Phil Collins Defended The Real Meaning Of "Sussudio" During An Interview With David Letterman

Summary

• "Sussudio" is a hit song that confused fans due to its made-up word.
• Collins revealed in an interview that it was just a word that came out while recording at home.
• The song is actually about a boy's crush on a girl named "Sussudio".

Phil Collins's health issues have absolutely changed his music career and his life as a whole. So much so that each of his Genesis band members has been heartbroken about his condition. What makes Collins' medical condition even more tragic is the fact that he won't be able to contribute to the music industry at the same level as he once did. Since the early 1960s, the London-born musician, singer, and songwriter has created some of the world's most recognizable songs. Among them, is 1985's "Sussudio".

Since its release as a single, and its subsequent release as the third track on Phil Collins' third solo album "No Jacket Required", "Sussudio" has confused fans as much as it's entertained them. Mostly because they had no idea what the song was about or what the true meaning of the made-up word was. But during a jokingly confrontational interview with David Letterman, Phil Collins set the record straight...

Phil Collins Revealed The True Meaning Of "Sussudio" During An Interview With David Letterman

The extremely wealthy David Letterman angered a lot of guests during his time as host of Late Night with David Letterman and, more famously, The Late Show with David Letterman. So much so that many of the celebrity guests almost got right up and walked out mid-interview. But this is not what happened with Phil Collins, despite Letterman making fun of one of his most famous songs.

• According to Ultimate Prince, Phil Collins was accused of plagiarizing "Sussudio" which is allegedly similar to Prince's "1999"
• "Sussudio" has a rhythm and beat that is similar to Prince's "1999"

At the beginning of Phil Collins' 1985 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, the former Genesis drummer/singer took part in a sketch that claimed "Sussudio" was just gibberish. In some way or another, this was actually accurate. Later in the show, Phil Collins spoke about how he came up with the hit song's name and what "Sussudio" is actually about.

"Let's get down to it," David Letterman said after some on-air pleasantries were exchanged. "What the heck is the deal? You are one of the biggest men in music today. You've been very, very, very successful. In a lot of areas. A lot of music that everybody can't wait to buy... 'Sussudio'... What does that mean exactly? What were you thinking when you wrote that?"

Collins laughed and then explained...

"It's a word that I made up. And I didn't even make it up. It just came out of my mouth when I was recording at home."

"A word that just came out of your mouth? And the world, music-buying public is supposed to put their money down for a word that just dropped out of your mouth?" Letterman challenged.

"But they laughed at Bee Bop A Lula," Collins said, referring to the 1969 song by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps.

"Are you sure they laughed at it?"

"I don't know, I wasn't around, but I'm sure someone must have laughed," Collins replied.

"So, now, you're sitting there and you're just genetically making noise while you're writing this song?"

"Yes, I'm writing the music and then I sing into the microphone, 'Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, su-su-sudio', you know. Just because the ryhtm of the word felt so good. And I was originally going to replace it. But I couldn't find a word that meant anything that could stand as well. So, I got stuck with it."

This caused Collins to reverse his way of thinking and come up with a meaning for the word he had accidentally made up.

"So, I invented a meaning [for 'Sussudio'] which is actually a girl's name."

Letterman then joked that it was unlikely that Collins had ever run into a woman with the name "Sussudio". To which Collins replied, "But in nine months, you never know. This may blossom. This may find it's way into the name books."

What Is Phil Collins' "Sussudio" About?

While Urban Dictionary has an absolutely filthy meaning for the word "Sussudio", it is in no way what Phil Collins intended the word to mean. As mentioned above, he had inadvertently created the word and made it a woman's name. But what is the 1985 hit single actually about?

According to Song Facts, Phil Collins' "Sussudio" is about a boy's crush on a girl. A girl named "Sussudio". This is evidenced by the song's rather straight-forward 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

Whoa-oh"

How Successful Was Phil Collins' "Sussudio"?

Aside from the plagiarizing accusations, Phil Collins' "Sussudio" was met with largely positive reviews, according to American Songwriter. The song debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped make his album "No Jacket Required" a certified hit.

It also went Gold in 1990.

The song has gone on to become one of Phil Collins' most successful hits.

Additionally, "Sussudio" has been covered by other artists such as Ol' Dirty B*stard of Wu-Tang Clan and was heavily featured in the 2000 film American Psycho. Most of all, "Sussudio" became a quintessential '80s hit. And all of this is despite the fact that it basically all made up on the spot.