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)
That's Just the Way It Is
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he didn't even know your name
Young men come and young men go
But life goes on just the same
And I don't know why
Why do we keep holding on
I don't know why
Oh why
Is there something I don't know
Or something very wrong, with you and me
Or maybe
That's the way it is, there's nothing I can do,
That's just the way it is.
They've been waiting for word to come down
They've been waiting for you night and day
They won't wait any longer for you
It may already be too late
And I don't know why.
You see the dying, you feel the pain
What have you got to say
If we agree that we can disagree
We could stop all of this today
It's been your life for as long as you can remember
But you cannot fight no more
You must want to look your son in the eyes
When he asks you what you did it for
'Cos all day long he was fighting for you
And he didn't even know your name
Young men come and young men go
But life goes on just the same
I don't know why...
The song "That's Just the Way It Is" by Phil Collins sheds light on the ongoing problem of violence and injustice, emphasizing the timeless nature of these problems. It starts with the singer observing a young man who fights for others despite not knowing their names – this emphasizes how individuals can often suffer or strive without recognition. The chorus of the song expresses the singer's frustration about the way things are and how people tend to hold onto things that are not beneficial to them. The singer expresses confusion about why people tend to hold on to things that do not benefit them, rather than addressing the root cause or taking action to make a change.
The second verse highlights the waiting game people suffer while waiting for things to happen. The singer emphasizes that waiting does not solve problems, and if people continue waiting, the situation can get much worse. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the powerlessness people feel, unable to do anything to change the situation. The third verse speaks of the tragic consequences of violence – death and pain. The singer urges for people to speak out and act to change things rather than waiting for someone else to take the initiative. The next verse talks about how some people are forced to fight even though they would rather not, and how the burden of fighting can wear people down. The song ends with the chorus, emphasizing the futility of fighting against a system they cannot change.
Line by Line Meaning
All day long he was fighting for you
He fought for you all day without knowing who you are
And he didn't even know your name
He fought for you without even knowing your name
Young men come and young men go
Young men enter and leave our lives
But life goes on just the same
Life continues even after people leave
And I don't know why
I don't understand
Why do we keep holding on
Why do we hold on to things that cause us pain
Pretending to be oh so strong
Faking strength to hide our vulnerability
Oh why
Why
Is there something I don't know
Is there something I am unaware of
Or something very wrong, with you and me
Something is off in our relationship
Or maybe
Perhaps
That's the way it is, there's nothing I can do,
This is how things are and I cannot change it
That's just the way it is.
This is the reality
They've been waiting for word to come down
They have been waiting for news
They've been waiting for you night and day
They've been waiting for you constantly
They won't wait any longer for you
They can't wait anymore
It may already be too late
It might already be too late
You see the dying, you feel the pain
You witness death and feel the agony
What have you got to say
What can you say about it
If we agree that we can disagree
If we acknowledge that we can have different opinions
We could stop all of this today
We can put an end to it today
It's been your life for as long as you can remember
It has been a part of your life for as long as you can recall
But you cannot fight no more
You can't fight anymore
You must want to look your son in the eyes
You want to face your son and tell him the truth
When he asks you what you did it for
When he asks about your actions and motives
'Cos all day long he was fighting for you
He fought for you all day
I don't know why...
I still don't understand why
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phil Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maximegagne5979
Here are the lyrics:
All day long he was fighting for you
And he didn't even know your name
Young men come and young men go
But life goes on just the same
And I don't know why
Why do we keep holding on
I don't know why
Pretending to be oh so strong
Oh why
Is there something I don't know
Or something very wrong, with you and me
Or maybe
That's the way it is, there's nothing I can do,
That's just the way it is.
They've been waiting for word to come down
They've been waiting for you night and day
They won't wait any longer for you
It may already be too late
And I don't know why.
You see the dying, you feel the pain
What have you got to say
If we agree that we can disagree
We could stop all of this today
It's been your life for as long as you can remember
But you cannot fight no more
You must want to look your son in the eyes
When he asks you what you did it for
'Cos all day long he was fighting for you
And he didn't even know your name
Young men come and young men go
But life goes on just the same
I don't know why.
@wendyimrei2353
So tragic that the world wide human race can’t find peace, acceptance and true respect for each other. Phil Collins portrays it all; so many poignant and meaningful songs, just beautiful
@wendyimrei2353
.that’s just the way it is, unfortunately. As a Disability, Mental Health & Aged Care Worker, just makes me more mindful to care!
@wendyimrei2353
Surely, kindness and compassion isn’t fading into oblivion?
@SoftRockMusic88
Já ouvi muitas vezes, mas é uma versão mágica que não pode faltar Quem ouvir por favor me dê um joinha
@margaridamarquesdonascimen5957
Ouvir o Phil é tudo de bom. Obgd Phil. Suas obras, além de nos emocionarem, nos passam boas informações. 👋👋👋Um abraço.
@gilscorner2813
Most of Phil's songs brings tears to my eyes because ALL of his music comes from the heart, Thanks Phil!
@memorialgardens1664
Hopefully you have stopped crying …me no but I laugh a lot too…. 🤝💕sending good thoughts 🧠🙋♂️🇬🇧
@kellydangelo4300
My father is losing his memory. This song reminds me of his struggle.
@memorialgardens1664
@Kelly D'Angelo 🧠💪💕🙏
@rosekuassi798
Me toi😍😍😍😍😍😍this IS true