The Reverse-Engineering Behind the Meaning of Phil Collins’ “Sussudio”

Phil Collins released “Sussudio” as the second single from No Jacket Required in April 1985. It was the height of Phil-mania, as he was scoring hits left and right, both with Genesis and on his own. Collins would even make an appearance on the popular Miami Vice TV series later that year.

Fans loved “Sussudio” for its danceable beat and a synth melody and tone that was, shall we say, “inspired” by Prince’s “1999.” Everyone who enjoyed the song wasn’t necessarily wowed by its lyrics. It was hardly a surprise when Collins revealed that “Sussudio” was a nonsense word he created while improvising the lyrics. He intended to replace it with an actual word but never found one that fit the melody as well.

While the song’s title is meaningless, the song itself is not. Since Collins was not able to find a refrain that had an actual meaning, he wrote the rest of the lyrics in order to give “Sussudio” some substance. He essentially reverse-engineered a meaning for “Sussudio.”

A Song About a Boy’s Crush

Collins decided that, for the purposes of the song, Sussudio would be a girl’s name. Now he just needed to come up with a story around this character. Collins decided the song would be about a boy who is infatuated with a girl he knows from school. They don’t actually know each other well at all, though, as we learn from the first verse.

There’s a girl that’s been on my mind
All the time
Su-sussudio
Oh, oh
Now she don’t even know my name
But I think she likes me just the same
Su-sussudio
Whoa-oh

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Nonetheless, the boy is so smitten with his crush that he “feels so good” if he just says “the word” (i.e., “Sussudio”). In case we don’t pick up that the song is from the perspective of a young boy in the first verse, Collins makes it the first thing he sings in the second verse.

Now I know that I’m too young
My life is just begun
Su-Sussudio
Oh, oh

But whatever self-awareness Collins’ schoolboy has about being too young for this kind of infatuation, it’s gone by the next part of the verse.

Ooh, give me a chance, give me a sign
I’ll show her anytime
Su-su-Sussudio
Oh, oh

But will this aspiring Romeo really “show her anytime?” Collins’ lyrics make it clear that he is waiting for the girl to let him know she feels the same way about him. In the pre-chorus that follows, he admits I’ve got to get closer / But I don’t know how / She makes me nervous / It makes me scared. Does she like him, too? Does he ever get up the gumption to talk to the girl? Collins doesn’t take the story that far, content to just let us enjoy this pop confection as it is.

The Impact of “Sussudio”

“Sussudio” was Collins’ third No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was certified Gold in 1990. It helped to propel No Jacket Required to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and it spent seven weeks at the top spot. Collins acknowledged the single’s massive success, having named his daughter’s horse, Sussudio, and referencing the song in his 1990 official video for “Hang in Long Enough,” In the video, Collins and his band are playing on a sinking ship called the S.S. Udio.

“Sussudio” was covered by Ol’ Dirty Bastard of Wu Tang Clan for the 2001 Phil Collins tribute album Urban Renewal. “Weird Al” Yankovic also covered part of the song for his 1986 “Polka Party!” medley. “Sussudio” was featured in the 2000 film American Psycho, too, although it was not included on the soundtrack album.

After the mammoth popularity of No Jacket Required, Collins suffered from overexposure in the media. His music remained remarkably popular into the early ‘90s, and he can probably chalk that up to changing up his musical style on future releases. For the most part, Collins eschewed bright, danceable songs like “Sussudio” for subtler fare. Few songs typified the zeitgeist of the mid-’80s like “Sussudio” did, and it remains one of his most popular songs in the digital era. Some may come for the groove, but surely some come for the nostalgia.

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