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)
Se Vuoi
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se vuoi, ti troverà
Anche se, non sai perché
È un figlio come te
Un paradiso intatto che
Vive di pace e vivrà
Per sempre con semplicità
Senti come è calda questa sabbia
Se vuoi, ti scalderà
Fidati del sole che
Vedrai ti guiderà
Una famiglia dove c'è
Sole, vento e umanità
È semplice, ma basterà
E al momento che servirà
Lotta per la libertà
Difendi te e chi non può
Se semini amore
L'amore ti tornerà
E chi potrà asciugare mai
Il pianto di una madre che
Nel suo dolore continuerà
È il tuo cuore che ti sta parlando
Se vuoi, lo sentirai
Lascialo, decidere
Non ti deluderà
The lyrics to Phil Collins's song Se Vuoi speak about the importance of opening up one's arms to those who seek contact or connection. The song encourages listeners to trust in the power of love and connection, even when they may not fully understand why it is important to do so. The song speaks of an idyllic place where peace and simplicity reign, and where a sense of community is built on the warmth of the sun and the humanity of those around us. The lyrics encourage listeners to fight for freedom and to defend those who cannot defend themselves, and to believe in the power of love to heal all wounds.
One of the most interesting facts about the song Se Vuoi is that it was originally written and recorded in Italian. Phil Collins, who is known for his work in the English language, recorded the song in Italian as a way of testing his own language skills and challenging himself as a musician. The song was well-received in Italy, where it became a hit single, and it remains one of Collins's most popular songs in that country to this day.
Another interesting fact about Se Vuoi is that it was later translated into English and included on Collins's album Dance into the Light. Although the English version of the song is similar in content to the original Italian version, the lyrics were adapted to fit the English language, and the song has a somewhat different feel as a result.
Se Vuoi features a number of musical and lyrical motifs that are typical of Phil Collins's style, including lush orchestration, soaring vocal melodies, and introspective lyrics that explore themes of love, loss, and connection. The song is a testament to Collins's versatility as a songwriter and performer, and it showcases his ability to connect with audiences around the world by speaking to universal experiences and emotions.
In terms of the song's musical structure, Se Vuoi features a fairly simple chord progression that relies heavily on major and minor chords, but its soaring melody and emotive performances make it a powerful and emotionally resonant piece of music. The song is driven by an insistent rhythm and a strong sense of momentum, and it builds to a climactic chorus that is both anthemic and deeply heartfelt.
Overall, Se Vuoi is a powerful and deeply affecting song that speaks to the power of love and connection in all our lives. Its message is as relevant today as it was when it was first written and recorded, and its timeless appeal continues to draw fans to it over two decades after its release.
Chords (source: Ultimate Guitar): Am, F, C, G, Dm, Em, E, D, A.
Line by Line Meaning
Apri le tue braccia a chi ti cerca
Welcome those who seek you with open arms.
Se vuoi, ti troverà
If someone is meant to find you, they will regardless of whether you actively seek them or not.
Anche se, non sai perché
Even if you're unsure why they're looking for you.
È un figlio come te
Remember that the person seeking you is human just like you, with similar experiences and emotions.
Un paradiso intatto che
A beautiful and untouched paradise
Vive di pace e vivrà
It's a place that currently lives in peace and will continue to do so in the future.
Per sempre con semplicità
It's a simple but beautiful paradise that will remain that way forever.
Senti come è calda questa sabbia
Feel the warmth of the sand beneath your feet.
Se vuoi, ti scalderà
If you let it, the warmth of the sand will comfort you.
Fidati del sole che
Trust the sun, which
Vedrai ti guiderà
Will guide you on your path.
Una famiglia dove c'è
A family where
Sole, vento e umanità
There's sunshine, wind, and humanity.
È semplice, ma basterà
It's a simple way of living, but it will be enough to sustain you.
E al momento che servirà
And when the time comes,
Lotta per la libertà
You must fight for your freedom.
Difendi te e chi non può
Protect yourself and those who are unable to protect themselves.
Se semini amore
If you sow love,
L'amore ti tornerà
Love will come back to you.
E chi potrà asciugare mai
Who could ever completely dry
Il pianto di una madre che
A mother's tears
Nel suo dolore continuerà
Who will continue to mourn even in their anguish?
