The sound of minimal wave is sparse, amateurish, stripped down and lo-fi, using analog synthesizers, drum machines and pre-MIDI electronics. The singing is unconventional, with detached and cold vocals. Most artists kept a low profile and a DIY ethic, sometimes releasing self-published cassettes or limited editions by private labels.
Since the mid-2000s, the interest in the genre has become more widespread, with several reissues and new releases by labels such as Minimal Wave and Anna Logue Records.
In The Air Tonight
Phil Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, 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
Well, I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been
It's all been a pack of lies
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well, I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well, I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I remember, I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget?
It's the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no, you don't fool me
Well, the hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows
It's no stranger to you and me
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
Well, I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I've been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well, I've been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
Phil Collins's song In the Air Tonight is a haunting song that contains a lot of emotions. In the first verse, the singer expresses his anticipation and excitement as he can sense something significant is coming, which he has waited a lifetime to experience. The phrase "I can feel it coming in the air tonight" suggests that the moment is close, and the use of "oh Lord" enhances the intensity of the moment.
In the second verse, the singer changes his tone as he addresses a man who he has seen before but is unsure that the man recognizes him. He explains that he had witnessed something that the man did in his presence, which he now knows to be a lie. The line "you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been" suggests that the man did something devious, and his smile would not absolve him of his wrongdoing.
The chorus is repeated throughout the song and emphasizes the singer's anticipation and the emotional intensity of the moment. The lines "I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord" and "I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord" suggest that the moment is transformative and life-changing. The singer has been waiting for this moment for a long time and is thrilled that it's finally arrived.
Line by Line Meaning
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
The singer senses something significant happening soon and is eagerly anticipating it, calling on a higher power for guidance.
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
The singer has waited his whole life for this momentous event, suggesting it's something he's been striving for or dreaming about for years.
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh Lord, oh Lord
The singer is asking if others share his premonition and excitement about the upcoming event.
Well, if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand
The singer is addressing someone who he doesn't want to help, indicating a lack of trust or desire to be involved with their problems.
I've seen your face before, my friend, but I don't know if you know who I am
The singer has a history with this person but isn't sure if they recognize him, highlighting a disconnect or lack of intimacy between them.
Well, I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes
The singer witnessed the actions of this person firsthand, suggesting a personal stake in the situation and a willingness to confront them about it.
So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been
The singer is calling out this person for their deceptive behavior, indicating that he knows the truth about them despite their attempts to hide it.
It's all been a pack of lies
The singer is exposing the false narrative that this person has been perpetrating, revealing the reality of their situation.
Well, I remember, I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget?
The singer is highlighting a significant event that occurred between himself and this person, suggesting it had a lasting impact on him.
It's the first time, the last time we ever met
The singer is referring to that aforementioned moment as the only time they ever interacted, highlighting its singular importance in his life.
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no, you don't fool me
The singer accuses this person of keeping secrets, while asserting that he can see through their facade and knows the truth.
Well, the hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows
The singer observes that this person appears fine on the surface, but their underlying emotional pain continues to build.
It's no stranger to you and me
The singer suggests that both he and this person have experienced emotional pain, linking them together in their shared struggle.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phil Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Agent Bosconian
on Papa Was a Rolling Stone
It was the third of September
September, 3rd. It was the day that forever changed my life.
That day I'll always remember, yes I will
It was the day that I'll never forget about what had happened at that time.
'Cause that was the day, that my daddy died
The day that my estranged father; who was never around, had perished.
I never got a chance to see him
There wasn't an opportunity for me to even meet the man; not once.
Never heard nothin' but bad things about him
All that I've ever heard about were just awful, terrible, and cruel things that he did.
Momma I'm depending on you, to tell me the truth
Please tell me, Mother. Who and what this man truly was, and what he'd done?
Momma just hung her head and said
My Mother hung her head in sadness; thus she responded in her sorrowful voice to me...
Papa was a rolling stone,
My dear child.... Your Father was a man who could never stay in one place to settle down, and was a selfish person who never cared for anyone; but only for himself..
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
He had gone from one place to another with his hat that he wore; and wherever he put his hat down, he settled in there.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
By the time of his death, all that was left behind from him was loneliness and pain.
Hey Momma!
Mother, can you tell me anything about this Father of mine?
Is it true what they say that Papa never worked a day, in his life
Is it the truth that he never had lifted a finger to work at all; in his entire life?
And Momma, some bad talk goin' round town sayin' that Papa had three outside children
And according to the people that knew him all too well; that he also have bore three other children with his lover?
And another wife, and that ain't right
Such a disgraceful thing to hide about having another woman to be his wife.
Heard them talking Papa doing some store front preachin'
Some people eventually talked about his deceitful tricks, such as being a so-called "Preacher" at his store chapel.
Talked about saving souls and all the time leeching
He pretended to act like he was a priest and tricked many people into saving their souls; but at the same time, he robbed them of their hard-earned money.
Dealing in debt, and stealing in the name of the Lord
Trapped himself into debt with such evil acts; thus had stolen everything in the Lord's name.
Momma hung her head and said
My own Mother shook her head in a disgusted matter...
Papa was a rolling stone,
My dear child.... Your Father was a man who could never stay in one place to settle down, and was a selfish person who never cared for anyone; but only for himself.
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
He had gone from one place to another with his hat that he wore; and wherever he put his hat down, he settled in there.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
By the time of his death, all that was left behind from him was loneliness and pain.
Hey Momma,
I must know the whole truth about this wretched man. What else is there for you to tell me, Mother?
I heard Papa called himself a jack of all trades
Others had said that "Father" believed that he was a Jack-Of-All-Trades; thinking that he was unstoppable at anything that he had done to others.
Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave
Were these criminal actions that Father had committed in his lifetime; unaware of the consequences that he made, the main reason that put him in a six-foot grave of his own in a cemetery?
Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal
Everyone already knew that the bastard was a beggar, a deceiver, and a thief.
To pay his bills
He committed every single criminal activity; in order to pay the debts that he had.
Hey Momma,
But, Mother...
Folks say Papa never was much on thinking
Father had no knowledge of how to take on responsibility on such difficult situations, some other people had also spoke of.
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking
He was nothing but a alcoholic who'd drink so much to his heart's content; as being a philanderer, who would go and become intimate with one woman to another woman; for his own selfish indulgence.
Momma I'm depending on you, to tell me the truth
Is this the entire truth about this disgraceful, cruel, trickster of a Father, Mother?
Momma looked up with a tear in her eye and said, son
Tears stream down on Mother's face; as she spoke one last time about him...
Papa was a rolling stone,
Once again, my child... Your Father was a man who could never stay in one place to settle down, and was a selfish person who never cared for anyone; but only for himself.
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
He had always gone from one place to another with his hat; and wherever he put his hat down, he settled in there.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
By the time of his death, all that was left behind from him was loneliness and pain.
Fredrick muchaili
on One More Night
This song is my favorite ever