About
Reverse appears as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Take the Crown. Written by Robbie Williams with Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis, and produced by Jacknife Lee, it is an atmospheric midtempo song that blends melodic pop with reflective lyrics about perseverance and renewal. Though not released as a single, it has become one of the album’s hidden gems, noted for its poignant refrain and emotional resonance.
Williams described Reverse as “a song about surrender,” a recognition that not every setback is permanent. Its introspective tone and expansive arrangement connect it thematically to other reflective moments in his catalogue, such as Into the Silence. The production layers piano, strings and echoing percussion, building towards a sweeping finale underscored by a message of optimism.
Lyrically, Reverse balances melancholy and hope, with lines such as “It’s just a bad day, not a bad life” and “The earth will move and shake, but they can never keep us apart.” The imagery of movement and renewal mirrors Williams’s broader theme of resilience that runs throughout Take the Crown. His vocal performance alternates between calm introspection and impassioned delivery, giving the track a sense of both intimacy and grandeur.
“May this moment of surrender live in your heart forever. It’s about learning to stop fighting yourself and to trust that things will turn around.”Robbie Williams
Though less known than the album’s singles, Reverse has been praised by fans for its hopeful tone and lyrical depth. Its mix of vulnerability and strength provides a fitting coda to Take the Crown, closing the record with a sense of resolution and quiet triumph.
Lyrics
In the middle of the sea
When you close your eyes
Tell me what you hear
Tell me what you feel
When you cross that heart
And you hope to die
You might get your chance
It could be tonight, could be tonight
Oooooo
Can you feel it coming
Oooooo
Can you feel the calling
So put your hand in my hand
Watch them burning down this island
To see your brown eyes there
Lit by the riots that they're running from
It's just a bad day
Not a bad life
I've seen your eyes
You were bona fide
Born to fight
There'll be someone here
When they come for me
They need to cross that place
Where a heart should be,
Where a heart should be
Oooooo
Can you feel the calling
Oooooo
Can you feel the calling
May this moment of surrender
Live in your heart forever
The earth will move and shake
But they can never keep us apart
Born to the life they gave us
Of bitterness and failures
Though I may lose myself
They can never keep us apart
We're in a land on fire
In the middle of the sea
When I close my eyes
Only you, only me
Oooooo
This is our finest hour
Underneath the seats of power
The earth will break the chains
You know they'll never
Keep us apart
So put your hand in my hand
God knows, we own this island
The truth will move and shake
But they can never keep us apart
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Robbie Williams, Tim Metcalfe, Flynn Francis