity before disillusion set in.
The song’s bridge — “It took me years to find my own song, and for years I thought I’d just sing along, but the words were wrong” — underlines the self-awareness of this period, as Williams sought to redefine himself as an autonomous songwriter. The introspective tone and understated arrangement illustrate the more personal, literate direction he pursued with Duffy.
Though not widely known beyond fans, Meet the Stars has been recognised for capturing the creative shift that defined Intensive Care: a move from anthem-led pop to self-analysis and electronic experimentation.
Lyrics
I can't remember what I did
Us in bed a made an veil basement
When you left
Western winter
I hear clatter
Morning dawning
Nothing matters
When we took a cab
Back where cabs had somewhere to go
And we meet the stars
When the stars were people you'd want to know
We were new to fame
I'm so glad you came
Some of us fell by the wayside
Others had it and threw it away
Some carried on pretending
They think they still have it, today
The once admired
Oh so tired
Loose it on
In the night time
And we took a cab
Back when cabs had somewhere to go
And we'd meet the stars
When the stars were people you'd want to know
We were new to fame
I'm so glad I came
Took me years to find my own song
And for years I've thought I'd just sing along
But the words that were wrong
The tune that's true lives on and on
They'll still be here when I'm gone
And we took a cab
Back when cabs had somewhere to go
And we'd meet the stars
When stars were people you'd want to know
We were new to fame
I'm so glad we came
And we take a cab
Back when cabs had somewhere to go
And we'd meet the stars
When the stars were people you'd like to know
We were new to fame
I'm so glad I came
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Robbie Williams, Stephen Duffy