in the air tonight,phil colloins,.the true story?

Question

anyone know the story behind that song? i heard it has something to do with phil colins seeing a friend murdered by a lake........

Answer 1

In the Air Tonight" is the subject of variations of an urban legend arising from the lyrics' reference to drowning.

The most common version claims that Phil Collins saw a man drowning but was too far away to do anything, but a man nearby who could have saved him did nothing. Other versions of the rumor claim that the drowning was not accidental, but murder.

Another version of the legend goes that Phil Collins was at a lake with his best friend, who went for a swim. His friend began to struggle in the water, but Collins had never learned to swim so could not help. Collins stopped a passing jogger and asked him to help his friend, but the man refused and Collins' friend died.

Another version of the legend is that while at camp as a young child, Phil Collins awoke to find his counselor missing and looked out to see that the counselor was by the lake, watching a boy drown, but doing nothing; or the counselor is intentionally drowning the boy.

According to the legend, Collins bought the man a front row ticket to one of his shows, put a spotlight on the man, and sang the song to him before the audience. Again depending on the version, either Collins had the man arrested, or the man was filled with guilt and committed suicide. [4]

Still another version of the legend has it that Collins witnessed a man raping his wife, and years later saw the man drowning but refused to help him.

Years later, Collins commented on the legends about the song in a BBC World Service interview:

I don't know what this song is about. When I was writing this I was going through a divorce. And the only thing I can say about it is that it's obviously in anger. It's the angry side, or the bitter side of a separation. So what makes it even more comical is when I hear these stories which started many years ago, particularly in America, of someone come up to me and say, 'Did you really see someone drowning?' I said, 'No, wrong'. And then every time I go back to America the story gets Chinese whispers, it gets more and more elaborate. It's so frustrating, 'cos this is one song out of all the songs probably that I've ever written that I really don't know what it's about, you know.

Answer 2

i doubt very much there is any story. phil collins's record company needed some publicity for him ca. late 90's and put about this bullsh1t as a " previously unknown bit of public interest". next thing all the moronic us rap acts are quoting him like some kind of pop god, ( i think they even released a tribute album pukefest ) culminating in eminem's sycophantic reference in "stan" and then we are all supposed to accept it like it was always part of our folklore.. well i say - oi ! collins !... no-o-o-o-o-o- o !!!!

Answer 3

Check oute this link about Urban Legends for your answer.
Peace

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/intheair.asp

Answer 4

Urban myth........sorry, though I love the song

Answer 5

typical americans

Answer 6

i hate phil collins.