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)
Long Long Way To Go
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone lies bleeding in a field somewhere
So it would seem we've still got a long, long way to go
I've seen all I want to see today
While I sit here trying to move you any way I can
Someone's son lies dead in a gutter somewhere
And it would seem that we've got a long, long way to go
Turn it off if you want to
Switch it off, it will go away
Turn it off if you want to
Switch it off or look away
While I sit and we talk and talk and we talk some more
Someone's loved one's heart stops beating in a street somewhere
So it would seem we've still got a long, long way to go, I know
I've heard all I want to hear today
Turn it off if you want to (turn it off if you want to)
Switch it off, it will go away (switch it off, it will go away)
Turn it off if you want to (turn it off if you want to)
Switch it off or look away (switch it off or look away)
Switch it off
Switch it off
Switch it off
Switch it off
Switch it off
Switch it off
Switch it off
Turn it off
The song "Long Long Way To Go" by Phil Collins is a powerful protest against the violence and injustice that pervades our world. The lyrics are a poignant commentary on the human suffering that is still present in our society, centuries after we have supposedly evolved to be more compassionate and empathetic. The opening lines set the tone, as Phil describes himself as "trying to think of things to say," while at the same time acknowledging that "someone lies bleeding in a field somewhere." This juxtaposition effectively highlights the contrast between the isolation of the individual and the collective pain that we all share, regardless of our race, gender, or social standing.
The chorus, with its emphatic refrain to "switch it off," is a call to arms against the desensitization that we all feel when we are confronted with the horrors of the world. Phil seems to be saying that we have become so used to the pain and suffering of others that we no longer feel any real empathy or compassion. This is perhaps the most powerful message of the song, as it underlines the importance of staying engaged and involved in the world around us, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable to do so.
Overall, "Long Long Way To Go" is a masterful evocation of the human condition, one that reaches deep into our collective consciousness and challenges us to rise above our own limitations and become better, more compassionate beings.
Line by Line Meaning
While I sit here trying to think of things to say
As I struggle to express my thoughts, someone is suffering and bleeding in a field
Someone lies bleeding in a field somewhere
There is someone in a state of agony due to physical harm being inflicted to them
So it would seem we've still got a long, long way to go
Despite advancements, humanity has a long way to go before the world can be considered safe and just
I've seen all I want to see today
I cannot bear to witness any more pain and suffering
While I sit here trying to move you any way I can
I am attempting to influence you in any way possible while countless people are dying, like someone's son in a gutter
Someone's son lies dead in a gutter somewhere
A youth has tragically lost their life alone, without aid, in some lower-class slum
But I can't take it anymore
I cannot continue to endure the tragedy and pain in my surroundings
Turn it off if you want to
If seeing all this suffering is too much, you have the power to turn away
Switch it off, it will go away
Turning off the source of the anguish will temporarily make it disappear
While I sit and we talk and talk and we talk some more
While we endlessly converse about issues, someone's close person has lost their life on the street
Someone's loved one's heart stops beating in a street somewhere
A cherished individual has passed on in a gruesome, dehumanizing way in the open public
So it would seem we've still got a long, long way to go, I know
Sadly, there is still a vast amount of progress that needs to be made to prevent such horrible incidents from occurring in the world
I've heard all I want to hear today
I have listened to enough reports of tragedy for one day
Switch it off or look away
In an effort to forget the pain, you have a choice to shut it out or look away
Switch it off
Power down or turn away from the brutality present in the world
Switch it off
Escape or ignore the harshness by disconnecting from the source
Switch it off
Shut it down or distance yourself from the despair unfolding around you
Turn it off
Take a break or stop exposing yourself to the pain and tragedy of the world
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phillip Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Beastinvader
I was in my second year studying politics. I was writing a very stupid assignment on some useless topic. Music was playing in the background.
"While I'm thinking of things to say"
For the first time I actually listened to the song.
"While we talk and talk and talk some more, someone's loved one's heart stops beating in a street somewhere"
It expressed, and still expresses, the deepest emotion I have towards politics in general, but also towards my inability to convince anyone on anything.
We discuss and argue and write stupid assignments. And all for nothing when when we fail to actually make a difference.
"So it seems we've still got a long long way to go"
@chrisklecker
The use of this song in Miami Vice turned what was an excellent, yet sad season finale into a powerful season finale. Way way ahead of its time.
@carlosm.devasconcelllos3939
Indeed. Believe me when i say that this sadness i can feel so far and still lingers
@debbiehildebrandt9405
It also was on Cold Case 💞
@priyankarchakraborty3874
Very true
@m1lst3r89
Good episode.
@Dragondoc4
I can still see the lights reflecting off Crockett's Daytona Spyder replica. 13 year old me wanted that car something fierce. We all thought Fonzi was the epitome of cool at the time. Then Miami Vice introduced us to Crockett and Tubbs. Cool and drip has never been the same since.
@christopherharvey8046
I'm 53 yrs old, an I must be honest, the 80's had the best variety of great music, long live the 80's
@kinesiopro
This song is helping me cope with seeing the havoc in Los Angeles right now... I feel somehow comforted by these words. My mental state is bothered by all I see everyday - the homeless wandering, the crime, the hurt, the lies of the politicians.... long looooong way to go...
@jamesburkett666
that's why I left San Diego couldn't take it anymore
@o.portista
Literally, One of Phil's most underrated work, and tracks. Amazing how time flies, and how this song never gets old. Long live Phil Collins, a legend forever. A true inspiration, and what a legacy. 👑👑👑