The Hit Phil Collins Originally Wrote for Daughter Actress Lily Collins, “You’ll Be in My Heart”

By 1989, music was becoming an integral part of Disney animated films from The Little Mermaid in 1989 to Elton John‘s “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King, and Hercules in 1997. For the 1999 upcoming film Tarzan, Disney wanted something more dynamic and tribal. In 1995, Disney music producer Chris Montan called on Phil Collins to work on the soundtrack, which would feature vocal contributions from Glenn Close, NSYNC, and Rosie O’Donnell.

Scored by Mike Mancina, all of the songs for Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack, were written or co-written by Collins, including the opening theme song, “Two Worlds.”

Because of the way they were written, Collins was asked to perform all the songs himself. “The way I was writing and singing the songs was so much a part of the spirit of the film,” recalled Collins, “they didn’t want anybody else.”

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In Character

When writing, Collins used his own form of method acting by trying to get into the thoughts of each character in the songs. “At one point I could almost be the voice of Kala [Tarzan’s adoptive mother],” said Collins in the documentary The Making of Tarzan. “Then, when he’s growing up, I feel like I become the voice of Tarzan’s father [Kerchak, the silverback leader of the gorilla troop that takes Tarzan in], then you get to ‘Strangers Like Me,’ where I’m actually singing Tarzan’s thoughts.”

Collins also wrote the most memorable ballad from the film, “You’ll Be in My Heart.” Once released, the song went to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of Collins’ classic songs.

[RELATED: The 2 Times Phil Collins Was Ousted From a Beatles Project]

A Bedtime Song

Collins originally wrote “You’ll Be in My Heart” as a lullaby for his then 10-year-old daughter Lily, but it also worked perfectly for the film. “‘You’ll Be in My Heart’ lends itself to so many emotional moments in the movie,” said Collins. “That song, I told my daughter this, is really for her. It’s her song, even though it’s an ape singing it to a baby boy.”

The song plays around the bond between Tarzan and gorilla Kala who rescued and raised him in the film.

Comme stop your cryin’, it will be alright
Just take my hand, hold it tight
I will protect you from all around you
I will be here, don’t you cry

For one so small, you seem so strong
My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm
This bond between us can’t be broken
I will be here, don’t you cry

‘Cause you’ll be in my heart
Yes, you’ll be in my heart
From this day on, now and forever more
You’ll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You’ll be here in my heart always

Lily’s Favorite Phil Collins Song

In addition to English, Collins also recorded the song in Spanish (“En Mi Corazón Vivirás”), German (“Dir Gehört Mein Herz”), French (“Toujours Dans Mon Cœur”), and Italian (“Sei Dentro Me”).

“You’ll Be In My Heart” won a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture in 2000.

Lily Collins has always said that “You’ll Be In My Heart” is her favorite song by her father. “It was written as a lullaby to me when I was younger,” said Collins of his song. “We grew up watching Disney shows and movies together so that was his way of being able to do it for his kids, and it was so special.”

After seeing her father perform with Genesis in 2022, Collins said there are “too many” favorite songs but called out her father’s 1981 hit as another favorite. “Probably ‘In the Air Tonight,’” she said. “There’s too many.”

Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images For Relativity Media