"Against All Odds" was a hit from the start. His heart-rending lyrics captured people's attention from the very start. "How can I just let you walk away ... Just let you leave without a trace." The song was originally called "How Can You Just Sit There," and Phil Collins had written it for "Face Value." He didn't include it, but when the director of the movie "Against All Odds" contacted him, per Song Facts, he took that song structure and changed it to fit the theme of the movie.
Collins had a person in mind when he wrote it: his first wife. When Collins wrote the songs for "Face Value," he was in the middle of a divorce. The song was left off the album because he had written a similar song, "You Know What I Mean," and didn't want to have both on there. He channels his anger about his failed relationships in his solo music. Songs like "I Don't Care Anymore" show that. He was reportedly also missing his children at the time as well.
The song was a success. It hit No. 1, and he won a Grammy for it — best pop vocal performance. Even now, it remains a popular song when he is on tour.
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