Pedro worries about the negative effects of advertising

"Advertising space is one of my favourite songs by a British pop music icon,
Robbie Williams, who sings a polemic theme beautifully.

He gives his voice and talent to call people’s attention to advertising negative aspects. In fact, Robbie Williams’s song is an amazing story about today’s world.

Robbie Williams - Advertising Space

There's no earthly way of knowing
What was in your heart
When it stopped going
The whole world shook
A storm was blowing through you

Waiting for God to stop this
And up to your neck in darkness
Everyone around you was corrupted
Saying somethin'

There's no dignity in death
To sell the world your last breath
They're still fighting over
Everything you left over

I saw you standing at the gates
When Marlon Brando passed away
You had that look upon your face
Advertising space

And
No one learned from your mistakes
We let our profits go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is Advertising space

Through your eyes
The world was burning
Please be gentle
I'm still learning
You seemed to say
As you kept turning up

They poisoned you with compromise
At what point did you realize
Everybody loves your lies
But you ahahh

Special agent for the man
Through watergate and vietnam
No one really gave a damn
Did you think the CIA did

I saw you standing at the gates
When Marlon Brando passed away
You had that look upon your face
Advertising space and

No one learned from your mistake
We let our profits go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is Advertising space ooooohh

No one learned from your mistakes
We let our profits go to waste
All that's left in any case
Is Advertising space

I've seen your daughter
Man she's cute
I was scared but I wanted to
Boy she looks a lot like you


From my point of view, Advertising space criticizes the exploitation of famous people’s image to promote certain products advertisers want to sell.

Advertisements are often lies (as the song mentions), but consumers love and accept those lies; especially when they are associated with a beautiful face.

Robbie Williams’s message is probably an alert against people who take advantage of others’ image;

at the same time, it tells the listeners that face used in advertisements belongs to someone who has feelings and his/her life."


Pedro Carvalho, nº17 11ºB