Sussudio Lyrics
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, woah-oh
[Pre-Chorus]
Ah, if she called me I'd be there
I'd come running anywhere
She's all I need, all my life
I feel so good if I just say the word
[Chorus]
Su-sussudio
Just say the word, oh, su-sussudio
[Verse 2]
Now I know that I'm too young
My life has just begun
Su-sussudio, oh, oh
Ooh, give me a chance, give me a sign
I'll show her anytime
Su-su-s-sussudio, oh, oh
Ah, I've just got to have her, have her now
I've got to get closer, but I don't know how
She makes me nervous and makes me scared
I feel so good if I just say the word
[Chorus]
Su-sussudio
Just say the word, oh, s-s-su-s-s-sussudio, oh
[Horns Solo]
[Pre-Chorus]
Ah, she's all I need, all of my life
I feel so good if I just say the word
[Chorus]
Su-sussudio
I just say the word, oh, su-su-s-sussudio
I just say the word, oh, su-sussudio
I'll say the word, oh, s-s-su-s-s-sussudio, oh, oh, oh
[Outro]
Just say the word
Ooh, just, just, just say the word (Ah-ha-ha)
Ooh-hoo, just say the word
Su-su-s-sussudio (Ah-ha-ha)
Su-sussudio
Ah, ah, su-s-sussudio (Ah-ha-ha)
Su-sussudio, sudio
Su-sussudio (Ah-ha-ha)
Yes, say the word (Ah-ha-ha)
Su-sussudio (Ah-ha-ha)
Say the word, oh
Just say the word (Ah-ha-ha)
Ooh, just, just, just say the word
Ooh-hoo, just say the word…
About
When this was released in 1985, critics assailed Collins for its similarity with “1999” by Prince. Collins responded by saying that he was a “big Prince fan” and that his original version of “Sussudio” sounded even more like Prince.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
According to Songfacts,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 eight 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.
According to website Unmask Us, Phil said:
The lyric is all about this guy who has a schoolboy crush on this girl at school. “Sussudio” is a made up word I used when writing the song and it became the name of the girl in the song.
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