Nan's Song

About

Written solely by Robbie Williams, Nan’s Song closes Escapology with simplicity, warmth and deep emotion. Dedicated to his late grandmother Betty, it is the first song Williams wrote entirely by himself — both lyrics and music — and remains one of his most personal compositions. Recorded largely live with acoustic guitar, the track strips away irony and production polish to reveal a songwriter at his most heartfelt.

The song was born on Williams’ tour bus during the recording of the documentary Nobody Someday. He later recalled that the lyric “You went to a better place, but he stole you away from me” reflected both grief and gratitude. Its gently lilting melody and conversational tone evoke the comfort of memory, while the final verse — “The next time that we meet, I will bow at her feet and say, wasn’t life sweet?” — brings the album to a tender close.

I completely wrote everything, the words and the music. It’s about my nan, who adored me, and I just thought it was fitting that my first proper song should be about someone I loved.Robbie Williams

Performed acoustically during his 2003 and 2006 tours, Nan’s Song became a fan favourite for its honesty and vulnerability. In contrast to the self-mockery elsewhere on Escapology, it reveals the sincerity beneath the persona — a simple, heartfelt goodbye from grandson to grandmother, and a quietly profound ending to one of his most ambitious albums.