Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)

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?
‘Cause 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 the 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 nothin’ left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face

Now take a look at me now
‘Cause there’s just an empty space
But to wait for you, is all I can do
And that’s what I’ve gotta face

Take a good look at me now
‘Cause 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
-Written and Performed by Phil Collins

Thought I would go back to 1984 (which was a complete crap year) and see if there were as many bangers on the charts. And it might have been an even better year than 1985. For one thing, FOOTLOOSE was in the theaters. So all of its great songs were hitting the charts.

Look at this list of #1 songs from 1984:

“Say Say Say” – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
“Owner of a Lonely Heart” – Yes
“Karma Chameleon” – Culture Club
“Jump” – Van Halen
“Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” – Phil Collins
“Hello” – Lionel Richie
“Let’s Hear It for the Boy” – Deniece Williams
“Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper
“The Reflex” – Duran Duran
“When Doves Cry” – Prince
“Ghostbusters” – Ray Parker Jr.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” – Tina Turner
“Missing You” – John Waite
“Let’s Go Crazy” – Prince and the Revolution
“I Just Called to Say I Love You” – Stevie Wonder
“Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)” – Billy Ocean
“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” – Wham!
“Out of Touch” – Daryl Hall and John Oates
“Like a Virgin” – Madonna

Banger after banger after banger!

But the song for this entry’s title… one of my favorite songs of all time. Perhaps my favorite Phil Collins song, but it is tough to choose just one. This song was released for a movie of the same name. That movie has been completely forgotten, but this song will never be forgotten.

And the punchline in a great joke:

People said I’d never get over my obsession with Phil Collins.
But take a look at me now.

It is also instrumental in one of my all-time favorite episodes of “This American Life”. But if you want to know about that, you’ll have to ask me about it.

But Thursdays are for flowers. Today’s flowertography collection will involve flowers from my yard.

Next Thursday’s flowertography collection will also feature flowers from my yard.