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)
Don't look back
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(You can't run, you can't hide, you can't run, you can't hide)
Love has problems I know but they're problems, we'll just have to face.
Oh yeah, yeah.
If you just put your hand in mine,
We're gonna leave all our troubles behind.
Keep on walkin' don't look back. (Don't look back)
And don't look back. (Don't look back)
(The past is behind you, let nothing remind you.)
If your first lover broke your heart,
There's something that can be done.
(You don't run, you don't hide, you don't run, you don't hide)
Don't end your faith in love because of what he's done.
So if you just put your hand in mine,
We're gonna leave all our troubles behind.
Keep on walking, don't look back. (don't look back)
Forget about the past now.
Don't look back, baby. (don't look back)
Keep on walking and don't look back. Hmm (don't look back)
(The past is behind you, let nothing remind you)
Love can be such a beautiful thing.
Though your first love let you down.
(You don't run, you don't hide, you don't run, you don't hide)
Oh yeah, yeah
'Cause I know we can make love bloom, baby.
The second time around.
Oh yeah
So if you just put your hand in mine,
We're gonna leave all our troubles behind.
Keep on pushing and don't look back. (Don't look back)
Don't look back, girl. (Don't look back)
Oh no we won't look back. (Don't look back)
Keep on walking and won't look back. (Don't look back)
Keep on walking and won't look back. (Don't look back)
"Don't Look Back" by Phil Collins is a song about not being afraid to love again after experiencing heartbreak. The lyrics speak to those who have been hurt in the past, but are encouraged to face their problems head on and take a chance on love once more. The song advises listeners to let go of the past (the line "the past is behind you, let nothing remind you" emphasizes this) and keep moving forward.
The first verse acknowledges the difficulties that love can sometimes bring, but urges the listener to face it instead of running away. The second verse directly speaks to those who have been heartbroken before and might be hesitant to try again. Collins encourages them to have faith and not give up on love because of one bad experience. The chorus repeats the mantra of "keep on walking, don't look back" which emphasizes the idea of moving forward and not dwelling on the past.
The bridge speaks to the potential for love to be a positive and beautiful thing, but acknowledges the reality that sometimes it doesn't work out. However, the chorus reinforces the message that it's important to keep trying and not give up, by encouraging the listener to "keep pushing and don't look back."
Overall, the song offers a message of hope and encourages listeners to not be afraid of love, even if they have been hurt before.
Line by Line Meaning
If it's love that you're running from, there's no hiding place.
You can't escape love, so it's better to face the challenges that come with it.
Love has problems I know but they're problems, we'll just have to face. Oh yeah, yeah.
Although love has problems, we have to confront them because they are part of the experience.
If you just put your hand in mine, We're gonna leave all our troubles behind.
If we support each other, we can overcome any challenges.
Keep on walkin' don't look back. (Don't look back) And don't look back. (Don't look back) And don't look back, baby. (Don't look back)
To move forward, it's important to let go of the past and not dwell on it.
If your first lover broke your heart, There's something that can be done.
Heartbreak shouldn't make you give up on love, and there are ways to overcome it.
Don't end your faith in love because of what he's done.
One person's actions shouldn't define all of love, and it's necessary to keep believing in it.
Forget about the past now.
It's time to move on from what happened in the past and focus on the future.
Love can be such a beautiful thing. Though your first love let you down. Oh yeah, yeah
Despite the hurt caused by a failed relationship, love can still bring happiness and joy.
'Cause I know we can make love bloom, baby. The second time around. Oh yeah
Even if one relationship didn't work out, there's hope for a better one in the future.
Keep on pushing and don't look back. (Don't look back) Don't look back, girl. (Don't look back) Oh no we won't look back. (Don't look back) Keep on walking and won't look back. (Don't look back) Keep on walking and won't look back. (Don't look back)
Keep moving forward and don't let the past hold you back.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phil Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan Reed
God Bless you always Mr. Phil Collins 🌿🕊
I have to admit, I find it rather amusing regarding the title of this song in comparison to the title of the album "Going Back".
"Don't Look Back".
In that case..
Tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'll use my Pink Floyd face mask as a blindfold.
Comments be like:
Pink Floyd ??
My response:
"You'll just have to mix and match, Napoleon."
Quote from the movie:
📽🎬
"Napoleon Dynamite"
On a side note -> 🎵
In 2020, my husband voted for Padro. Smart man he is.
That's cuz everyone knows
Padro offers his protection and makes your wildest dreams come true.
That's cuz here in America, the peanut butter landed in our chocolate centuries ago.
Have a blessed day.
Inside Michigan, USA 🇺🇸
P.S.
Yeah, I roll a bit oblong shaped. 🙃
Adrian Arias
Fantastic motown sound Mr.Collins !!💓👍👌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
GOD BLESS YOU 💜
Komal Kumar
Beautiful composition👌👌👌
amc6765
Incredible work as always, Mr. Collins. Your music always takes me to a happy place.
Gotyemusicone
Hello dear, it’s nice meeting you on here.
Regina Mendes
Absolutely beautiful Song! Thank you dear Phil Collins! I love you! ♥️🎼🎶
Ismael Alcázar
🎶 Don't Look Back 🎶 Thanks Phil Collins For This Great &
Excellent Album (Going Back) Full Of Great & Excellent Songs,
You're The Best!!!!! 🎤🥁🎧🎼🎤🥁🎧🎼🎤🥁🎧🎼
Gladis Mabel Minuti
GOOD ALBUM .DONT LOOK BACK 🎵🎵👋😀💜💚
Lul Lel
I am in love with the musician Phil Collins and his whole songs.
Karin Urmo
Me too
TerryT1976
Wow! I’m absolutely impressed with this song. This definitely has the classic Motown style! Great job! 👏👏👏👏👏🎤🥁🎵🎶