"South of the Border" is a 1997 song released by Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams

Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...

, the third single from his debut album Life Thru a Lens

Life thru a Lens

Life Thru a Lens is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was Williams' first solo album following his departure from Take That.-Background:...

. The song reached #14 on the singles chart, his only single to miss the top ten until "Sin Sin Sin" in 2006. Williams described this single as "One of the best, so much better than Angels". Music critic Joe Garvey said "Love it!" in music magazine NME

NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

. According to his home page, at the very last second, Williams changed his mind and made this his single. This explains why the video is a little uncohesive and mostly a performance shoot. Williams has stated that the song was inspired by Kate Moss

Kate Moss

Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...

, giving way to the opening line "I know a freaky young lady name of cocaine Katie" (the line is changed to "no shame Katie" on the single version). After a few relatively unknown songs parallel to Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...

's career and "South of the Border" failing, many thought this was the end of Williams.

Tracklisting

UK CD1

1. "South of the Border" - 3:40
2. "Cheap Love Song" - 4:10
3. "South of the Border" [187 Lockdown's Borderline Mix] - 6:19
4. "South of the Border" [Phil' The Kick Drum' Dance + Matt Smith's Nosebag Dub] - 8:31

UK CD2

1. "South of the Border" - 3:40
2. "South of the Border" [Mother's Milkin' It Mix] - 7:09
3. "South of the Border" [Phil' The Kick Drum' Dance + Matt Smith's Filthy Funk Vocal Remix] - 8:31
4. "South of the Border" [187 Lockdown's Southside Dub] - 06:11
5. "South of the Border" [Shango + Danny Howells' The Unknown DJ's Meet Cocaine Katie Mix] - 9:32