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)
It
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could not believe my eyes
'Cause I've already given all I have to give
And I think it must have slipped your mind
But I remember not so long ago
I gave it all, it's gone
And I gave it all to you
Now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine
Oh, d'you hear me?
I cannot believe it's true
Are you really doing the things you do
No, I cannot believe it's you, really you
Oh, these people I'm talking to don't understand
Don't seem to realize
They're listening but they're not hearing me
They're being too cruel to be kind
Any kind of feeling that I had is gone
'Cause I gave it all, it's gone
And I gave it all to you
Now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine
Oh, d'you hear me?
I cannot believe it's true
Are you really doing the things you do
No I cannot believe it's you, really you
(Over and over) I keep on telling myself
(Over and over) I hope I'm gonna make up
(Over and over) I know it's really happening
And there's nothing that I can say
'Cause nothing can change all the things that you've done to me
Nothing can make me stay
Ooh, 'cause you know I cannot believe it's true
Are you really doing the things you do
No I cannot believe it's you, really you
I know it's a crying shame, it's all the same to you
It seems all so well laid out but I cannot get through
Never meant it to show
It started happening, that's all you know
Ooh, I gave it all to you
Now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine
Oh, d'you hear me?
I cannot believe it's true
Are you really doing the things you do
No, I cannot believe it's you, really you
(Over and over) I keep on telling myself
(Over and over) I Hope I'm gonna make up
(But over and over) I know it's really happening
And there's nothing that I can say
'Cause nothing can change all the things that you do to me
Nothing can make me stay
'Cause you know I cannot believe it's true
Are you really doing the things you do
No, I cannot believe it's you, really you
The lyrics of "I Cannot Believe It's True" by Phil Collins tell a story of someone who is struggling to come to terms with a recent letter they have received. The letter appears to be from someone they had given all their love to and it seems that person still expects something from them. The singer is taken aback, having already given their all to this person. The lyrics reveal a sense of betrayal, disappointment, and disbelief.
The singer's disappointment resonates powerfully throughout the song. They feel like they have given everything, but it has gone unnoticed. They are left with nothing, and the person who they thought would appreciate their love has only hurt them. The lines "I gave it all to you, now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine" indicate that the singer is determined to move forward even though they have been betrayed. However, they find it hard to connect with others who seem unsympathetic to their plight.
Through the lyrics, Collins highlights the theme of hopelessness and powerlessness in the face of betrayal. The singer feels like nothing can change the situation, and they are left with only borrowed time. The line "nothing can change all the things that you've done to me" sums up the singer's feelings of betrayal and powerlessness. The repetition of the chorus serves to emphasize the singer's disbelief and sadness at the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
When I opened your letter yesterday
Upon reading your letter, I was taken aback.
I could not believe my eyes
Your actions have caused me so much disbelief.
'Cause I've already given all I have to give
I have already given everything I have to offer.
And I think it must have slipped your mind
Perhaps you have forgotten the extent of my previous actions.
But I remember not so long ago
I do recall not too distant past events.
I gave it all, it's gone
I gave everything and there's nothing left.
And I gave it all to you
I offered all I had to you specifically.
Now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine
I am now surviving on a limited resource which I am still entitled to.
Oh, d'you hear me?
Can you understand and hear what I'm saying?
I cannot believe it's true
I am in shock and disbelief about the current situation.
Are you really doing the things you do
Is it true that you're taking these particular actions?
No, I cannot believe it's you, really you
I cannot accept the fact that you are responsible for this.
Oh, these people I'm talking to don't understand
The individuals I'm conversing with just don't get it.
Don't seem to realize
They don't comprehend the full impact of the situation.
They're listening but they're not hearing me
They are hearing my words but not grasping their full meaning.
They're being too cruel to be kind
Their harshness in their approach is not helpful.
Any kind of feeling that I had is gone
I no longer experience any emotions towards the situation.
'Cause I gave it all, it's gone
My emotional capacity has been exhausted.
Now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine
I'm still holding on to whatever time I have left.
(Over and over) I keep on telling myself
I keep repeating these thoughts to myself.
(Over and over) I hope I'm gonna make up
I hold onto the hope that things can be corrected.
(Over and over) I know it's really happening
Despite hoping for change, I acknowledge the reality of the situation.
And there's nothing that I can say
There is no way for me to influence the current event.
'Cause nothing can change all the things that you've done to me
Your actions have caused irreversible damage.
Nothing can make me stay
The situation has gone too far beyond repair.
Ooh, 'cause you know I cannot believe it's true
I cannot come to terms with the reality of the situation.
Are you really doing the things you do
I still struggle to comprehend your actions.
No I cannot believe it's you, really you
It's difficult for me to accept that you are the cause of this.
I know it's a crying shame, it's all the same to you
I understand how disappointing the situation is, but it clearly doesn't phase you.
It seems all so well laid out but I cannot get through
The events all seem to make sense, yet it's still hard for me to accept.
Never meant it to show
I never intended for my emotions to manifest this way.
It started happening, that's all you know
These emotions just slowly crept up on me.
Ooh, I gave it all to you
I offered you everything I had.
Now I'm living on borrowed time, but it's mine
I'm still holding onto what little time I have left.
Oh, d'you hear me?
Do you understand me?
I cannot believe it's true
These events seem so unreal to me.
Are you really doing the things you do
Still struggling to accept your involvement in these actions.
No, I cannot believe it's you, really you
It's difficult to accept that you played such a heavy hand in this situation.
(Over and over) I keep on telling myself
Repeatedly reminding myself of the truth.
(Over and over) I hope I'm gonna make up
I hold onto the hope of fixing what's been broken.
(But over and over) I know it's really happening
Despite my hope and beliefs, the reality is unavoidable.
And there's nothing that I can say
I am not able to make an impact on the situation.
'Cause nothing can change all the things that you do to me
The damage that has been caused is irreversible.
Nothing can make me stay
The situation has progressed too far, leaving me no choice but to leave.
'Cause you know I cannot believe it's true
I can't wrap my head around the reality of the situation.
Are you really doing the things you do
The actions taken are still incomprehensible to me.
No, I cannot believe it's you, really you
It seems impossible that you've been the cause of these actions.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phil Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-mc5em2ot2f
Escuchar estás hermosas canciones,
Son una verdadera joya,
Una generación espectacular.
Sumamente relajante,
Te transporta,en un paraíso lejano.
La música es algo genial.
Sin importar fronteras.
Y no a la guerra.
Dios bendice siempre.
@emmettchan5545
I can phil it collin in the air tonight.
@marssilver
aha hahaha..brilliant
@pazcastillozepeda9104
wow :)
@1985juicey
Yes 😂😂😂
@schokokeks1620
hahaha:)
@DieseResi
I'm dying xDD
@AleksandarIvanov69
There are bad songs.
There are good songs.
There are great songs.
And there are songs that are simply timeless.
@shahaffiq5860
Great comment. I can copy your comment now.
@tiagomh1264
I agree.
@JoeSki253
No, you don’t fool me