Does anyone know what the meaning behind Phil Collins song?

Question

In the air tonight, what does it mean.

Answer 1

The lyrics of the song take the form of a dark monologue directed towards an unnamed, possibly prominent person; the singer describes having witnessed an unspecified act perpetrated:

I was there and I saw what you did
saw it with my own two eyes
and anticipating an equally unspecified consequence:

I can feel it coming in the air tonight
I've been waiting for this moment for all my life [1]
Musically the song consists of a series of ominous chords played over a simple drum machine pattern (a Roland CR-78); processed electric guitar sounds and vocoded vocals on key words add additional atmosphere. The mood is one of restrained anger until the final chorus when an explosive burst of drums releases the musical tension, and the instrumentation builds to a thundering final chorus.

Years later, Collins commented on the (urban) 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

Collins wrote this approximately the anger he felt after divorcing his first spouse Andrea in 1979. He used to be so devastated that he left Genesis for a short while. Collins explains the lyrics, "If you instructed me you had been drowning, I might now not have the same opinion," by means of announcing the drowning is symbolic. The that means of this tune grew to become a pervasive Urban Myth. a million. The tale, which isn't actual, is that Collins watched as a person who raped his spouse drowned. Another variation has Collins scripting this approximately approximately a person who watched a further drown, and making a song it to him at a live performance. two.Yet a further variant claims that once Collins used to be a tender boy, he witnessed a person drowning anybody however used to be too a ways away to support. Later, he employed a personal detective to discover the person, despatched him a unfastened price ticket to his live performance, and premiered the tune that night time with the highlight at the guy the complete time. These are each unfaithful.

Answer 3

Collins wrote this about the anger he felt after divorcing his first wife Andrea in 1979. He was so devastated that he left Genesis for a short time.
Collins explains the lyrics, "If you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand," by saying the drowning is symbolic.
The meaning of this song became a pervasive Urban Myth. The story, which is not true, is that Collins watched as a man who raped his wife drowned. Another version has Collins writing this about about a man who watched another drown, and singing it to him at a concert. Yet another variation claims that when Collins was a young boy, he witnessed a man drowning someone but was too far away to help. Later, he hired a private detective to find the man, sent him a free ticket to his concert, and premiered the song that night with the spotlight on the man the whole time. We repeat, these stories are not true. (thanks, katie - somewhere, NJ)
This was Collins' first single as a solo artist. All the original songs on the album, including the followup hit "I Missed Again," were intended to be "messages" to his first wife in an attempt to lure her back to him.
The album sold more than any prior Genesis release, prompting the group to change musical direction. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 3)
Collins played this at Live Aid, a benefit concert for famine relief held in 1985. There were stages in London and Philadelphia, and Collins, with the aid of time zone differences and a very fast airplane (the Concorde), was able to perform at both. He played this in both sets.
This was featured on the first episode of the TV show Miami Vice. The show used lots of popular music and featured cameos by Sheena Easton and Glen Frey. It's theme song, by Jan Hammer, was also a hit.
Eminem mentioned this in his 2000 song "Stan," which is about a crazed fan. In the song, the character Stan sings to Eminem, "You know that song by Phil Collins, 'In The Air Tonight,' about that guy who could have saved that other guy from drowning but he didn't? Then Phil saw it all then at his show he found him? That's kind of how this is. You could have rescued me from drowning."