About
The Edge is the fourth track on Under the Radar Vol. 1, written by Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers and Chris Heath, and produced by Chambers with Richard Flack. Recorded in London, the song marked a return to Williams’ long-standing collaboration with Chambers after several years of working separately. It is one of the most intimate and melodic pieces on the collection, highlighting the reflective side of their songwriting partnership.
Built around a sparse piano motif and gentle string arrangement, The Edge explores the stability and redemption Williams found in his relationship with Ayda Field. The lyrics juxtapose past turbulence with the calm of domestic contentment, with lines such as “I used to wander to the edge and look down” and “Now I wake up next to you” portraying emotional recovery and acceptance. Its restrained delivery and unembellished vocal create a sense of quiet gratitude rather than overt sentimentality.
The title has occasionally led to playful confusion: Williams once joked that the song was about “having an affair with the guitarist from U2” but its real meaning lies in his own transformation from chaos to balance. He described it as a reflection of life with Ayda, a song rooted in gratitude and the peace of stability.
“It’s about Ayda. It’s about finding calm after years of chaos and finally waking up next to someone who makes the world make sense.”Robbie Williams
Warmly received by fans, The Edge is often cited as one of the emotional highlights of Under the Radar Vol. 1, echoing the heartfelt intimacy of earlier ballads such as Love Supreme and Feel.
Lyrics
And look down
I used to pile up promises
Then leave town
You should've heard my best excuses
So profound and so untrue
But now I wake up next to you
Each time I slip feels like the world conspires
To underline my most impure desires
For all of those who swear by love
They were mental through and through
But now I wake up next to you
And the nights are sill as long
As they ever were
All the things that could go wrong
Well they still occur
But when the violent sun breaks the morning air
It will find me there
Next to you
I had to lose myself for years to find this
Mistook the cruelty and abuse for kindness
Didn't know yet what to keep zipped shut
My own blindness stole the view
But now I wake up next to you
And the nights are still as long
As they ever were
And all things that could go wrong
Well they still occur
But when the violent sun breaks the morning air
It will find me there
Next to you
Where did it all go right?
When did it all go right?
When did it all go right?
Where did it all go right?
I used to wander to the edge and look down
I used to pile up promises then leave town
You should have heard my best excuses
So profound and so untrue
But now I wake up next to you
When did it all go right?
I'll always walk back from the edge
And find a way to you
Where did it all go right?
I'll always walk back from the edge
Find a way to get to you
When did it all go right?
I'll always walk back from the edge
And find a way to you
Where did it all go right?
I'll always walk back from the edge
Find a way to get to you
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers, Chris Heath