Phil Collins: The Short Films

(DITL/1996) The Same Moon

I did say in the preface that I would only write oneshots for songs with music videos, but this song doesn't have an official music video, although it's a single.

It's most probably because "Dance Into The Light" is a severely underrated album at the time of its release, its critical reception not that amazing in commercial terms, and with Phil still being hammered by the British tabloids and certain other news in terms of the Faxgate incident, in 1993, where he was THOUGHT to have divorced his second wife, Jill Tavelman, by fax. 

No. He did not do that, by the way. (To the MJfam readers reading this, yes, not just Michael suffers from tabloids)

Anyway, let's push the negativity aside - and enjoy this oneshot I thought of spontaneously! (As usual) :)

Perspective: Phil Collins
1993 | Surrey, England

"Hey... Jill..." I was slowly waking up, turning my body real slow due to the fatigue, but my hands, expecting to feel Jill, felt nothing.

"Jill?"

I shoot up from my rest position in bed, the sun's rays lighting up the room, and I turn to see that...

I'm the only one in the room.

"Jill?" Ah, she probably just went to the bathroom to freshen up, I suppose. The bed still feels warm where she sleeps.

But I think back to when I met up once again with Lavinia Lang, my first love, in Los Angeles...

When I was with Genesis on the We Can't Dance tour, and it was because Jill had mentioned that she was... there.

I couldn't help but try and rekindle a love that I had missed - is Jill angry at me for that? Is that why she left?

I head to the bathroom, hoping Jill would be there to prove me wrong, but as my hands twist the door handle and swing the door inward...

No one's there.

Fuck! She's really angry - is she going to bring Lily with her too?

Desperate, I get dressed and head to Lily's bedroom. The door creaks open, and I see that the room is emptied of her existence, except the furniture.

They're gone... Jill really took me seriously about Lavinia.

No, Jill still loves me, because I do. I refuse to believe that it's over. There must be a reason, I'm not letting myself lose the people I love again, a second time, after what happened with Andy, no.

Not when we're so deep into our relationship now, now when everything started to feel better.

I spend a day in the house, my mind completely blank. I reach for the phone to call Jill many times over, but none of the calls get through.

Knowing Jill won't pick up, I head to the studio, melodies forming as emotions find their way into song.

Unbeknownst to me, time flew past as I made demos, to keep a record of the melodies that came by.

The moon was high up in the sky now - and I remember the time I was with Jill under the stars in the backyard, Lily fast asleep in her room...

♡♡♡

"Jill, don't you think the moon is really bright tonight?" Jill's head was resting on my shoulder as we look up to the night sky, the moon's luminous glow illuminating the ground below.