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)
Thru These Walls
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can hear it when they're foolin' around
I can hear through these walls
And I hear every sign, every sound
I can hear through these walls
In the dark with the shades pulled down
Every word that they say
My favorite moment
Putting the glass up next to the wall
Imagination
Tho' I see nothing, I hear it all
Putting my sign up
Do not disturb me, speak or shout, inside out
Oh and my clothes, they're all laid out
I can see through my windows
I can see the girls and the boys
I can see through my windows
And I can imagine the noise
I can see through my windows
I can see them playing with toys
Oh, I hope it won't end
Ooh, if I promise not to touch, just be a friend
Life is so lonely
I don't get high off just being me
I like pretending
Wanting to touch them, wanting to see
It's only normal
Creeping behind you, now don't shout, 'cos it's alright
They keep the windows locked and the door shut tight
Oh I'm feeling like I'm locked in a cage
No way in, no way out, and it gets so lonely
Am I really asking a lot
Just to reach out and touch somebody
'Cause when I look through my windows or open my door
I can feel it all around me
And I can hear through these walls
I can hear it when they're foolin' around
I can hear through these walls
I can hear every sight, every sound
Ooh, I can hear through these walls
In the dark with the shades pulled down
And every word that they say
Every move they make feels it's coming my way
Ah yeah
Ah yeah
Ah yeah
Ah yeah
The song "Thru These Walls" by Phil Collins describes a feeling of loneliness and isolation. The singer can see through his windows and hear through his walls, but he can't connect with the people he observes. He imagines their conversations and activities, but he remains an outsider. He is too afraid to reach out and touch somebody, and so he remains imprisoned in his own mind.
The lyrics suggest a sense of desperation and longing. The singer wants to join in with the fun and excitement he hears and sees, but he feels trapped and helpless. The song conveys a sense of vulnerability and sadness, as well as a desire for human connection. The lyrics also illustrate the power of imagination and the ways in which we can create our own reality, even when we are physically restrained.
Overall, "Thru These Walls" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the experience of feeling isolated and disconnected from others, while still yearning for a sense of belonging and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I can hear through these walls
The singer has the ability to hear through walls
I can hear it when they're foolin' around
The singer can hear when people are engaging in sexual or other intimate activities
And I hear every sign, every sound
The singer can hear every noise that comes from the other side of the wall
Every move they make feels it's coming my way
The artist feels like everything that is happening on the other side of the wall is directed towards them
My favorite moment
The artist's favorite time is when they put their ear to the wall to listen
Putting the glass up next to the wall
The singer puts a glass up to the wall to amplify the sounds coming from the other side
Imagination
The singer has a vivid imagination and can create mental images of what's happening on the other side of the wall
Tho' I see nothing, I hear it all
Even though the artist can't see what's happening, they can hear everything that is going on
Putting my sign up
The artist puts up a sign to prevent people from disturbing them while they're listening
Do not disturb me, speak or shout, inside out
The sign says not to disturb the artist, even if people speak or shout inside the room
Oh and my clothes, they're all laid out
The singer has their clothes laid out and is possibly planning to leave their room
I can see through my windows
The artist can see what's happening outside through their windows
I can see the girls and the boys
The singer watches people of both genders outside their window
And I can imagine the noise
The singer can imagine what kind of sounds are happening outside
I can see them playing with toys
The singer watches people outside play with toys
Ooh, if I promise not to touch, just be a friend
The artist is willing to be friends with someone on the other side of the wall as long as they don't make any physical contact
Life is so lonely
The artist is lonely and doesn't have much social interaction
I don't get high off just being me
The singer doesn't get excited or energized from being alone
I like pretending
The singer enjoys pretending and fantasizing about what's happening on the other side of the wall
Wanting to touch them, wanting to see
The artist wishes they could physically interact with the people on the other side of the wall
It's only normal
The artist believes that their behavior is normal
Creeping behind you, now don't shout, 'cos it's alright
The artist admits to creeping and eavesdropping on people but doesn't want to be confronted about it
They keep the windows locked and the door shut tight
The people on the other side of the wall are aware of the singer's behavior and are taking precautionary measures to keep them out
Oh, I'm feeling like I'm locked in a cage
The artist feels trapped and isolated, similar to an animal in a zoo or cage
No way in, no way out, and it gets so lonely
The singer is stuck in their room and has no social interaction, which makes them feel lonely
Am I really asking a lot
The singer questions whether they're asking for too much by wanting to interact with the people on the other side of the wall
Just to reach out and touch somebody
All the singer wants is to make physical contact with someone else
'Cause when I look through my windows or open my door
The artist has a small glimpse of the outside world from their window or door
I can feel it all around me
The artist can feel the energy and excitement of the people outside, which makes them feel more isolated
Ah yeah
The singer affirms that everything they said is true
Ah yeah
The singer reaffirms their statement
Ah yeah
The artist continues to affirm their statement
Ah yeah
The artist concludes the song by reiterating that they can hear through the walls
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phil Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@superretroworld9501
This song should've been as popular as "In The Air Tonight"
@manco828
I think the ribaldry and lack of the Mike Tyson drum part is why it didn't chart as well.
@she_sings_delightful_things
Agreed!!!!
@Marctull66
I also liked Thru These Walls a lot, probably more than "In The Air Tonight", but it didn't work as well... Maybe it was a bit too much in a similar style and Phil made himself famous for a quite different, quite jazzy sound, on the same album... and that worked ! I'm now quite surprised that "In The air Tonight" was such a hit because it wasn't so commercial, it's not a real ballad and it was a new sound... but it worked. Same with Genesis' Mama, it wasn't commercial at all... I think this couldn't have happened anymore during the last 20 years.... Everything is formatted and extremely limited. (and the promotion by record companies is also very important, we must not forget that, it's obvious that there have been a lot of secret deals between record companies and radio stations...to push some singles )
@ribbs13
Even more
@Tryggvasson
it certainly has the right drum fill for that 👍. i have a couple of songs i'll have to use it on myself.
@lemurianchick
One of my fave songs from Phil. I wore the shit out of "Hello I Must Be Going" back in the day. So many great songs on that album.
@francisouellette5938
Same here. But I had it on a cassette in my walkman for going to work. On my bike. 1 side going in, the other coming back home. I have so vivid memories of this. Good times and exquisite music. Thanks Phil. By the way this song is...as good as all the other ones from Phil. Enjoy.
@edwardsinchuk8199
Hello I must be going is one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song is awesome
@kayla.2744
yess