Phil Collins - Don’t Lose My Number (1985) bass cover

Original bassist - Leland Sklar

"Don't Lose My Number" is a song by the English singer Phil Collins from his third solo studio album No Jacket Required. The single was not released in the UK, though it peaked at No. 4 in the US in September 1985. The B-side, "We Said Hello Goodbye" was released as a bonus track on the CD for No Jacket Required. In Australia, the single was released with the title "(Billy) Don't Lose My Number".

Collins has stated that the lyrics to "Don't Lose My Number" were improvised, and that he himself does not fully understand what they mean. Stephen Holden of The New York Times also agreed that the lyrics were very "vague, sketching the outlines of a melodrama but withholding the full story". The song prominently features Collins' signature gated reverb drum sound.

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
They came at night, leaving fear behind
Shadows were on the ground
Nobody knew where to find him
No evidence was found
"I'm never coming back!" they heard him cry
And I believe him
Well, he never meant to do anything wrong
It's gonna get worse if he waits too long

[Chorus]
Billy, Billy, don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you
Oh, now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you, oh no

[Verse 2]
Searching through the day and into the night
They wouldn't stop till they found him
They didn't know him and they didn't understand
They never asked him why
"Get out of my way!" they heard him shout
Then a blinding light
Oh, all I could see was him running down the street
Out of the shadows and into the night

[Chorus]
Now Billy, Billy, don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you
Oh, now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you, oh

[Bridge]
Don't give up, keep running, keep hiding
Don't give up, Billy, if you know you're right
Don't give up, you know that I am on your side
Don't give up, oh Billy, you better, you better
You better run for your life

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]
Now Billy, Billy, don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you
Oh, now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you, oh

[Verse 1]
They came at night, leaving fear behind
Shadows were on the ground
Nobody knew where to find him
No evidence was found
"I'm never coming back!" they heard him cry
And I believe him
He never meant to do anything wrong
It's gonna get worse if he waits too long
[Outro]
Now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you
Oh, now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you
Oh, now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you
Oh, now Billy, Billy don't you lose my number
'Cause you're not anywhere that I can find you…