Sussudio

Sussudio is a pop song by Phil Collins, released as a single in February 1985. The song is also the first track on Collins' third album, No Jacket Required, released in January of the same year. The song entered frequent rotation on MTV in May, and by July 6, both the single and the album reached number one on their respective U.S. Billboard charts. "Sussudio" was the first track released as a single in the UK, and the second to be released in the US. In the UK the song reached number 12 on the UK charts. In the US, the song entered frequent rotation on MTV in May, and by 6 July, both the single and the album had reached number one on their respective US Billboard charts. A remix of the song appeared on Collins' 12"ers album. Collins has said that he "improvised" the lyric. Collins was just playing around with a drum machine, and the lyric "sus-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 crush on a girl at school. Collins' older daughter has a horse named "Sussudio". The music video for the song was filmed at a pub owned by Richard Branson in London. The accompanying music video features Collins, as well as long-time collaborators Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson. It begins with an outdoor shot of a pub, then cuts to Collins and his band playing for a disinterested crowd. The crowd slowly migrates toward the band as the song progresses, leaving them cheering at the end. Renowned bass player Lee Sklar also appears in the video, however neither Sklar nor Thompson played on the actual studio recording. Reception for the song was mostly positive. Keegan Hamilton of the Riverfront Times said that the song was the best track on the album, saying that it's "catchy gibberish." "Even though this song isn't on the Flashdance soundtrack, it makes me want to put on some goofy legwarmers and kick out an aerobics routine. Where the vast majority of artists from this era try out the synthesizer/keyboard/horn section soup and fail miserably, Collins seems to have the recipe down to a science," Hamilton adds. However, Geoff Orens of Allmusic belives that the song is "dated." Robert Hilburn of The Los Angeles Times thought the song had a "friskier R&B style" as compared to Collins' other songs, and agreed that it sounded very much like a Prince song. Michael R. Smith of The Daily Vault believed that "Sussudio" was the best track on the album, calling it a "monster track," also adding that "This is a song that chugs and churns along at a gingerly pace, set to a beat that is sure to get car speakers thumping. At the time, it was like nothing you had ever heard before on the radio. The word 'Sussudio' may not have meant anything, but the song itself was pure magic." David Fricke of Rolling Stone was not a fan, saying that songs like "Sussudio", with the heavy use of a horn section, were "beginning to wear thin." It is one of Collins' more famous songs and is referenced in many different media, including books, stand-up comedy acts and television shows. Collins has said that this is the song people most often sing to him when they spot him on the street. In the novel and film adaptation of American Psycho, the main character of the movie (Patrick Bateman) briefly discusses it, before engaging in sexual intercourse with two prostitutes while it plays loudly from his CD player in the background, amongst other work by Phil Collins. It was heavily criticized for sounding too much like Prince's song "1999", a claim which Collins does not deny, saying that he is a big fan of Prince's work.

[Intro] There's a girl that's been on my mind All the time, Su-Su-Sussudio, oh, oh Now she don't even know my name But I think she likes me just the same, Su-Su-Sussudio, oh, oh [Verse 1] 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 Su-Su-Sussudio, just say the word, oh, Su-Su-Sussudio [Chorus 1] Now I know that I'm too young My life has just begun, Su-Su-Sussudio, oh, oh Ooh, give me a chance, give me a sign I'll show her anytime, Su-Su-Su-Sussudio, oh, oh [Verse 2] 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, Su-Su-Sussudio Just say the word, oh, Su-Su-Sussudio, oh [Chorus 2] Ah, she's all I need, all of my life I feel so good if I just say the word, Su-Su-Sussudio I just say the word, oh, Su-Su-Su-Sussudio I just say the word, oh, Su-Su-Sussudio I'll say the word, oh, S-Su-Su-Sussudio, oh, oh, oh [Outro] Just say the word Just say the word, ooh Just say the word S-Su-Su-Sussudio, Su-Su-Sussudio Su-Su-Sussudio, Su-Su-Sussudio Sussudio, Su-Su-Sussudio Just say the word, Su-Su-Sussudio Just say the word, oh Just say the word