Can
Phil Collins Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I need love, love
Ooh to ease my mind
And I need to find time
Someone to call mine

My mama said, "you can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait"
She said, "love don't come easy
Well it's a game of give and take"
You can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait
Just trust in the good time
No matter how long it takes

How many heartaches must I stand
Before I find the love to let me live again
Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
When I feel my strength, ooh, it's almost gone

I remember mama said, "you can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait"
She said, "love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take"
How long must I wait
How much more must I take
Before loneliness
Will cause my heart, heart to break

No, I can't bear to live my life alone
I've grow impatient for a love to call my own
But when I feel that I, I can't go on
Well these precious words keep me hanging on

I remember mama said, "you can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait"
She said, "love don't come easy
Well it's a game of give and take"
You can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait
Just trust in the good time
No matter how long it takes

Now break
Now love, love it don't come easy
But I keep on waiting
Anticipating for that soft voice
To talk to me at night
For some tender arms
Hold me tight
I keep waiting
Ooh, 'til that day
But it ain't easy (love don't come easy)
No, you know it ain't easy

My mama said "you can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait"
She said "love don't come easy
Well it's a game of give and take"
You can't hurry love
No, you'll just have to wait
She said "love don't come easy




Well it's a game of give and take"
You can't hurry love, no you'll just have to wait

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Phil Collins's song "You Can't Hurry Love" speak to the universal human experience of longing for love and companionship. The singer expresses a deep need for love and someone to call their own, but is met with obstacles in the form of heartache and loneliness. The singer's mother acts as a guiding voice, imparting wisdom that love cannot be rushed and is a game of give and take. The singer grapples with the difficulty of waiting for love, but ultimately comes to trust that it will come in its own time.


The song draws upon Motown influences and is a cover of the 1966 hit by The Supremes. The lyrics were produced by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland team, known for their work with The Supremes, and the upbeat tempo and handclap backing vocals create a sense of joy and urgency. The song's distinctive harmonic structure and catchy melody have made it a popular hit, and it has been covered by numerous artists over the years.


Line by Line Meaning

I need love, love
I am in need of love and affection to ease my mind


Ooh to ease my mind
I need love to ease my troubled mind


And I need to find time
I need to have enough time to find someone to love


Someone to call mine
I need to find someone to call my own


My mama said, "you can't hurry love
My mother advised me that love cannot be rushed


No, you'll just have to wait
Love takes time and patience, so waiting is necessary


She said, "love don't come easy
Love is not easy to find or maintain


Well it's a game of give and take"
Love requires compromise and effort from both parties


How many heartaches must I stand
I have endured enough heartaches and am looking for genuine love


Before I find the love to let me live again
I need to find love to feel alive and happy again


Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
Love is the only thing that keeps me going


When I feel my strength, ooh, it's almost gone
When I am at my weakest point, love is what I need the most


How long must I wait
I question how long I must wait to find true love


How much more must I take
I question how much more heartbreak I must endure


Before loneliness
I fear being lonely


Will cause my heart, heart to break
I fear that loneliness will break my heart


No, I can't bear to live my life alone
I cannot imagine living my life alone


I've grow impatient for a love to call my own
I have become impatient and long for someone to love


But when I feel that I, I can't go on
When I feel like giving up, love keeps me going


Well these precious words keep me hanging on
The wise words of my mother keep me hopeful for love


Now love, love it don't come easy
Love is not easy to come by


But I keep on waiting
Despite the difficulty, I continue to wait for love


Anticipating for that soft voice
I am eagerly anticipating hearing the voice of someone I love


To talk to me at night
To have someone to talk to and comfort me at night


For some tender arms
I long for the embrace of someone I love


Hold me tight
To feel loved and cared for through physical touch


I keep waiting
I continue to wait for love


Ooh, 'til that day
Until the day I find love, I will continue to wait


But it ain't easy (love don't come easy)
Waiting for love is difficult and love is not easy to come by


She said "love don't come easy
My mom reminds me that love is not easy to find or maintain


No, you'll just have to wait
Patience is needed to find true love


Just trust in the good time
Have faith in the timing of love


No matter how long it takes
Regardless of how long it takes to find love, believing that it will come is important


You can't hurry love
Love cannot be rushed




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Jr. Holland

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

isaac zap.

