Summary
- Phil Collins' hit song "In The Air Tonight" was inspired by his divorce, not a drowning incident.
- Collins shared that his divorce from Andrea Bertorelli was the catalyst for the emotional track.
- Other famous songs like "Sussudio" and "One More Night" were also inspired by Collins' personal experiences.
Music legend Phil Collins was one of the most famous artists of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Known for his work with Genesis as well as his solo career, Collins is an accomplished singer, drummer, and songwriter.
One of Collins' most recognizable compositions is "In The Air Tonight", which was released in 1981. While there have been a sleuth of rumors about the song's true inspiration, Collins has been open and honest about the song's meaning in interviews. In this article, we will highlight what Phil Collins has said about "In The Air Tonight", what inspired the song, and what inspired other notable Collins compositions.
How Phil Collins' Divorce Inspired The Meaning Of "In The Air Tonight"
Recognized as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, "In The Air Tonight" has become a very special song to Phil Collins. Some may even say it is his most well-known track.
Due to its popularity, there has been great speculation among fans about the song's inspiration and meaning. A frequent theory among fans is that the song was inspired by a man allowing another man to drown, according to The Sound. As interesting of a story as that is, the true meaning of "In The Air Tonight" has nothing to do with drowning.
According to Collins himself, the song was a product of separation and divorce. Specifically, his breaking up with Andrea Bertorelli. In a candid Rolling Stone interview, Collins shared that,
"I wrote it after my wife left me."
He elaborated, "Genesis had done a tour that was far too long. She said to me, 'We won't be together if you do the next tour.' I said, 'I'm a musician. I have to go away and play. Just hold your breath when I'm over there.' Then Genesis toured Japan. When I got back, she said she was leaving and taking the kids."
Understandably, Collins was both sad and angry. This led him to find solace in his craft. Collins explained the creative process that led to "In The Air Tonight" honestly by saying the following:
"One day I was working on a piece in D-minor, the saddest [key] of all. I just wrote a sequence, and it sounded nice. I wrote the lyrics spontaneously. I'm not quite sure what the song is about, but there's a lot of anger, a lot of despair, and a lot of frustration."
Fans have asked Collins whether a drowning inspired the song. Rumors suggested that Collins himself saw a man drowning and refused to help him. In a Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon interview, Collins shared that "none of it's true. I was just pissed off. I was angry."
Collins, while confirming that the rumors are false, has shared that the song's meaning is complex,
"Nobody knows what the song is about, and I kind of like that mystery."
Based on Collins' revelations, "In The Air Tonight" was inspired by Collins' divorce. However, its meaning is complicated. Not even Collins can pinpoint its meaning unless he has chosen to hide it from the public.
"In The Air Tonight" would receive commercial and critical praise upon its release. According to American Songwriter, the song would reach No. 2 on the U.K. Singles chart and earn a Top 20 position on the Billboard Hot 100 in America.
What Inspired Phil Collins' Best Songs?
Beyond "In The Air Tonight", Phil Collins has been open about the meaning and inspiration of other compositions, including "Sussudio", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "One More Night", and "Another Day in Paradise."
According to Collins, the title word, sussudio, was a unique personal creation. "It's a word that I made up. And I didn't even make it up. It just came out of my mouth when I was recording at home", the singer/songwriter explained.
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", which was written by Collins for the film Against All Odds, was also a product of Collins' divorce. In a This American Life podcast interview, Collins shared that "that song was written during my first divorce. My first wife and the kids had gone and I was left there. The song was written out of experience as opposed to a 'what if' song."
According to Songfacts, Collins passion for drumming led to "One More Night." In a Playboy interview, Collins explained:
"I had a tempo in mind. I was thinking of one of the Jacksons' songs actually when I strung a chorus on it. The line 'one more night' just fit what I was playing. The rest of the song was written very quickly."
Collins described the creative process behind "Another Day in Paradise" in an honest New York Times interview, "It was begun at the piano. I started playing and put it down on a tape so I wouldn't forget it. Then I decided to see what would happen when I started singing. When I began, the words just came out, 'She calls out to a man on the street.' I didn't set out to write a song about the homeless. Those were just the words I happened to sing. It was only then that I decided that was what the song would be about."
As one can see, Phil Collins' most famous compositions vary in inspiration. Collins' divorce, however, certainly played a pivotal and unfortunate role in the entertainer's songwriting journey. Fortunately for Collins, he has earned an impressive net worth of $300 million due to his creative efforts.
