About The Song
“Sussudio” is a song by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released as a single in January 1985. The song is the first track on Collins’ third solo studio album, No Jacket Required, released in February of the same year. The song was released as a single in the US on 30 April, as follow-up to “One More Night” and entered frequent rotation on MTV in May. By 6 July both single and album reached No. 1 on their respective US Billboard charts. The song peaked at No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart. The song’s title is a pseudoword Collins randomly came up with during a practice session.
Collins has said that he “improvised” the lyrics. Collins was playing around with a drum machine, and the lyric “su-sussudio” was what came out of his mouth. “So I kinda 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'”, Collins said. According to Collins, the lyrics are about a schoolboy’s crush on a girl at school.
The synthesizer, rhythm and synth bass arrangement, sound design, and programming was done by David Frank of the System, and the horn arrangements were done later based on the motif from the bassline.
The music video for the song was filmed at a pub owned at the time by Richard Branson (The Princess Victoria in Shepherd’s Bush) in London. The accompanying music video features Collins, as well as long-time collaborators Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson. The video begins with a man telling his family he is taking his dog for a walk, with them ignoring him while watching TV (which happens to be playing the music video for Phil Collins’ debut solo single “In the Air Tonight”). He passes outside a pub, with live music being played. It then cuts to Collins and his band inside playing for an uninterested crowd. The crowd slowly migrates toward the band as the song progresses, leaving them cheering at the end. Bass player Lee Sklar also appears in the video, although neither Sklar nor Thompson played on the studio recording.
Video
Lyrics
There’s this girl that’s been on my mind
All the time, Sussusudio oh oh
Now she don’t even know my name
But I think she likes me just the same
Sussusudio oh oh
Oh 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
Sussusudio, just say the word
Oh Sussusudio
Now I know that I’m too young
My life has just begun
Sussusudio oh oh
Ooh give me a chance, give me a sign
I’ll show her anytime
Sussusudio 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
But I feel so good if I just say the word
Sussusdio just say the word
Oh Sussusudio, oh
Ah, she’s all I need all of my life
I feel so good if I just say the word
Sussusudio I just say the word
Oh Sussusudio I just say the word
Oh Sussusudio I’ll say the word
Sussusudio oh oh oh
Just say the word
Just say the word
Sussusudio oh oh oh
Sussusudio
Sussusudio
Sussusudio oh oh oh
Sussusudio
Just say the word
Sussusudio oh oh oh
Sussusudio
Just say the word…