Life Lessons from Phil Collins

Journey back with me, to a much simpler time than the world we live in today. Back to when there were no such things as “viral” or social media; MTV still played music; A yellow sponge named SpongeBob was just about to become famous; and Britney Spears was in the news for being on the cover of Rolling Stone rather than her conservatorship.

The beginning of summer in 1999.

You’re driving with the kids in the backseat on the way to your vacation getaway, changing songs on the dashboard.

Back to the times of where Ricky Martin was “livin’ la vida loca” on the top of the Billboard charts for five weeks. To a time where you, too, could be an “All-Star” with Smash Mouth and Shania Twain felt “like a woman.”

Through all the hits, an English drummer (with the help of one Rosie O’Donnell and NSYNC) managed to steal the top spot amongst summer albums — with a soundtrack for an animated movie about a man swinging with gorillas.

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a soft spot for Phil Collins and his musicality. From his time with Genesis and the drum machine loops on “Invisible Touch” to his take on Motown in the album “Going Back,” with covers of staple artists like Stevie Wonder and The Temptations, he’s always been on my personal list of top five artists of all time.

I must have heard the gated reverb sound from his drum solo in 1981’s “In the Air Tonight” thousands of times. As Collins says in that song, “Oh Lord.”

Collins has inspired artists from Led Zeppelin to Foo Fighters and even been sampled by hip-hop artists like Nas, DMX and 2Pac.

Heck, even Kayne West has cited him as a direct influence, saying, “I’m trying to put on those Phil Collins melodies,” while producing his 808s & Heartbreak album.

But despite millions (literally) of listens to his numerous albums, I always find myself drifting back to repeat plays and covers of the “Tarzan” soundtrack, an album I truly believe shaped me into the man — a reference to track three on the album — I am today.

The album’s lyrics are simple. Yet, somehow, Collins elicits some of the deepest life lessons anyone should learn while still succeeding in moving along the plot of the movie it’s for.

“In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn.”

Imagine being a 6-year-old in the car, playing with your favorite toy of the week from your last Happy Meal, listening to those lyrics, blissfully unaware of how much more meaning lyrics like that contain than childhood classics of today like “Baby Shark.” Good luck getting that out of your head, though.

In all seriousness, the album really does touch on a number of life lessons that are much deeper than the intended audience Disney was probably expecting when they pitched Collins the idea.

“Hey Phil, big fan of that ‘Hits’ album you dropped last year. Sussudio? Wild! We wanted to pitch you on a project, so just hear me out. It’s a movie about a man learning he’s not actually a gorilla — but don’t worry, we’ll feature of ton of percussion and jungle beats. You know what, did you see Lion King with Elton John? Something like that.”

From the moment the first lyrics of the soundtrack are heard in track one, “Two Worlds,” you can already tell this is not going to be “Hakuna Matata.”

“Put your faith in what you most believe in … trust your heart, let fate decide, to guide these lives we see.”

You might know that when I moved to the Upstate of South Carolina almost three years ago, I had no job lined up whatsoever. My wife was pursuing her physician assistant degree at Gardner-Webb, and I was nothing more than an indebted master’s graduate.

Despite it all, we moved up here, trusting that fate would put us where we needed to be. Phil apparently knew all along.

“Raise your head up. Lift high the load. Take strength from those who need you. Build high the walls. Build strong the beams. A new life is waiting.”

As my college students on TikTok say after I make a great point in a lecture: “Sheeeeesh.” All of that just in track №1.

Moving to track two, “You’ll Be in My Heart,” featuring the talents of Glenn Close, Collins sings a soft ballad I think we all can relate to: that when trouble is close (pun intended), nothing is better than a mother’s love and protection.

“Come stop your crying, it will be alright … I will protect from all around you. I will be here, don’t you cry.”

Imagine getting all of that from a gorilla caring for an infant.

I do a playlist project every semester with my students in our radio production course. I challenge students to pick songs for their playlist that have emotional meaning to them; track three of this soundtrack, “Son of Man” is always on mine.

“Oh, the power to be strong, and the wisdom to be wise. All these things will come to you in time. On this journey that you’re making, there’ll be answers that you’ll seek. And it’s you who’ll climb the mountain. It’s you who’ll reach the peak.”

This has always been my favorite song on the record — even before I knew just how much meaning this song has in the process of maturing. Today, its lyrics shape what I think it means to be a “man.” It sends a message about the realities of life, not just fiction. Add in the amazing instrumentals and steady vocals and you have a hit.

“In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn. You’ll find your place beside the ones you love. Oh and all the things you dreamed of, the visions that you saw … time is drawing near now. It’s yours to claim it all.”

Phil had no business going this hard, this metaphorically. The song takes place during the time-skip scene, as Tarzan patiently learns to adapt and grow without guidance. Collins preaches lessons in patience: as long as you have a desire to grow, things will work out.

It certainly did in my life. Through faith and understanding, I’ve grown into the man I am today. Strength to pickup 500 pounds on a deadlift. Wisdom to be a college professor and still tell a student, “I don’t know, but I will find out.” The place beside my wife of three years, and many more to come.

“Son of man is a man for all to see.”

I can’t heap enough praise on this album and do believe it is the best Disney soundtrack — high praise coming from someone who literally uses “Under the Sea” in a lecture about the third person effect, an advanced communication theory.

Seriously, it’s a really good lecture.

If you haven’t revisited it in a minute, please do. While you’re there, I encourage you to listen to the lyrics and make those connections to your own life. You never know what lessons might just “guide these lives we see.”

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