In The Air Tonight
·Æ¶û.¿ÂÁÖ˹(Phil Collins) Lyrics


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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
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, oh 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 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 for 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 for all my life, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord

Overall Meaning

The song In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins is a haunting and intense track that is ripe for interpretation. The song starts with the lyrics "I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord" which invites the audience to ponder what is coming. The use of the word "it" is vague and open to interpretation. Is he referring to something ominous or exciting? The repetition of the phrase "oh Lord" also adds to the mood of the song.


The song's second verse is a bit more direct with its meaning. Collins sings "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." This verse suggests that Collins has had a falling out with someone and is hinting at some sort of betrayal. The line "I know where you've been/It's all been a pack of lies" adds to the sense of betrayal and mistrust.


The final verse of the song brings it full circle, with Collins singing "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, oh 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." This verse seems to suggest that the betrayal happened a long time ago, but the pain still lingers.


Overall, the song is intense and moody, with a sense of impending doom. Its meaning is subjective to the listener, but it's clear that there is some sort of personal conflict and betrayal being referenced.


Line by Line Meaning

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
I have a premonition that something significant is about to happen


And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
I have been anticipating this moment for a long time


Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord
Do you sense that something important is about to happen?


Well if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand
If you were in trouble and needed help, I would not assist


I've seen your face before my friend, but I don't know if you know who I am
We have met in the past, but I am not sure if you remember me


Well I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes
I witnessed your actions firsthand


So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been
You can stop pretending now, I am aware of your past actions


It's all been a pack of lies
Everything that has been said or done has been deceitful


Well I remember, I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget
I clearly recall our past interactions, no need to be concerned that I might forget


It's the first time, the last time we ever met
We only met once before and will most likely never meet again


But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, oh no you don't fool me
I understand why you are staying quiet, but it is not fooling me


Well the hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows
You may not appear to be upset, but your emotional distress is still increasing


It's no stranger to you and me
We both are familiar with this type of emotional pain




Contributed by Andrew B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@redll0wreal-963

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
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 this silence up
No you don't fool me
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
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, 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, oh lord



All comments from YouTube:

@emmettchan5545

I can phil it collin in the air tonight.

@marssilver

aha hahaha..brilliant

@pazcastillozepeda9104

wow :)

@1985juicey

Yes 😂😂😂

@schokokeks1620

hahaha:)

@DieseResi

I'm dying xDD

633 More Replies...

@AleksandarIvanov69

There are bad songs.
There are good songs.
There are great songs.
And there are songs that are simply timeless.

@shahaffiq5860

Great comment. I can copy your comment now.

@tiagomh1264

I agree.

@JoeSki253

No, you don’t fool me

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