“Sussudio” has no literal meaning, Phil Collins said. The sound came to him while he was writing the song; after he could not find another word that fit the rhythm as well, he kept it and made it the girl’s name in the song’s scenario.
What did “Sussudio” mean to Phil Collins?
In a 2010 CNN interview, Collins answered the question directly: “It doesn’t mean anything.” He said the word “popped out” while he was writing the song. He tried to find a different word that scanned as well, but could not, so he stuck with “Sussudio.”
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Collins then gave the invented sound a role in the song: he treated it as a girl’s name. His explanation describes a made-up name chosen for how it worked in the song, not a word with a hidden dictionary definition.
What was the David Letterman interview?
The official David Letterman channel identifies its clip, “Phil Collins Reveals the Truth About ‘Sussudio’ | David Letterman,” as a segment from Late Night that aired June 24, 1985. That identifies the broadcast and clip, but the channel description does not provide a full transcript of the exchange.
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The detailed explanation of the word comes from Collins’s later CNN interviews, not a verified transcript of the 1985 Letterman conversation. In the 2010 transcript, interviewer Joy Behar asked, “What exactly does ‘Sussudio’ mean? And where do you come up with it?” Collins’s answer about its improvised origin is therefore best attributed to CNN rather than presented as a verbatim quote from Letterman’s show.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you hear the song?
“Sussudio” is associated with Collins’s No Jacket Required album. Listening to the song makes clear why Collins’s account focuses on the sound and rhythm of the name; the explanation of its origin, however, is his own recollection in the CNN interview.
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- Certified at 4 million units by the RIAA. (3/01)
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- The career-spanning compilation initially released back in 2018 is filled full of hits such asIn The Air Tonight,Sussudio,Against All Oddsand so much more.
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