È il tuo cuore che ti sta parlando
Your heart is speaking to you,
Se vuoi, lo sentirai
And if you listen carefully, you can hear it.
Lascialo, decidere
Let your heart make the decisions.
Non ti deluderà
It will not disappoint you.
Writer(s): Phil Collins
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Agent Bosconian
on Papa Was a Rolling Stone
It was the third of September
September, 3rd. It was the day that forever changed my life.
That day I'll always remember, yes I will
It was the day that I'll never forget about what had happened at that time.
'Cause that was the day, that my daddy died
The day that my estranged father; who was never around, had perished.
I never got a chance to see him
There wasn't an opportunity for me to even meet the man; not once.
Never heard nothin' but bad things about him
All that I've ever heard about were just awful, terrible, and cruel things that he did.
Momma I'm depending on you, to tell me the truth
Please tell me, Mother. Who and what this man truly was, and what he'd done?
Momma just hung her head and said
My Mother hung her head in sadness; thus she responded in her sorrowful voice to me...
Papa was a rolling stone,
My dear child.... Your Father was a man who could never stay in one place to settle down, and was a selfish person who never cared for anyone; but only for himself..
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
He had gone from one place to another with his hat that he wore; and wherever he put his hat down, he settled in there.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
By the time of his death, all that was left behind from him was loneliness and pain.
Hey Momma!
Mother, can you tell me anything about this Father of mine?
Is it true what they say that Papa never worked a day, in his life
Is it the truth that he never had lifted a finger to work at all; in his entire life?
And Momma, some bad talk goin' round town sayin' that Papa had three outside children
And according to the people that knew him all too well; that he also have bore three other children with his lover?
And another wife, and that ain't right
Such a disgraceful thing to hide about having another woman to be his wife.
Heard them talking Papa doing some store front preachin'
Some people eventually talked about his deceitful tricks, such as being a so-called "Preacher" at his store chapel.
Talked about saving souls and all the time leeching
He pretended to act like he was a priest and tricked many people into saving their souls; but at the same time, he robbed them of their hard-earned money.
Dealing in debt, and stealing in the name of the Lord
Trapped himself into debt with such evil acts; thus had stolen everything in the Lord's name.
Momma hung her head and said
My own Mother shook her head in a disgusted matter...
Papa was a rolling stone,
My dear child.... Your Father was a man who could never stay in one place to settle down, and was a selfish person who never cared for anyone; but only for himself.
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
He had gone from one place to another with his hat that he wore; and wherever he put his hat down, he settled in there.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
By the time of his death, all that was left behind from him was loneliness and pain.
Hey Momma,
I must know the whole truth about this wretched man. What else is there for you to tell me, Mother?
I heard Papa called himself a jack of all trades
Others had said that "Father" believed that he was a Jack-Of-All-Trades; thinking that he was unstoppable at anything that he had done to others.
Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave
Were these criminal actions that Father had committed in his lifetime; unaware of the consequences that he made, the main reason that put him in a six-foot grave of his own in a cemetery?
Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal
Everyone already knew that the bastard was a beggar, a deceiver, and a thief.
To pay his bills
He committed every single criminal activity; in order to pay the debts that he had.
Hey Momma,
But, Mother...
Folks say Papa never was much on thinking
Father had no knowledge of how to take on responsibility on such difficult situations, some other people had also spoke of.
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking
He was nothing but a alcoholic who'd drink so much to his heart's content; as being a philanderer, who would go and become intimate with one woman to another woman; for his own selfish indulgence.
Momma I'm depending on you, to tell me the truth
Is this the entire truth about this disgraceful, cruel, trickster of a Father, Mother?
Momma looked up with a tear in her eye and said, son
Tears stream down on Mother's face; as she spoke one last time about him...
Papa was a rolling stone,
Once again, my child... Your Father was a man who could never stay in one place to settle down, and was a selfish person who never cared for anyone; but only for himself.
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
He had always gone from one place to another with his hat; and wherever he put his hat down, he settled in there.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
By the time of his death, all that was left behind from him was loneliness and pain.
Fredrick muchaili
on One More Night
This song is my favorite ever