National Treasure

About

National Treasure is the eleventh track on Under the Radar Vol. 1, written by Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers and Chris Heath, and produced by Chambers with Richard Flack. A character study set to piano and orchestral flourishes, the song examines the uneasy line between celebrity and self-awareness. Although the lyrics appear to describe another public figure, Williams later admitted that the story ultimately turned inward, reflecting his own ambivalence about fame.

When asked about its subject, Williams invited speculation, hinting that it was originally inspired by someone else but declining to reveal who. Fans proposed several names, including David Bowie, after noting the song’s references to eccentricity and artful reinvention. Williams later clarified that it was not about Bowie or Gary Barlow, saying only that it had “become about me.” The ambiguity adds to the song’s intrigue, positioning it as both portrait and self-portrait.

Musically, National Treasure blends a vaudevillian piano rhythm with theatrical strings, giving it the feel of a stage monologue. The lyrics mix admiration with gentle satire, describing an artist who is “weird, careful with weight” and “a mother’s pride and a nation’s joy.” The tone shifts between irony and empathy, offering insight into how public adoration can blur into personal isolation.

“Who do you think it’s about? I won’t tell you who it is. Maybe you could answer that on the forum. It’s become about me. It was originally about someone else.”Robbie Williams

National Treasure stands as one of Williams’ most literate and self-aware compositions, capturing both the absurdity and the loneliness of fame within a witty, cabaret-style arrangement.