About
Released as the third single from Reality Killed The Video Star on 8 March 2010, Morning Sun served as the official Sport Relief single. It peaked at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 20 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The accompanying video, directed by Vaughan Arnell, portrayed Williams as an astronaut adrift in space, filmed at Universal Studios with additional NASA footage.
The song was co-written by Robbie Williams with Kelvin Andrews, Danny Spencer, Richard Scott and Scott Ralph, and produced by Trevor Horn. Veteran lyricist Don Black contributed to the final version. Morning Sun was first performed live with orchestra at the BBC Electric Proms in October 2009, where it opened Williams’s set and introduced his new, more reflective sound.
Lyrically, Morning Sun reflects on fame, depression and mortality, themes intensified by its timing soon after Michael Jackson’s death. Although sometimes interpreted as a tribute, Williams described the song as partly autobiographical. Its melodic structure and string arrangement have been noted for their Beatles influence, providing a gentle, introspective opening to the album.
“Morning Sun’s a Beatlesque tune… it came fully formed from Richard and Scott… then Michael Jackson passed away and I thought, I’ve got something to write about now.”Robbie Williams
While Morning Sun underperformed commercially, it has been recognised as a key transitional song in Williams’s catalogue. Its orchestral production, space imagery and lyrical vulnerability encapsulated the mature tone of Reality Killed The Video Star and reintroduced him to a more contemplative pop audience.
Lyrics
After a long and sleepless night
How many stars would you give to the moon
Do you see those stars from where you are
Shine on the lost and loneliest
The ones who can't get over it
You always wanted more than life
But now you don't have the appetite
In a message to the troubador
The world don't love you anymore
Tell me how do you rate the morning sun
Stuck inside the rainbow years
And you could happen to me
'Cause I've been close to where you are
I drove to places you have seen
It all seems so familiar
Like they'd been sent to kill ya
It doesn't take an astronaut
To float in the space is just a thought
The morning brings a mystery
The evening makes it history
Tell me how do you rate the morning sun
And the village drunk
Sadly passed away
It was a shame
I never knew his name
I wonder if he sat there every morning
And watched the sun rise
How do you rate the morning sun
It was just too heavy for me
And all I wanted was the world
If you are the starlet in the sun
Don't go wasting your time
'Cause there is no finish line
And you don't see anything
Not even love, not anything
The night can take the man from you
A sense of wonder overdue
The morning brings a mystery
The evening makes it history
Who am I to rate the morning sun
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Robbie Williams, Kelvin Andrews, Danny Spencer, Richard Scott, Mark Ralph, Don Black