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)
Great Spirits
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the air was sweet
And the mountains kissed the sky
In the great beyond, with its many paths
Man and nature lived side by side
In this wilderness of danger and beauty
Lived three brothers, bonded by love
They ask now for guidance
Reaching out to the skies up above
Great Spirits of all who lived before
Take our hands and lead us
Fill our hearts and souls
With all you know
Show us that in your eyes
We are all the same
Brothers to each other
In this world we remain truly
Brothers all the same
Give us wisdom to pass to each other
Give us strength so we understand
That the things we do
The choices we make
Give direction to all life's plans
To look in wonder
At all we've been given
In a world that's not always as it seems
Every corner we turn
Only leads to another
A journey ends, but another begins
Great Spirits of all who lived before
Take our hands and lead us
Fill our hearts and souls
With all you know
Show us that in your eyes
We are all the same
Brothers to each other
In this world we remain truly
Brothers all the same
Brothers all the same
The song Great Spirits by Phil Collins tells the story of the native people who lived in harmony with nature and each other. The lyrics depict a time when the earth was young, and the air was pure, and people and nature coexisted, respecting and supporting each other. Three brothers lived in this natural paradise and were bonded by love and joy, but they also needed guidance and wisdom to navigate the path of life. They reached out to the great spirits of those who lived before them and asked for their help and support.
The chorus of the song beautifully conveys the message that we are all the same in the eyes of the great spirits. It emphasizes that we are all brothers to each other, and we need to care for and support one another to coexist peacefully. The song also highlights the importance of making wise choices and passing on wisdom to others to give direction to all life's plans.
The lyrics of Great Spirits encourage us to look in wonder at all that we have been given, even in a world that is not always as it seems. The song ends on a positive note, reminding us that every journey ends only to begin another one. The message of the song is one of hope, love, and unity, and it urges us to respect and cherish the natural world and each other.
Line by Line Meaning
When the earth was young
At an earlier time in history, when the earth was still developing
And the air was sweet
Before the pollution and destruction of our environment, when the air quality was good
And the mountains kissed the sky
When the natural landscape was breathtakingly beautiful and awe-inspiring
In the great beyond, with its many paths
In a vast expanse of the unknown, where there are endless possibilities and opportunities
Man and nature lived side by side
Humans and the natural world coexisted and relied on each other in harmony
In this wilderness of danger and beauty
In a place that is both thrilling and potentially hazardous
Lived three brothers, bonded by love
There were three siblings who shared a strong emotional connection
Their hearts full of joy
They experienced happiness and contentment in their lives
They ask now for guidance
They are seeking direction and insight
Reaching out to the skies up above
They are looking for answers beyond what they can see or know
Great Spirits of all who lived before
The ancestors or the spirits of the past who have passed on their knowledge and wisdom
Take our hands and lead us
Guide us and show us the way forward
Fill our hearts and souls
Give us a deep sense of purpose and direction
With all you know
Share with us your knowledge and experience
Show us that in your eyes
Demonstrate to us how you perceive the world
We are all the same
Emphasize that despite our differences, we all share a common humanity
Brothers to each other
We are all interconnected and should care for one another like family
In this world we remain truly
In our current existence, we still hold onto these values and beliefs
Brothers all the same
We are all equal and deserving of respect and dignity
Give us wisdom to pass to each other
Grant us the capability to share and transfer knowledge and insight between one another
Give us strength so we understand
Endow us with the power to comprehend and internalize our experiences
That the things we do
Our actions in this world
The choices we make
The decisions we choose to pursue
Give direction to all life's plans
Influence and shape the course of our lives
To look in wonder
To have a deep sense of awe and amazement
At all we've been given
To appreciate all the blessings we have received in life
In a world that's not always as it seems
In a reality that can be deceptive and misleading
Every corner we turn
In every direction we go
Only leads to another
Only brings us to another opportunity or challenge
A journey ends, but another begins
One chapter of life may close, but another opportunity awaits
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PHIL COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eliab Abebayehu
When the earth was young
And the air was sweet
And the mountains kissed the sky
In the far beyond, with its many paths
Man and nature lived side by side
The pretty wisdom does not come without learning
And revision not wholly with our eyes
We can think that we see
Truly see you're around us
But when we look
Do we see with open minds?
