Story behind "In The Air Tonight" - by Phil Collins

[radhead]

Supposedly Phil Collins wrote this haunting song for a special performance (which later turned into a huge hit). Phil had nearly drowned and a man who could have saved him chose not to. He performed the song with the man as an invitee and sang that part of the song while looking at him in the audience.

"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."

The man tried to run away (out of guilt) but fortunately the police caught him before he got away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz7gajAb2ww

 

[larry_boy_44]

sadly, that is 100% a wive's tale...

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

the whole album that's on is about his bitterness over his divorce from his first wife... however, the song doesn't reference any real life event...

 

[radhead]

I appreciate the link, however I don't trust Snopes by any means. I've found some ridiculous conclusions about several things there.

 

[larry_boy_44]

I appreciate the link, however I don't trust Snopes by any means. I've found some ridiculous conclusions about several things there.

lol

thier conclusions <> thier fact-checking

there's a huge difference...

although you aren't the first person to say that to me, yet I've yet to have anyone show me anything that isn't trust-worthy on snopes...

 

[radhead]

Okay, I'll give my opinion of one Snopes article. I'm not going to mention the case. But their evidence was based completely upon the lawyer and a representative for only one side of a case. I'd rather not say what it was, though. I lost a lot of respect for them after reading that particular article.

 

[larry_boy_44]

Okay, I'll give my opinion of one Snopes article. I'm not going to mention the case. But their evidence was based completely upon the lawyer and a representative for only one side of a case. I'd rather not say what it was, though. I lost a lot of respect for them after reading that particular article.

so you're giving your opinion of an article you refuse to name because its one-sided??

What exactly do you call what you are doing right now?

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

Not like Wikipedia is a great source, but it agrees with snopes, and I'm having trouble finding the interview clip VH1 ran where Phil once again debunked the urban legend about the drowning.

 

[radhead]

It's fine if you don't believe it. I'm just saying I don't consider Snopes to be an authoritative source in general. (I didn't mention the other case because I didn't want this to turn into a debate about that.)

Phil could deny it even if it were true. He had no idea it would turn into a monster hit. I mean this song was huge in it's day.

 

[larry_boy_44]

It's fine if you don't believe it. I'm just saying I don't consider Snopes to be an authoritative source in general.

Phil could deny it even if it were true. He had no idea it would turn into a monster hit. I mean this song was huge in it's day.

Is Snopes the most reliable place on the planet? No

But what it says is 99.9999% true... and to act like it isn't just because you wish some song was about some absurd event that doesn't even make much sense and because you don't like one of the entries is absurd... Especially when you refuse to actually reveal the entry you have a problrm with...

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

Right.

The guy who wrote the song says it's an urban legend, there's NO PROOF it actually happened, yet we should just assume it's true.

I agree it's more exiting with a cool story around it, but sometimes a song is just a song.

Has anyone ever come forth with ANYTHING credible to say this actually happened? Because so far, the only "source" I have is a cook I used to work with.

 

[radhead]

Maybe I'm wrong. But a source like Snopes draws their own conclusions based upon a subjective look at evidence. Just like I do.

 

[larry_boy_44]

Maybe I'm wrong. But a source like Snopes draws their own conclusions based upon a subjective look at evidence. Just like I do.

but at least Snopes provides the evidence to support thier opinion of the facts...

You don't do that...

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

this thread...
























...HAS ALL BEEN A PACKA LIEEES!!! /Phil Collins

(couldn't resist)

 

[mina]

pop up video (remember that?) said it was an urban legend. the bubbles have spoken.

 

[Catherineanne]

The man tried to run away (out of guilt) but fortunately the police caught him before he got away.

This is very obviously complete nonsense.

It is neither a criminal nor a civil offense to fail to rescue someone from drowning, and putting the police into the story is a very blatant overegging of this particular pudding. Standing by and watching someone drown is not a crime, although it may be bad mannered or even verge on immoral.

 

[radhead]

Good point. The version I heard could have been a highly embellished version of the truth anyway.

I will say that the first time I heard this story I was completely cynical about it. Then I thought, how could so many people believe it if it were false?

 

[trOlliJokinen]

Good point. The version I heard could have been a highly embellished version of the truth anyway.

I will say that the first time I heard this story I was completely cynical about it. Then I thought, how could so many people believe it if it were false?

Big Bang Theory.

 

[brinny]

Supposedly Phil Collins wrote this haunting song for a special performance (which later turned into a huge hit). Phil had nearly drowned and a man who could have saved him chose not to. He performed the song with the man as an invitee and sang that part of the song while looking at him in the audience.

"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."

The man tried to run away (out of guilt) but fortunately the police caught him before he got away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz7gajAb2ww

love the song...it symbolizes a lot, whether the story is true or not, doesn't it. the song is one of my all time favorites.

 

[rachey88]

Supposedly Phil Collins wrote this haunting song for a special performance (which later turned into a huge hit). Phil had nearly drowned and a man who could have saved him chose not to. He performed the song with the man as an invitee and sang that part of the song while looking at him in the audience.

"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."

The man tried to run away (out of guilt) but fortunately the police caught him before he got away.

Thats not the story I heard...

I heard he saw a boy drowning and this certain man was within feet of the young boy and didn't try to save him. He just walked away. Phil, was running over to try and help. But didn't make it time. He wrote the song found the man and gave him free front row center tickets and sang the song directly to him. And made the story public at the show... and after the show the man tried to run from police and was killed by angry concert goers.

 

[Tamara224]

Good point. The version I heard could have been a highly embellished version of the truth anyway.

I will say that the first time I heard this story I was completely cynical about it. Then I thought, how could so many people believe it if it were false?

Seriously? Um... since when is the truth established by how many people believe something?

People believe it because they want to. And then when they're presented with evidence that contradicts the belief they say things like: I don't trust the source of contradiction; and a lot of people believe it's true so it must be true.