Sussudio

by

Phil Collins

Album: No Jacket Required      Released: 1985

US Chart: 1     UK Chart: 12

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On a 1997 episode of VH1 Storytellers, Collins said: "This is one of those examples of improvising lyrics. You know, sometimes you can use the lyric, other times you're in big trouble, because what you write doesn't mean anything. So I set up this drum-machine pad, and I got some chords, and I started to sing into the microphone, and this word came out, which was "sus-sussudio." It just literally came out, at the time... that was back when I could dance, so I kind of knew I had to find something else for that word, then I went back and tried to find another word that scanned as well as "sussudio," and I couldn't find one, so I went back to "sussudio." Then I thought OK, let's give it a meaning, what is it? The lyrics are based on this schoolboy crush on this girl at school. It's happening with my daughter now, she's 8 years old and she loves this boy, but she won't tell him, like in the lyrics this boy loves her but they don't talk about it... how do they know? 'I know she likes me, I know she likes me, doesn't know my name, doesn't know I exist, but I know she likes me'... So that's what the song is about, so "sussudio" became a name for this person, and since it's become a name for a horse. My older daughter's got a horse called Sussudio, and I'm sure there are children all over the world with the name Sussudio, so I apologize for that." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

As was the rest of the album, this was recorded in Collins' living room shortly after he married wife #2.

When this was released in 1985, critics assailed Collins for its similarity with Prince's hit "1999." Collins responded by saying that he was a "big Prince fan" and that his original version of "Sussudio" sounded even more like Prince.

"Sussudio" is a girl's name in the lyrics, but it is also the name Collins gave to the song's drum track.

This was the second US #1 hit from the No Jacket Required album. The first was "One More Night." (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 4)

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Comments:

The radio stations overplayed this one so much, it was inevitable that it would end up being one the 50 worst! Right up there with Michael Jackson's "Billie jean" and Janet Jackson's "Miss You Much." As a matter of fact, pretty much EVERYTHING Phil Collins ever sang was played way too much on radio!!
- Tom, Marble Falls, AR

Annabelle, it was Lily who Phil Collins was talking about in the quote from VH1 Storytellers, which I posted.
- Edward Pearce, Ashford, Kent, England

Which one of Phil's daughters has the horse? Is it Jolie, or is it Lily?
- Annabelle, Eugene, OR

I realize that there are probably some hard-core Genesis fans who utterly despise this song, but it remains one of the "catchiest" songs that Phil Collins has ever done (and I have no problem with catchy pop songs).
- Clarke, Pittsburgh, PA

VH1 named this one the worst songs ever, but they also like crappy reality shows so that doesn't mean very much.
- Nathan, Defiance, OH

This was named in VH!'s list of the 50 Worst Songs of all time.
- Matt, Millbrae, CA

Appears during the infamous threesome scene in American Psycho.
- Jim, Watkins Glen, NY

This song technically is about being in love with someone, but you don't know their name.
- Alex, New Orleans, LA

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