Great Spirits of all who lived before
Take our hands and lead us
Fill our hearts and souls with all you know
The key to understanding
Is to see through others' eyes
Find a way to help us
See from all sides
Truly see from all sides
Teach our children to look deeper than the surface
See the world through another's eyes
For to be blind me on yourself
Is to look but not see it
Knowing much is not enough to be wise
To see the wonder
In all we've been given
In a world that's not always as it seems
On the part that we choose
Turn every corner
Follow on, for another begins
Great Spirits of all who lived before
Take our hands and lead us
Fill our hearts and souls with all you know
Key to understanding
Is to see through others' eyes
Find a way to help us
See from all sides
Truly see from all sides
Great Spirits of all who lived before
Take our hands and lead us
Fill our hearts and souls with all you know
Key to understanding
Is to see through others' eyes
Find a way to help us
See from all sides
Truly see from all sides
See from all sides
T’ny
It's not Phil Collins himself, it's how it changes the Musical Format from "The Characters express their feelings and thoughts through songs" to "Phil Collins sings about how the characters are feeling through ambiguous songs"
You can't argue how the Songs from Tarzan aren't good or classic, but it doesn't change how it's an outside presence singing about the events of the film. Like in the Context of Tarzan and Brother Bear, WHO IS PHIL COLLINS supposed to be in the film? The answer is nobody. It's the same as Elton John in The Road to El Dorado, he doesn't play a role where the singer is in the film but he sings all the songs.
Look at all the other renaissance films, the characters sing the songs in the film, in Tarzan and Brother Bear, Phil sings them.
There's a video called "The Problem with Tarzan" that explains this better than I could.
Kathryn Hill
Speckles: The Tarbosaurus of Bravery 🦖
Aladar: The Iguanodon of Compassion 🦕
Bambi: The Deer of Kindness 🦌
Hazel: The Rabbit of Leadership 🐇
Littlefoot: The Apatosaurus of Wisdom 🦕
Po: The Panda of Honor 🐼
Manny: The Mammoth of Strength 🦣
Diego: The Sabertooth Tiger of Mercy 🐅
Marahute: The Eagle of Guidance 🦅
Toothless: The Dragon of Destiny 🐉
zaldy gallardo, jr.
When the Earth was young and the Air was sweet,
And the Mountains kissed the Sky,
In the far beyond, with its many Paths,
Man and Nature live Side by Side.
The pretty Wisdom does not come without Learning,
And great Vision is not wholly with our Eyes.
We can think that we see - truly see you're around us!
But, when we look, do we see with open Minds?
Great Spirits of all who lived before,
Take our Hands and lead us,
Fill our Hearts and Souls with all you know.
The Key to Understanding,
Is to see through others' Eyes.
Find a Way to help us, see from all Sides -
Truly see from all Sides!
Teach our Children to look deeper than the Surface,
And see the World through another's Eyes.
For to be blind beyond yourself is to look - but not see -
And knowing much is not enough to be wise.
To see the Wonder in all we've been given,
In a World that's not always as it seems.
On the Part that we choose, turn every Corner -
Follow on, for another begins!
Great Spirits of all who lived before,
Take our Hands and lead us,
Fill our Hearts and Souls with all you know.
The Key to Understanding,
Is to see through others' Eyes.
Find a Way to help us, see from all Sides -
Truly see from all Sides!
Great Spirits of all who lived before,
Take our Hands and lead us,
Fill our Hearts and Souls with all you know.
The Key to Understanding,
Is to see through others' Eyes.
Find a Way to help us, see from all Sides -
Truly see from all Sides,
See from all Sides!
LINK
I remember seeing this movie in theaters and it was a visual masterpiece. The songs and the story telling. The 2000's was the peak of amazing Disney films.
Chelsea Runyan
I remember seeing this in theater too. It's definitely a masterpiece!
kirara2516
2000's had great movies, yes, but the 90's was when we got the 4 best Disney movies.
DFG 1125
I wasn't even 3 when this came out.. And while googling the release date I discovered Joaquin Phoenix does the voice for Kenai, which is crazy!
Palhaço Pop
LOL. No. Disney had peaked years ago, in 1994, with Lion King. It was all downhill from there with a few exceptions (such as Bro. Bear).
David McAninch
“It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others will help you become whole.” Uncle Iroh, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Haman
There is truly wisdom from different television characters.
Musketeer
Rest in peace, Miko.
Manuel Orozco
Thank God Avatar is back on Netflix. Because we need someone like Iroh right now
Manuel Orozco
@Musketeer It’s Mako