Tripping

About

Written by Robbie Williams and Stephen Duffy, Tripping was released on 3 October 2005 as the lead single from Intensive Care. It reached number two in the UK, topped the charts in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, and became a major international hit. With its infectious bassline, falsetto chorus and surreal lyrics, it introduced the new creative partnership between Williams and Duffy while distancing him from the polished pop of the Guy Chambers era.

Williams wrote the bass riff himself and described the song as “a mini gangster opera,” inspired by the dark comedy of British crime films such as Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The lyrics follow a small-time crook caught in over his head, reflecting Williams’ fascination with paranoia, morality and survival. Its chorus — “I know it’s coming, there’s gonna be violence” — captures the mix of dread and exhilaration that defines the song.

I wrote that one on the bass. It’s like a gangster movie in three minutes — a bit odd, a bit funny, a bit dangerous.Robbie Williams

Produced with a taut, ska-inspired rhythm and shimmering synths, Tripping became one of Williams’ most distinctive singles. The Johan Renck–directed video translated his dreams into surreal imagery, featuring talking babies, eerie corridors and a spinning bed scene filmed on a vertical set. Though often labelled reggae, Williams rejected that idea, calling it “pop from another planet.” With its mix of humour, menace and irresistible groove, Tripping remains one of his most inventive and memorable tracks.