Against All Odds
Julian Sean Lyrics

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How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I'm standing taking every breath
With you, ooohhh
You're the only one who really knew me
At all

How can you just walk away from me

When all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
If you're coming back to me it's against all odds
And that's what I've got to face

I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
So there's just an empty space
But to wait for you is all I can do
When that's what I've got to face

Take a good look at me now
Cause I'll be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
And that's the chance I've got to take

Take a look at me now

Overall Meaning

"Against All Odds" is a powerful love ballad written by Phil Collins for the 1984 movie of the same name. The song conveys the pain and desperation of a man who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his loved one is leaving him. The lyrics suggest that he wants her to stay with him, and he's willing to do anything to make that happen, but he knows that it's unlikely. The emotion in the song is palpable, and it speaks to anyone who has ever loved someone and felt the bitter pain of separation.

The first verse of the song sets the tone for the rest of it. The singer cannot let go of his loved one and cannot bear to see her go without a trace. He feels like he needs her to survive and is devastated by her departure. He acknowledges that she is the only one who really knew him at all, emphasizing the special bond the two of them shared. The chorus is a plea for her to come back. He cannot go on without her and needs her to fill the empty space in his life. He acknowledges that the odds are against them being together but is willing to take the chance anyway.

The song's final verse finds the singer still standing, waiting for his loved one to return. He knows that the odds are against them, but he cannot let go of the hope that one day she will come back to him. The longing and pain in his voice are palpable as he repeats the chorus, begging her to take a look at him now and come back to him.

Line by Line Meaning

How can I just let you walk away
I am struggling to accept that you are leaving me without a fight.

Just let you leave without a trace
I fear being forgotten as you disappear from my life.

When I'm standing taking every breath
Every moment without you feels like I'm suffocating.

With you, ooohhh
My life feels complete and alive when I'm with you.

You're the only one who really knew me
You are the only person who truly understood every aspect of my being.

At all
(reiteration of the previous line)

How can you just walk away from me
I cannot comprehend how you are able to leave me so easily.

When all I can do is watch you leave
I am helpless as I see you disappearing from my life.

Cause we shared the laughter and the pain
We have experienced joy and sorrow together.

And even shared the tears
We have cried together.

So take a look at me now
I want you to see how broken I am without you.

There's just an empty space
Your absence has left a void in my life.

There's nothing left here to remind me
There are no tangible reminders of the love we once shared.

Just the memory of your face
The only thing I have left of you is the memory of your beautiful face.

If you're coming back to me it's against all odds
The chance of you returning to me seems impossible.

And that's what I've got to face
I must face the reality that you may never return to me.

I wish I could just make you turn around
I wish I had the power to make you change your mind and stay.

Turn around and see me cry
I want you to witness the pain and heartache you have caused me.

There's so much I need to say to you
I have so many things I want to express to you before you go.

So many reasons why
I have so many reasons why you should stay with me.

But to wait for you is all I can do
All I can do now is hope and wait for your return.

When that's what I've got to face
I must face the fact that I am powerless to change the situation.

Cause I'll be standing here
I will remain standing here, waiting and hoping for your return.

And you coming back to me is against all odds
The possibility of you returning to me is unlikely.

And that's the chance I've got to take
Despite the odds, I am willing to take the risk of hoping for your return.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Phillip David Charles Collins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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