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)
The Least You Can Do
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But if the rumours are true, that won't bother you at all
I'm trying hard to understand
What it takes to be your man
Now I don't have to wonder anymore
Least you can do is say you're sorry
Least you can do is give me back my heart
Seems living in hope was wrong those years I was away
Thinking your letters, I never received, had gone astray
You said you'd always be there for me
Like a fool I thought you'd be
Now I don't know what I was thinking at all
But the least you can do is say you're sorry girl
Least you can do is give me back my heart
I won't come around no more
You won't find me standing outside your door
Least you can do is tell me why, tell me why
The least you can do is say you're sorry girl
Least you can do is give me back my heart
I won't come around no more
You won't find me standing outside your door
But the least you can do is tell me why
I won't be your fool anymore
There's no need to be cruel anymore ...no, no
Least you can do is say you're sorry girl
The least you can do is give me back my heart ...just give me back my heart
The song "The Least You Can Do" by Phil Collins talks about a man who's waiting eagerly for a call from his love interest. He's trying to understand what it takes to be the woman's man. However, he can't keep wondering about this anymore because he's realized that it's time to move on. He's heard rumors that his love interest wouldn't care even if he doesn't receive her call. In the second verse, he talks about how he'd been away from his love interest for years, hoping to come back to her. He'd been waiting for her, thinking that his letters had gone astray. He trusted her, but she wasn't there for him. He realizes that it's hard to fathom what he had been thinking at that time.
The chorus of the song highlights how the man wants his love interest to say sorry and give him his heart back. The man had kept hoping to be with his love interest but realizes that it's time to move on. He doesn't want to be her fool anymore, and he asks her to tell him the reason behind her behavior towards him.
Line by Line Meaning
I was lying awake last night, waiting for your call
I couldn't sleep last night because I was expecting a call from you
But if the rumours are true, that won't bother you at all
If the rumours I've heard about you are correct, you won't care at all about my feelings
I'm trying hard to understand. What it takes to be your man
I'm struggling to comprehend what it takes to be the person you want in your life
Now I don't have to wonder anymore
I don't have to speculate about our relationship anymore
Least you can do is say you're sorry
The very least you could do is apologize
Least you can do is give me back my heart. Just give me back my heart
The least you could do is return the love and emotion I have invested in you. Give me back what's mine
Seems living in hope was wrong those years I was away
I realize that holding onto the hope that we could work out during the time I was gone was misguided
Thinking your letters, I never received, had gone astray
I assumed the letters you sent me never arrived because I could not find them
You said you'd always be there for me. Like a fool I thought you'd be
You promised to always support me, and I foolishly believed you would keep that promise
Now I don't know what I was thinking at all
Looking back, I'm not sure what my thought process was regarding our relationship
I won't come around no more
I won't be seeking you out anymore
You won't find me standing outside your door
You won't see me waiting outside your house anymore
Least you can do is tell me why, tell me why
You owe me an explanation for what's happened between us. At the very least, tell me why
I won't be your fool anymore
I won't allow you to take advantage of me anymore
There's no need to be cruel anymore ...no, no
There's no justification for unkindness or malice anymore
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ᒪᑌᑕIᗩ ᗰᗷ19 - Músicas Inesquecíveis
I was lying awake last night, waiting for your call
But if the rumours are true, that won't bother you at all
I'm trying hard to understand
What it takes to be your man
Now I don't have to wonder anymore
Least you can do is say you're sorry
Least you can do is give me back my heart
Just give me back my heart
Beautiful
Thanks Phil
Good weekend
Chonkomatic
I was lying awake last night, waiting for your call
But if the rumors are true, that won't bother you at all
I'm trying hard to understand
What it takes to be your man
Now I don't have to wonder anymore
[Chorus]
Least you can do is say you're sorry
Least you can do is give me back my heart
Just give me back my heart
[Verse 2]
Seems living in hope was wrong those years I was away
Thinking your letters, I never received, had gone astray
You said you'd always be there for me
Like a fool I thought you'd be
Now I don't know what I was thinking at all
[Chorus]
But the least you can do is say you're sorry girl
Least you can do is give me back my heart
I won't come around no more
You won't find me standing outside your door
Least you can do is tell me why, tell me why
[Bridge]
I won't be your fool anymore
There's no need to be cruel anymore
[Chorus]
Least you can do is say you're sorry girl
The least you can do is give me back my heart
But the least you can do is say you're sorry girl
Least you can do is give me back my heart
(so I could move on with my life)
But the least you can do is say you're sorry girl
(Is there so much to ask?)
Least you can do is give me back my heart
Give me back my heart
Just for fun.
"The least you can do is tell me why"! Absolutely beautiful song. See you soon Phil & Genesis 😍🇮🇪💚
The Legend Master
I feel bad seeing this comment as the Irish gig was cancelled! Did you get to see them elsewhere?
Esneider Enrique Zabaleta González
Today is my 44th birthday, and I listen to this artwork by Phil Collins, timeless music with soul, thank you Phil Collins, for giving us these musical gems.
Sandy Oliver
This is one fabulous song !! Had to fight back tears !!! Phil Collins you still got it!!! This song is amazing. “The least you can do “ ohhhhhh !!!!🙏🌷
Sandy Oliver
The song “ the least you can do” really hits my marriage right on the head!!! You are so amazing!! Your voice is beautiful!! The fact that this Ga. peach saw you and I was ab absolutely in shock when you walked out on stage with a cane. You still made my heart skip a beat!! Lol thank you for sharing your life with mine.🙏🌷
Lew Angellus
I remember when that album was released in 2002. Great memories. This album marked my life.
Thanks, Phil! God continue to bless your life.
Susanne SCHAFFER
Very beautiful song, wonderful voice. I listen to this song almost every day and I am happy to hear it now. Phil Collins - the best of all❣
Pamela Scott
I am so lucky to have been fortunate enough to grow up (teen years) with the music of Genesis and then the great Phil Collins. I passed the love for his music on to my kids and now my beautiful grand kids. Thank you all the years of greatness
Jackson Keane
Hello friend
Lori Pfadt
So beautiful ♥️
Phil has written some of the most beautiful songs of all time 💕