Take That: "The Flood" (2010)

"The Flood" is a song by British pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress. It was released as the lead single in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2010. The song is the first to feature Robbie Williams since his return to the band in July 2010, and features Gary Barlow and Williams on lead vocals.

The video features the five members of the band racing against another crew in specially-made five-seater Sculling boats. The band's boat is named "Progress" after the record breaking number 1 album, whilst the band wear old-fashioned white rowing kits, bearing a custom-designed Take That crest. The group are shown to be competing in a race against a younger crew and although losing the race, the group continue going past the finish line and are shown to row down the River Thames past famous London landmarks before fading away into a stormy sea. The video for the single was filmed on Dorney Lake in Buckinghamshire, which will play host to the rowing events at the 2012 Olympics.

The single has been gaining rave reviews across the media and social network sites since its first play at BBC Radio 1 with social network users and fans commenting on the single as "incredible". On the documentary Look Back, Don't Stare Elton John listens to an early demo of the song with the band and comments "Brilliant, do you know how big this is gonna be?"

Digital Spy awarded the single 4 stars commenting that the single "reveals itself to be a genuinely epic pop belter" whilst The News of The World gave the song 5 stars by saying the single is "already hailed as a classic to rival Back for Good" and with "a mammoth anthem, it'll sound even better when [Take That] belt it out in concert". The Telegraph again praised the single stating "The Flood is a stirring us-against-the-world pop anthem that blends the best of Williams’ rabble rousing instincts with Gary Barlow’s smooth songwriting." Orange agreed with this view, stating that "when it comes to perfect pop, they're still the masters of their game".


- Lyrics:

Standing, on the edge of forever,
At the start of whatever,
Shouting love at the world.
Back then, we were like cavemen,
We’d beam at the moon and the stars,
Then we forgave them.

We will meet you where the lights are,
The defenders, of the faith we are.
Where the thunder turns around they’ll run so hard we’ll tear the ground away.

You know no one dies, in these love town lies,
Through our love drowned eyes, we’ll watch you sleep tonight.

Although no one understood we were holding back the flood,
Learning how to dance the rain.
We were holding back the flood they said we’d never dance again.

Bleeding, but none of us leaving,
Watch your mouth son or you’ll find yourself floating home.
Here we come now on a dark star, seeing demons, not what we are.
Take That The Flood lyrics found on

Tiny minds and eager hands hands will try to strike but now will end today.

There’s progress now where there once was none, where there once was ah, then everything came along.

Although no one understood, we were holding back the flood learning how to dance the rain.
There was more of them than us now they’ll never dance again.

Although no one understood there was more of them than us learning how to dance the rain, We were holding back the flood they said we’d never dance again.

We will meet you where the lights are,
The defenders, of the faith we are.
Where the thunder turns around they’ll run so hard we’ll tear the ground away.

Although no one understood, there was more of them than us learning how to dance the rain.
(learning how to dance the rain)
There was more of them than us now they’ll never dance again.

Now we’ll never dance again.

Oh ahh, Oh ahh, Oh ahh, Oh ahh, Oh aah, Oh ahh, Oh ahh...