Against All Odds

How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh
You’re the only one who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me,
When all I can do is watch you leave
Cos we’ve shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You’re the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now, oh there’s just an empty space
And there’s nothing left here to remind me,
Just the memory of your face
Ooh take a look at me now, well there’s just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds and that’s what I’ve got to face

I wish I could just make you turn around,
Turn around and see me cry
There’s so much I need to say to you,
So many reasons why
You’re the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now, well there’s just an empty space
And there’s nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now, cos there’s just an empty space

But to wait for you, is all I can do and that’s what I’ve got to face
Take a good look at me now, cos I’ll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It’s the chance I’ve gotta take

Take a look at me now

Phil Collins 1984, Soundtrack of Against All Odds

The most vivid memory of listening to this song was during an American Top 40 broadcast in the early 90s. A man wrote in for a long distance dedication and most poignantly described how he reached the depth of drug abuse, and did not realise how lucky he was to have a woman who loved and supported him so much. She left him without a trace. And that jolted him. He got himself cleaned up and stopped doing drugs. He was clean when he wrote in and has his own business and was desparately trying to reach the only woman that matters to him.

I think many of us can relate to this song, in some parts or in full.

To the Ultimate Female Machine, I apologise for what happenend. So many reasons why. You’re the only one who really knew me at all. But unlike the whole song, I'm not waiting. And I have no regrets, even for not letting you know why. Sometimes we have to walk away, to protect the ones we care about.

I wonder what happened to the man who wrote that long distance dedication? I hope he is living his happy ending now.