My friend brought up the story of the meaning behind the lyrics to Phil Collin's "In the Air Tonight" yesterday. He said that Collins had heard a story about someone who witnessed an actual drowning but refused to aid the ailing guy. A few years later, Collins invited the man to a concert, sang the song at the guy who was seated in the front row and shortly thereafter the man was arrested.

I had never even heard this rumor/myth before, but after "researching" it on the internet, it's been perpetuated for quite sometime. Anyone else heard this or some iteration of this before?

I wonder how this stuff gets started sometimes.

I've heard a story like this before as well. But I think I have also read something about it being a metaphor for his relationship with an ex...dunno though

That story has been around for years. Eminen even mentions it on "Stan". It's not true but a cool urban legen none the less.

I remember hearing/reading about this urban legend long before the internet.

Interesting, I had missed the Stan reference.

You know the song by Phil Collins, In the Air of the Night
About that guy who coulda saved that other guy from drowning but didn't
And Phil saw it all then at a show he found him?

Jokes and jokes and
Spaghetti spaghetti

I don't know about all that, but Phil Collins does think he fought in the Alamo.

In the version i heard it was Phil's friend who drowned.

how does someone get arrested for not saving someone?

No crime there unless the person put him in peril

Not true - Collins says its about bitterness and frustration regarding his divorce from his first wife:

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

[This message has been edited by Coppell97 (edited 3/9/2012 1:07p).]

quote:

---

I don't know about all that, but Phil Collins does think he fought in the Alamo.

---

Yeah, I read that he has an incredible collection of Alamo artifacts. They are all at his home in Switzerland, of all places. Included is a receipt signed by William Barrett Travis for 32 head of beeves.

[This message has been edited by Rex Racer (edited 3/9/2012 1:18p).]

quote:

---

how does someone get arrested for not saving someone?

---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law#Europe

quote:

---

While U.S. laws focus on shielding from liability those who choose to help in a situation they did not cause, European laws criminalize failure to help in such a situation. Nowadays in some European countries (France and Germany being such examples that have a Good Samaritan law), people who do not help may face prosecution

---

Phil's a brit. Very plausible this legend would have happened over there.


[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 3/9/2012 1:23p).]

I thought it was song about having sex on a subway with a prostitute that actually (possibly) likes you.

she likes choo choo trains

quote:

---

I thought it was song about having sex on a subway with a prostitute that actually (possibly) likes you.

---

Nice. Pretty sure the millenials missed this one.

quote:

---

Not true - Collins says its about bitterness and frustration regarding his divorce from his first wife:

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

---

Well, yeah. Hence the urban legend/myth part of the story.

when i was younger i heard this urban legend and it was like "phil collins witnessed another guy watching a kid drowning..the other guy didn't help and so Collins tracked him down , invited him to a concert and sang him this song".

but that always made me wonder...if Collins witnessed the other guy watching the kid drowning...why didn't Collins himself go help the kid out??

In the Air Tonight is the worst song ever written.


Please continue.

quote:

---

if Collins witnessed the other guy watching the kid drowning...why didn't Collins himself go help the kid out??

---

I heard this story when I was a kid, mid to late 80s. Jeff, I find it amazing that you only just now heard it (not trying to be a jerk).

No offense taken. My friend still is ribbing me pretty good for not having ever heard this.

I don't think I've ever heard that UL. So there....I'm a complete dweeb!

quote:

---

I thought it was song about having sex on a subway with a prostitute that actually (possibly) likes you.

---

Hearing him talk at a Texas History even in Dallas last year, he mentioned this. He basically said that he just chooses words to fit into the music and doesn't really pay much attention to the meaning. He kinda laughed and said he doesn't know where people get the stories.

Pretty sure he made the song up on the spot and that's why the lyrics make no sense. No bullshurnt

Now that I think about it... I think the song might be about stealing Mike Tyson's pet tiger.

Best version ever that explains it all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbLr2NEV_7o

quote:

---

but that always made me wonder...if Collins witnessed the other guy watching the kid drowning...why didn't Collins himself go help the kid out??

---

Here's another good question - if you were the evil dude who witnessed the drowning and didn't do anything, wouldn't you think it was weird if mega-star Phill Collins sent you a personal front row invitation to his concert?? Like you wouldn't wonder why this rock star was personally inviting you? You'd just show up?

Furthermore, isn't it strange that in order for this whole thing to unfold as alleged, Mr. Collins would have to notify the police ahead of time and have them on standby to make the arrest during a freaking concert?

It would have to go something like this:
Phil: "Hey, officers - okay, it will be the 8th show in the set - yeah, it's called "In The Air Tonight". So I'll be serenading the guy in Row 1, Seat A. When I'm done, please swoop in in dramatic fashion and arrest him. No one else in the arena will understand what is going on, but we will, so.... cool".
Officer: "Okay, Mr. Collins. We normally don't arrest people without am investigation, a warrant, etc but since you said that you saw it with your own two eyes and wrote a song about it, we'll tke him down. Oh yes, we'll take him down HARD, sir....".

I heard this story in the 80's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo

Not sure when the song came out. But I remember this urban legend within months of song release.