LYRICS - Can't Turn Back The Years

'No matter how much you think you want or need it, the past has to remain just that, the past...'

Could've given you everything that you need
but I cannot turn back the years
The perfect love was all you wanted from me
but I cannot turn back the years

So we have to be strong, and I'm finding that hard
we have to move on, but no matter how hard I try
if your heart's in pieces, you look for the truth
and when I look deep down inside I know, it's too bad I love you

Sometimes. hits me in the morning, hits me at night
that I cannot turn back the years
so I look out my window, turn off my light
but I cannot turn back the years

Can't make it seem easy, when you're all that I see
can't live in a dream and I won't serenade the truth
people are hurting and they're looking to me
and I look at you there's nothing more to say, it's too bad I love you

But I'm never gonna give it up

All that I lived for, all that I dreamed
but I cannot turn back the years
You're the water i drink, you're the air that I breathe
but i cannot turn back the years

So we have to be strong, and I'm finding that hard
we have to move on, but no matter how hard I try
if your heart's in pieces, you look for the truth
and when I look deep down inside I know, it's too bad I love you

But I'm never gonna give it up



All comments from YouTube:

Yo

Deep, intimate and sincere album. So underrrated when it was released. Not understood by music critics. When I listened it, I found a gem. It is one of Phil's most loved works. It touch deeply your heart. Absolutely!

JOHNSOUAD

This song is dedicated to all the beautiful people out there who has been hurt and let down in life and wish that they could turn back the year's so we could change things about how we feel nowadays as we never ever get over certain traumas from our past? Memories can be beautiful but they can also be very painful and cut right through our broken hearts and souls when we look back and think why? Whilst we sit with our head in our hands and tears in our eyes? I know cos this is how I'm feeling nowadays since losing many beautiful people out of my life and feeling like a shadowman 👤 I would never wish anyone to feel how I feel cos it's so lonely and cold and empty when there's no one there for you in your hour of need. Please live your lives to the full cos nothing lasts forever and I hope that you never end up lonely in a crowd thinking why am I hear? and feeling lost and alone like I do? Hide your feelings and gaurd your heart ❤ people cos when they are destroyed it's very difficult to carry on 🥺😥

Christina Delgado

I feel you. I'm sorry that you are going thru such a difficult time in your life. Sometimes in life the best things we are left with, from those we love, is beautiful memories. And I have learned to live each and every day to its fullest, because we are never promised a tomorrow.

Denise Piatt

@JOHNSOUAD your welcome and thank you for your kind words back.

JOHNSOUAD

@Denise Piatt thank you for your kind words and may God bless you too in everything that you do? Stay safe!

Denise Piatt

I've grown from my pain! Good bless you. Life is Good!

JOHNSOUAD

@Lonnell Pantos yes he certainly can? I used to work in the music industry in the 80's and early 90's with many famous people as well as being a dj both mobile and night clubs and done lighting and sound for many gigs around England 🇬🇧 I worked on the prince's trust show at Wembley arena in 87 and had so much fun back in the day's with many famous artists at the aftershow parties. I was lucky enough to meet up at the Royal Albert Hall at Phil Collins last shows he done there in November 2017. It was very very emotional to see a man who used to be so full of energy and health to be struggling to walk with a stick and not be able to play his drums anymore or even stand during the show. Having front central seats was also a bit awkward for me as he noticed that I shed a tear as it was impossible for me to just sit there and remember our yesterday's tours without getting upset especially when he sung this beautiful song along with you know what I mean and against all odds? After the show it was very difficult to shake his hand and talk to him without a lump stuck in my throat and tears in my eyes of what life has dealt us and thinking about how things used to be all those year's ago? But he still remembered my favourite track by him from year's ago? Which is called if leaving me is easy? We had a fantastic evening on the last show at the Royal Albert Hall but like I said so many many emotions running. And a night I will never ever forget? What a guy he is and all the band members are like one big family and what a lovely young man his son is too! It's amazing we truly don't realise what we've got until it's gone? Anyway thank you for your kind words my friend and you too take good care of yourself 🎤🎹👤

5 More Replies...

_.hawtdawg._

one of my favourite songs from Phil Collins 🤟

Melanie Droste

I love this song so much 😭♥️ It's full of memories 💗🎵

cleber bueno

Amo, Phil Collins, na minha humilde opinião, o melhor de todos os tempos!

More Comments

More Versions