☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a man who falls in love with a girl named Sussudio who doesn't know his name.
- He only feels happiness by pronouncing her name and would do anything to be with her.
- Despite his youth and insecurity, he asks her for a chance to be able to show her his feelings.
- The lyrics of the song express the excitement, desire, and uncertainty that often come with young, unrequited love.
- The name 'Sussudio' serves only as a placeholder and has no special meaning.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Sussudio' by
Phil Collins tell the story of a man who falls in love with a girl he calls Sussudio. He can't get her out of his mind, even though she doesn't even know his name ('There's this girl that's been on my mind / All the time, Sussudio oh oh / Now she don't even know my name'). He is convinced that she likes him too and would do anything to be with her if she called him ('Oh if she called me I'd be there / I'd come running anywhere'). He feels great joy just by saying her name ('I feel so good if I just say the word / Sussudio, just say the word'). Although he is aware of his youth and his budding love ('Now I know that I'm too young / My love has just begun'), he asks her for a chance and a sign ('Ooh give me a chance, give me a sign') to show her his feelings. He is determined to win her over ('Ah, I've just got to have her, have her now'), even though he is nervous and scared ('She makes me nervous and makes me scared'). But once again, he feels good just by saying her name ('But I feel so good if I just say the word / Sussudio just say the word'). The lyrics express the excitement, desire, and uncertainty that often come with young, unrequited love. The name 'Sussudio' doesn't have a special meaning; Phil Collins used it as a placeholder when he wrote the song and then kept it because it sounded good.