Born and raised in west London, Collins played drums from the age of five and completed drama school training, which secured him various roles as a child actor, with his first major role, aged 13, as the Artful Dodger in the West End musical Oliver!. He then pursued a music career, joining Genesis in 1970 as their drummer and becoming lead singer in 1975 following the departure of Peter Gabriel. Collins began a successful solo career in the 1980s, initially inspired by his marital breakdown and love of soul music, releasing the albums Face Value (1981), Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982), No Jacket Required (1985) and ...But Seriously (1989). Collins became, in the words of AllMusic, "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond". He also became known for a distinctive gated reverb drum sound on many of his recordings. In 1985, he was the only artist to perform at both Live Aid concerts. He also resumed his acting career, appearing in Miami Vice and subsequently starring in the film Buster (1988). In 1996, Collins left Genesis to focus on solo work; this included writing songs for Disney's Tarzan (1999) for which he received an Oscar for Best Original Song for "You'll Be in My Heart". He rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in 2007. Following a five-year retirement to focus on his family life, Collins released an autobiography in 2016 and completed his Not Dead Yet Tour in 2019. He then rejoined Genesis in 2020 for a second reunion tour, ending in March 2022.
Collins's discography includes eight studio albums that have sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists. He is one of only three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, who have sold over 100 million records both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band. He has won eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards (winning Best British Male Artist three times), two Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award. He was awarded six Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the International Achievement Award. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010. He has also been recognised by music publications with induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Collins
Studio albums
Face Value (1981)
Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982)
No Jacket Required (1985)
...But Seriously (1989)
Both Sides (1993)
Dance into the Light (1996)
Testify (2002)
Going Back (2010)
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Now I heard a cryin' man,
Is half a man with no sense of pride
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it keeps you by my side
Oh I ain't to proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
If I have to sleep on your doorstep
All night and day just to keep you from walkin' away
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand
Because I wanna keep ya any way I can
Ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Well I gotta love so deep in the pit of my heart
And each day it grows more and more
I'm not ashamed to crawl and plead to you baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out that door
Oh I ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, oh you know it
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
The lyrics to Phil Collins's song "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" are a plea from a man to his girlfriend not to leave him. He acknowledges that she wants to move on, but he refuses to let her go. He is willing to do whatever it takes to gain her sympathy, even if it means begging and pleading. He reassures her that he is not too proud to beg or plead for her to stay, as she means everything to him. He would even sleep on her doorstep if that means she wouldn't walk away from him.
The man talks about how he heard that a crying man is only half a man with no sense of pride, but he disagrees. He is willing to cry if it means keeping his girlfriend by his side. He would do anything for her, including putting up with her friends laughing at him for pleading. He has such deep love for her that he is not ashamed to crawl and plead to keep her from walking away.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are powerful in their message that love can make people do things they may not ordinarily do. The man in the song is willing to sacrifice his pride to keep his love with him. The song is a reminder that love is hard work and often requires people to put their egos aside and make sacrifices to help their relationships thrive.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you wanna leave me,
I am aware that you want to end this relationship,
But I refuse to let you go
However, I firmly resist the idea of letting go,
If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy,
If it takes me begging and pleading to win your compassion,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me
I am willing to endure that because you are precious to me
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
I am humble enough to beg, my dear
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
I beg you to stay, don't leave me, my love
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
I am not ashamed or too proud to plead with you, dear
Now I heard a cryin' man,
I have heard that a crying man
Is half a man with no sense of pride
Is a person who feels unworthy and without honor
But if I have to cry to keep you,
But if crying is what it takes to make you stay,
I don't mind weepin' if it keeps you by my side
I don't mind shedding tears if it means you'll remain with me
If I have to sleep on your doorstep
If sleeping on your doorstep is what I need to do
All night and day just to keep you from walkin' away
Day and night, just to prevent you from leaving
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand
Even if your friends are mocking me, I can endure that
Because I wanna keep ya any way I can
Because I want to keep you, in whatever way I can
Well I gotta love so deep in the pit of my heart
The love in my heart is so deep
And each day it grows more and more
And it grows stronger each day
I'm not ashamed to crawl and plead to you baby
I'm not embarrassed to crawl and plead with you, baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out that door
If begging stops you from walking away from me
Ain't too proud to beg, oh you know it
I am not too proud to plead with you, and you know that
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Please don't leave me, my love
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
I am not too proud to beg you, dear
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Please don't leave me, my love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matias Stornelli
"I know you wanna leave me,
But I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, girl, don't you go
Now I heard a cryin' man,
Is half a man with no sense of pride
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it keeps you by my side
Oh I ain't to proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
If I have to sleep on your doorstep
All night and day just to keep you from walkin' away
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand
Because I wanna keep ya any way I can
Ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Well I gotta love so deep in the pit of my heart
And each day it grows more and more
I'm not ashamed to crawl and plead to you baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out that door
Oh I ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, oh you know it
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go"
Marshal
I know you wanna leave me,
But I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, girl, don't you go
Now I heard a cryin' man,
Is half a man with no sense of pride
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it keeps you by my side
Oh I ain't to proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
If I have to sleep on your doorstep
All night and day just to keep you from walkin' away
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand
Because I wanna keep ya any way I can
Ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Well I gotta love so deep in the pit of my heart
And each day it grows more and more
I'm not ashamed to crawl and plead to you baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out that door
Oh I ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, oh you know it
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Matias Stornelli
I know you wanna leave me,
But I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, girl, don't you go
Now I heard a cryin' man,
Is half a man with no sense of pride
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it keeps you by my side
Oh I ain't to proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
If I have to sleep on your doorstep
All night and day just to keep you from walkin' away
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand
Because I wanna keep ya any way I can
Ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Well I gotta love so deep in the pit of my heart
And each day it grows more and more
I'm not ashamed to crawl and plead to you baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out that door
Oh I ain't too proud to beg,
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, oh you know it
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Yvette Benavides
I really enjoy listening to Phil Collins I love all his music especially his voice
Gotyemusicone
Hello Dear, it’s nice meeting you on here.
Ismael Alcázar
🎶 Ain't Too Proud To Beg 🎶 Thanks Phil Collins For This Great
& Excellent Album (Going Back) Full Of Great & Excellent
Songs, You're The Best!!!!! 🎤🥁🎧🎼🎤🥁🎧🎼🎤🥁🎧🎼
Manuel Fernando Silva
Olá Amantes da Música de Phil Collins, um bom Fim de semana e um abraço para todos... 🇵🇹🙏🙏💝💝
M&M
I LOVE Phil Collins. Like literally. He will never know it, but his music helped get me through the most difficult time in my life. It may sound absurd, but I almost feel like he saved my life.
Listening to his music made me feel understood. And when it comes to music, I don’t think there’s any greater achievement than that…
Denise O
Music is suppose to help us, it’s a gift from God. I was saved by music many times, many people have. Be proud!
p
@Denise O A gift from Phil Collins....but close. :)
patricia denis
Like you ! I LOVE Phil ! Look the film "Buster"... Phil is remarkable in actor.
Jo Mitchell-Waite
Me too, he is my hero xx 😘
Guanna Clyz
And we love the music ❤❤❤