About
No Regrets takes on a striking new life on XXV, its orchestral power revealing the song’s full cinematic scope. Originally released in 1998 on I’ve Been Expecting You, the song was written by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers and remains one of Williams’s most admired compositions. For the 2022 collection, Jules Buckley arranged an expansive symphonic version that accentuates its drama and grandeur.
The new recording heightens the Bond-like tension already present in the original, with strings and brass creating a sweeping, filmic backdrop. The trademark orchestral flourishes on the chorus feel sharper and more intense, while Williams’s vocal performance has deepened into a commanding baritone. Critics praised the reworking as one of the standouts of the project, describing it as “the greatest Bond theme that never was.”
Williams has long acknowledged his connection to the song, calling it one of the defining pieces of his solo career. Its mix of melancholy, bitterness and defiance is enhanced by the orchestral treatment, which underscores both the heartbreak and the strength within its lyric. The result feels both epic and personal, a balance that has always defined his best work.
“No Regrets on this album is particularly magnificent. It’s got Bond written all over it, and I think it’s a standout track.”Robbie Williams
As one of the emotional peaks of XXV, No Regrets proves how orchestration can magnify a classic without diluting its essence. It stands as a reminder of Williams’s songwriting depth and enduring dramatic instinct.
Lyrics
Where we all change
And we'd live our lives together
And not estranged
I didn't lose my mind it was
Mine to give away
Couldn't stay to watch me cry
You didn't have the time
So I softly slip away
No regrets they don't work
No regrets now they only hurt
Sing me a love song
Drop me a line
Suppose it's just a point of view
But they tell me I'm doing fine
I know from the outside
We looked good for each other
Felt things were going wrong
When you didn't like my mother
I don't want to hate but that's
All you've left me with
A bitter aftertaste and a fantasy of
How we all could live
No regrets they don't work
No regrets now they only hurt
I know they're still talking
The demons in your head
If I could just stop hating you
I'd feel sorry for us instead
Remember the photographs insane
The ones where we all laughed so lame
We were having the time of our lives
Well thank you it was a real blast
Write me a love song
Drop me a line
Suppose it's just a point of view
But they tell me I'm doing fine
Everything I wanted to be
Every time I walked away
Every time you told me leave
I just wanted to stay
Every time you looked at me
And every time you smiled
I felt so vacant
You treat me like a child
I loved the way we used to laugh
I loved the way we used to smile
Often I sit down and I think of you
For a while
Then it passes me by and I think of
Someone else instead
I guess the love we once had is officially
Undead
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams