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)
I Can't Dance
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burning my feet just walking around
Hot sun making me sweat
Gators getting close, hasn't got me yet
I can't dance, I can't talk
Only thing about me is the way I walk
I can't dance, I can't sing
Everything.
Blue jeans sitting on the beach
Her dog's talking to me, but she's out of reach
She's got a body under that shirt
But all she wants to do is rub my face in the dirt
'Cause, I can't dance, I can't talk
Only thing about me is the way I walk
I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling
Oh I'm checking everything is in place
You never know who's looking on
Young punk spilling beer on my shoes
Fat guy's talking to me trying to steal my blues
Thick smoke, see her smiling through
I never thought so much could happen just shooting pool
But I can't dance, I can't talk
The only thing about me is the way that I walk
I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling
Oh I'm checking everything is in place
You never know who's looking on
The perfect body with a perfect face (Mm-hmm)
No, I can't dance, I can't talk
The only thing about me is the way I walk
No, I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling everything
But I can walk
No, I can't dance
No, no, no I can't dance
No, I said I can't sing
But I
can walk
The lyrics to Phil Collins's song "I Can't Dance" depict the self-deprecating musings of a man who doesn't feel like he fits into the party scene around him. He's surrounded by people dancing and talking, but he feels out of place and inadequate. The hot sun on his feet and the gators close by add to his discomfort, stressing his inability to dance or talk. To him, the only unique thing about him is the way he walks. Even when a woman with a perfect figure flirts with him, all she wants to do is humiliate him by rubbing his face in the dirt. Throughout the song, the singer laments his lack of ability to join in with the crowd, but he takes solace in the fact that he can walk if nothing else.
The lyrics to "I Can't Dance" can be interpreted in several different ways. On one hand, they can be seen as a tongue-in-cheek take on a hapless person who simply can't dance or communicate in social settings. On the other hand, they can be viewed as symbolic of a deeper societal issue. The singer seems to be entirely uncomfortable in a party environment, feeling humiliated and marginalized by those around him. This can represent a critique of societal norms, suggesting that those who don't fit into the dominant culture are excluded and ridiculed. Nonetheless, the singer remains defiant, implying that he will maintain his individuality even if it means standing alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot sun beating down
It's really hot outside; the sun is shining so brightly and strongly.
Burning my feet just walking around
The ground is so hot that it's burning the singer's feet even as he walks.
Hot sun making me sweat
Because of the heat, the singer is sweating and feeling uncomfortable.
Gators getting close, hasn't got me yet
Alligators are nearby, but they haven't attacked the singer yet.
I can't dance, I can't talk
The singer isn't good at dancing or talking.
Only thing about me is the way I walk
The singer's only talent is the way he walks; he doesn't have other impressive abilities.
I can't dance, I can't sing
In addition to not being able to dance and talk, the singer also isn't good at singing.
I'm just standing here selling
The singer is trying to sell something while standing still, since he doesn't have other talents to offer.
Blue jeans sitting on the beach
The singer talks about a woman wearing blue jeans on the beach.
Her dog's talking to me, but she's out of reach
The woman's dog is approaching the singer, but the woman herself is too far away to talk to him.
She's got a body under that shirt
The singer notices that the woman has a nice body under her shirt.
But all she wants to do is rub my face in the dirt
Although the woman is attractive, she's mean to the singer and doesn't treat him well.
Oh I'm checking everything is in place
The singer is making sure that everything is where it should be to look presentable.
You never know who's looking on
The singer is conscious of the fact that other people might be watching him and evaluating him.
Young punk spilling beer on my shoes
A young man is carelessly spilling beer on the singer's shoes.
Fat guy's talking to me trying to steal my blues
A overweight man is talking to the singer and trying to take away his happiness or enjoyment (blues).
Thick smoke, see her smiling through
The room is filled with thick smoke, but the singer can see a woman smiling through it.
I never thought so much could happen just shooting pool
The singer is surprised by the amount of activity going on (such as the young man spilling beer) while he's just playing pool.
The perfect body with a perfect face (Mm-hmm)
The singer sees a woman with an excellent body and face.
No, I can't dance
The singer repeats that he doesn't have the ability to dance.
No, no, no I can't dance
The singer emphasizes again that he can't dance.
No, I said I can't sing
The singer reminds the listener that he can't sing either.
But I can walk, walk, walk
Although he doesn't have many talents, the singer can at least walk confidently.
I'm just here to sell, sell, sell.
The singer reiterates that he's mainly focused on trying to sell something, since he doesn't have other abilities to offer.
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Amish_Ezekiel
Lyrics
Hot sun beating down
Burning my feet just walking around.
Hot sun making me sweat
'Gators getting close, hasn't got me yet
I can't dance, I can't talk.
The only thing about me is the way I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling everything.
Blue jeans sitting on the beach,
Her dog's talking to me, but she's out of reach.
She's got a body under that shirt,
But all she wants to do is rub my face in the dirt.
Cause, I can't dance, I can't talk.
The only thing about me is the way I walk.
No, I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling.
And checking everything is in place,
You never know who's looking on.
Young punk spilling beer on my shoes,
Fat guy's talking to me trying to steal my blues.
Thick smoke, see her smiling through.
I never thought so much could happen just shooting pool.
But I can't dance, I can't talk.
The only thing about me is the way I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling
And checking everything is in place
You never know who's looking on
A perfect body with a perfect face
@57thorns
This is how a music video is done. With humor, relevance to the lyrics. And a great beat.
@Jovocale
…I agree…and so entertaining without being vulgar!!
@IDeronME
There's something I love about the irony of belting out the line "I can't sing" perfectly
@burkhardraum1956
I agree, cheers from Cologne 😀🍷🍷🎉🇩🇪
@estilkind
If Phil Collins is retiring this year, like the news says, he's a legend and I'm glad that we had the chance to hear him throughout all of his different musical styles.
@thefirstofthelastones8952
Agree because just like other musicians he makes music and songs that reaches out to you.
@texasgonzo67
Ahmen to both my fellow fans. Rock on. But damnnnn i miss Neil Peart 😣
@IAmInfinitus208
Gotta love the brits' tongue in cheek humor! Phil's definitely strong with his love of Motown too especially!
@chriswright8114
even if it weren't true, he's still a legend
@bird20040
@@texasgonzo67 I miss entwistle