~Phil Collins..."In The Air Tonight"...Urban Legend?~

[LixyChick]

I've been told on a few occasions that this song is about a real life situation for Phil Collins. The story goes.....

Phil had never forgotten a time as a child, that he and his brother and a friend went out on the ice on a winter day. Phil's brother broke through the ice and "the friend" had a chance to save him but was too scared to do it and the boy (Phil's brother) drowned.

When Phil became a member of Genesis.....he wrote this song. He never recorded it with the group.....but when he went out on his own he sent "the friend" a ticket for a front row seat to the debut concert. When the band struck up "In The Air Tonight", Phil sat down on the egde of the stage and sang this song directly to "the friend".....who supposedly didn't recall Phil, his brother, or the life and ultimate death situation of his childhood.

Any insight as to the origin of this "Urban Legend"? Truth or part true or no basis whatsoever?

And may I say.......I don't care the origin......I love this song!

Please pardon me if this is a repeat question!



Phil Collins
Face Value (1981)
In The Air Tonight

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord
I've been waiting for this moment, 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 the 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
I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, Oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord
And I've been waiting for this moment all my life, Oh Lord, Oh Lord

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, no you don't fool me
The hurt doesn't show; but the pain still grows
It's no stranger to you or me

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord...

[SUPERPIPE]

THAT WAS THE ACTUAL ROUGH COPY...LOL..HE IS BALD YA KNOW..JUST ABOUT...:O) LOVE YA !!!!!!!!!

[LixyChick]

Damn you got home fast! It was just a minute ago that you were here.....wishing I would shave you....er....your head....ah.....

Oh..nevermind....you ain't here now!

Let's see what the folks have to say bout this hun!

*gets out the straight razor* :D

[Lilith]

And I heard it was written after seeing a sibling's spouse out with another while at a gig.

[LixyChick]

Never heard that version Lil!

Now I am even more perplexed!

[Lilith]

Answers (http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/someair.htm)

[Slow Ride]

I haven't heard any of the Urban Jegends..........But,that's my favorite Phil Collins song.............I may have to do some research

BTW......we "bald" guys like to refer to it as being
"Folliclely Challenged" God only made a few perfect heads.......he put hair on the rest

[LixyChick]

Claim: Phil Collins wrote the song In the Air Tonight after witnessing an incident in which a man refused to come to the aid of a drowning swimmer.
Status: False.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 1994]


The story has to do with Phil Collins supposedly watching his close friend drown from a nearby cliff, while he stood helpless, too far away to rescue. In addition, supposedly there was a man who could have rescued the friend but just stood idly by. Then, Phil writes a song about the experience and gives the man a front row ticket to the show where he premieres the song. While Phil sings the song to him, the spotlight is on the man in the front row.



***TY so much Lilith! It's always sounded like one of those "legends" to me....but it was insisted to be true....and so....who was I to dispute it?

[musketeer]

Originally posted by Slow Ride
I haven't heard any of the Urban Jegends..........But,that's my favorite Phil Collins song.............I may have to do some research

BTW......we "bald" guys like to refer to it as being
"Folliclely Challenged" God only made a few perfect heads.......he put hair on the rest

Sign I've seen in a local barbers "I'm not bald, it's a solar panel for a sex machine."

[Slow Ride]

Originally posted by musketeer
Sign I've seen in a local barbers "I'm not bald, it's a solar panel for a sex machine."


LOL.................I'll have to use that one !

[Belial]

"The more hair I lose, the more head I get" :D

[White Noise]

I love Urban Legends.

Anyone else got a good one?

[Justin]

Thanks Lilith!!..Not only did the song introduce that myth, but that gawd awful 80's gated reverb drum sound..Eeeck!