• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
The sad story behind In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

Home> Entertainment

Published 15:33 7 Jan 2023 GMT

The sad story behind In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins

The track remains iconic more than 40 years after its release

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Can you feel it? Coming in the air tonight? Phil Collins certainly can.

The absolutely epic rock song 'In The Air' remains one of the hardest-hitting tracks out there more than 40 years after its release, and I challenge you to find anyone who doesn't break out the air drums once that beat kicks in.

Many music fans probably consider the track an uplifting one; one which gets everyone involved if it comes on at a party or in the pub, but the story behind the track is actually the exact opposite.

Advert

Released in 1981, 'In The Air' featured on Collins' first solo album, Face Value. It came the year after Collins finalised his divorce with his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, and the split had a big influence on his music.

In 2016, Collins told Rolling Stone that Face Value reflected his situation at the time: "I'm divorced and I'm miserable."

Phil Collins wrote In The Air during his divorce.
Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo

'In The Air 'was Collins' first solo single, and Collins previously told the BBC he wrote it while he was going through his divorce, saying: "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."

Despite Collins' openness about how the song came about, that didn't stop rumours emerging which suggested the musician wrote the song after witnessing a murder.

Advert

"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'," Collins said.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Collins further denied rumours the track came about after he watched a murder take place, and explained instead he was 'p*ssed off' and 'angry'.

"You know, you go through a divorce and sometimes it's like 'I love you' and sometimes it's 'well f*ck you!'.

"Then of course that's when a song like 'In The Air' comes out. There's obviously a lot of anger in there," he said.

Though his feelings at the time the track came out might be ones he wants to forget, Collins said 'In The Air' has 'a mind of its own' and expressed belief it will 'outlive' him due to its success.

Advert

Considering it's still a top choice for party playlists around the world, Collins might just be right with that assumption.

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock/Cadbury

Topics: Music, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

18 hours ago
19 hours ago
20 hours ago
23 hours ago
  • 18 hours ago

    Netflix users have just weeks to watch highest rated Rotten Tomatoes movie ever before it’s removed

    The 2018 thriller-drama film has a perfect score from critics and viewers don't have much time left to watch it

    Entertainment
  • 19 hours ago

    Man throws up after being told he has to let partner sleep with another man

    Apparently, we're in the era of baffling sex shows on TV

    Entertainment
  • 20 hours ago

    Michael Cera’s mum left Superbad set ‘pretty quickly’ after seeing scene he was filming

    The Superbad cast came together to talk about their awkward scenes

    Entertainment
  • 23 hours ago

    Why it took David Beckham so long to receive knighthood as he finally gets honour

    The former England captain has had two notable scandals, which could have stopped his knighthood

    Entertainment
  • Ne-Yo reveals the number one rule his four girlfriends live by in his ‘pyramid' relationship
  • Outkast address dark and sad meaning behind their hit song 'Hey Ya!'
  • James Blunt confirmed there is a dark meaning behind his song 'You're Beautiful'
  • Halle Berry explained sad reason why sex with her boyfriend 'felt like razor blades'