The song In the Air Tonight was the first single of Phil Collins’ solo career and proved to be one of his biggest hits. She rose to the top of the charts in several countries over the years. It is still often used in movies, commercials and television. It has a huge number of covers.
And a very common bike is associated with it, which was believed not only by Collins fans, but even by some music critics.
Legends of the song In the Air Tonight
Let’s start dealing with the history of creation and the meaning of In the Air Tonight not in chronological order, but with a story about the aforementioned rumors that arose after the song had thundered all over the world. They exist in several versions, but all of them are connected with a couplet in which the author, addressing someone, says that he would not shake hands with him if he were drowning.
According to the most common urban legend about the song, Collins saw his close friend go to the bottom. He himself could not save him, because he was too far away. But near the place of the tragedy there was a certain person who did not want to help the drowning man. Allegedly, Phil subsequently invited the man to the concert and asked the lighting staff to keep him in the spotlight during the performance of In the Air Tonight. The further fate of the guy is described in various variations: dismissal from work, arrest, prison and even suicide.
A fiction is also known, according to which the singer himself did not want to come to the aid of a drowning man, since he either raped his wife, or committed some other vile act.
Even rapper Eminem joined the spread of rumors about In the Air Tonight, who in the text of the popular track Stan mentions them as real events.
In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins – The Story Behind
Everything is clear with the rumors and legends, now let’s go back to the real story of the song’s creation. In 1979, Phil Collins, coming back from a tour he was on with the band Genesis, found out that his wife had left him. It was a hard blow for the musician, and it took a long time before he was able to cope with the shock. He expressed all of his frustrations in “In the Air Tonight.
The song began with a drum part that he programmed on a drum machine. A little later he added bass and chords. The lyrics to “In the Air Tonight” came from improvisation in the studio:
“I was just goofing around. I had some chords that I liked, and I turned on the microphone and started singing. The lyrics you hear are something I wrote spontaneously. It scares me a little bit, but I’m quite proud of the fact that I sang 99.9% of the lyrics spontaneously.”
The real meaning of the song In the Air Tonight
In fact, nothing of the sort happened. Collins has repeatedly denied these stories, although many prefer to believe in their reality. Here’s what he told the BBC correspondent:
I don’t know what this song is about. When I wrote it, I was in the process of a divorce. All I can say about her is that she clearly showed up in anger. This is the angry or bitter side of a breakup. And this makes it even more comical to hear stories that began many years ago, especially in America, when they came up to me and asked: “Did you really see someone drowning?” And I answered: “No, it’s not true.” And every time I return to America, the story is transmitted over a broken phone and acquires more and more details. It’s so disappointing because it’s probably the only song I’ve written that I really can’t tell what it’s about…
As for the phrase about the reluctance to lend a hand to a drowning man, then, according to Phil, it is symbolic and has nothing to do with any events.
Readers who speak English can listen to the author’s story about what the song In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins is about.
The story of In the Air Tonight
Now that we’ve found out that the rumors about In the Air Tonight are just speculation, let’s see how it was actually written.
In 1979, Phil Collins, returning from a tour on which he was with the Genesis group, learned that his wife had left him. This was a heavy blow for the musician, and it took a long time before he was able to cope with the shock. He expressed his overwhelmed negative emotions in In the Air Tonight.
The song began with a drum part that he programmed on a drum machine. A little later, he added a bass guitar and chords to it. The lyrics of In the Air Tonight came about as a result of improvisation in the studio:
I was just fooling around. I had the chords that I liked, and I turned on the microphone and began to sing. The words you hear are those that I spontaneously wrote. It scares me a little, but I’m quite proud of the fact that I sang 99.9% of the lyrics spontaneously.
Turn It On Again: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Genesis, 2004
I won’t bore you with the details of the song recording process. If you speak English, look in Mix magazine (mixonline.com) for an article in which Collins explains in great detail how he worked on the composition in the studio, who helped him, and what difficulties they encountered.
Song Achievements
In January 1981, In the Air Tonight was released as a single from the album Face Value, which soon climbed to number two on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in several countries. It returned to the UK charts in 1988 (fourth place) and 2007 (fourteenth place).
We will not list all the musicians who performed cover versions on In the Air Tonight or used its samples, as the list will be very long.
Video of In the Air Tonight
The music video for In the Air Tonight for Phil Collins was directed by Stuart Orme. During the early years of MTV, this music video was heavily played on music channels.
Interesting Facts
- It is said that the first recorded version of the text was scribbled on a piece of wallpaper.
- In the Air Tonight’s popularity was boosted by its inclusion in the pilot episode of Miami Vice.
- The composition has also been featured in many other serials and feature films, commercials and television shows.
- In the computer game GTA: Vice City Stories, there is a task – to save Phil from bandits who want to kill him right at the concert when he sings this particular song. Upon completion of the mission, you can return and watch the show.
- After using In the Air Tonight in a 2007 Dairy Milk commercial featuring a gorilla playing drums, the song resurfaced on the UK charts.
- Collins’ ex-wife left him for a graphic artist. Phil played up this fact during an appearance on Top of the Pops. To perform the song, he took the stage with a can of paint and a brush.
In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins Lyrics
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand
I’ve seen your face before my friend, but I don’t know if you know who I am
Well I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you’ve been
It’s all been a pack of lies
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord (x2)
Well I remember, I remember, don’t worry, how could I ever forget
It’s the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence UP, oh no you don’t fool me
Well the hurt doesn’t show, but the pain still grows
It’s no stranger to you and me
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord (x4)
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord
In the Air Tonight lyrics by Phil Collins Alternate
I feel it appear in the evening air, oh God
And I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, oh God
Do you feel it appear in the evening air, oh God?
If you told me you were drowning, I wouldn’t have reached out to you
Friend, I’ve seen your face before, but I don’t know if you know me
I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own eyes
So wipe the grin off your face, I know you were there
All this is a lie
I feel it appear in the evening air, oh God
And I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, oh God (x2)
I remember, I remember, don’t worry, how could I ever forget
This is our first and last meeting.
But I know why you’re still silent, oh no, you can’t fool me
Wounds are not visible, but the pain is getting stronger
It’s not a secret for you or for me
I feel it appear in the evening air, oh God
And I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, oh God (x4)
I feel it appear in the evening air, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God
And I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, oh God, oh God, oh God
Song quote
The lyrics you hear on In the Air Tonight I just sang. I opened my mouth and they poured out. Then I never recorded anything, and only later I listened to it and wrote down the text.
Phil Collins, Mix
