Covid Island Discs

Day 411: Through these walls, Phil Collins

This song captures an unusual theme. It is written from the perspective of a sexual pervert who listens “through these walls” at couples making love and sees through the windows at the girls and boys imagining the noise.

As the song progresses Phil sings

Oh I’m feeling like I’m locked in a cage
No way in, no way out, and it gets so lonely
Am I really asking a lot
Just to reach out and touch somebody
‘Cause when I look through my windows or open my door
I can feel it all around me

In an odd way the song captures the broken humanity of the pervert who is simply incredibly relationally disabled and just wants to end his loneliness.