What does the Phil Collins song ‘Sussudio’ mean?
There has rarely been another 1980s artist that has been both praised and reviled as much as Phil Collins. Although he may have helped soundtrack many nights out for many an ageing rock fan throughout his career, his mix of pop smarts and progressive innovation has made him one of the towering giants of classic rock history. While there have been various mysteries surrounding Collins’ work, one looms large over everything else: what the hell is he on about in ‘Sussudio’?
Throughout his work with Genesis and even in his solo years, ‘Sussudio’ remains the most befuddling song that he ever released. Complete with an impressive horn section and a showstopping performance, the track sounds immaculate for its time, with a lyric sheet that feels like it’s designed to be absolute nonsense from the first word.
That didn’t stop the song from seeing mainstream success, though, becoming one of Collins’ most fondly remembered tracks outside of God’s gift to drummers everywhere, ‘In the Air Tonight’. Since this is a key part of his catalogue, let’s go down the rabbit hole that people never dared to do before…actually try to take ‘Sussudio’ seriously.
Away from the 1980s-stamped video and the over-the-top production, what did Collins put into this song, and how does it play into his legacy as one of the most divisive rock stars to ever walk the Earth? ‘Sussudio’ might sound okay and it might not make a lot of sense, but the amount of pieces lying underneath this song is still enough to give it merit as a rock classic.
What is ‘Sussudio’ about?
No one accidentally comes up with a nonsense phrase like ‘Sussudio’. As much as many people think that they can try to be creative and make songs on a whim, there’s no telling what was going through Collins’s mind when he was writing the song. And as it turns out, Collins admitted that nothing was in his head when it came to think of lyrics for the song.
Made out of a jam that he was working out with the rest of the band, Collins came up with the title and most of the lyrics on a whim, using ‘Sussudio’ as a placeholder name before it stuck. Even though there are traces of a romantic song in the lyrics, all logic gets thrown out the window fairly quickly, as Collins goes more for the vibe of the track than anything concrete. It may not make sense, but if John Lennon could do the same thing for ‘I Am The Walrus’, then why not Collins?
Did ‘Sussudio’ make it to number one?
Collins was no stranger to the top of the charts in the 1980s. Whether it was Genesis’ latest pop-friendly single or his attempt at going solo, the hit parade never seemed to get enough of him whenever his delectable voice came on the radio. When it came time to indulge in absolute nonsense, though, the American market couldn’t get enough of it.
While the track stalled out at number 12 on the British charts, the song would become one of the biggest singles that Collins ever had in America, working its way up to number one, his first chart-topper in the US since the ballad ‘Against All Odds’. Collins may not have intended to make the most intellectual record in the world, but sometimes songs don’t need to make sense to sound fun.
How many number ones does Phil Collins have?
Being his first number one, Collins would get comfortable putting up massive songs on top of the charts for the rest of his career. Both in America and England, Collins would have nine number one songs throughout his days as a solo artist, even earning himself three more number ones in Canada off the success of the album But Seriously.
By the 2000s, Collins decided that he didn’t need the pop charts anymore, eventually going into the world of film by making soundtracks to Disney films like Tarzan and Brother Bear. You can take the charts away from him, and you can make him perform without his bandmates, but there’s no real escape from Collins’s takeover of all kinds of musical genres.