Born and raised in west London, Collins played drums from the age of five and completed drama school training, which secured him various roles as a child actor, with his first major role, aged 13, as the Artful Dodger in the West End musical Oliver!. He then pursued a music career, joining Genesis in 1970 as their drummer and becoming lead singer in 1975 following the departure of Peter Gabriel. Collins began a successful solo career in the 1980s, initially inspired by his marital breakdown and love of soul music, releasing the albums Face Value (1981), Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982), No Jacket Required (1985) and ...But Seriously (1989). Collins became, in the words of AllMusic, "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond". He also became known for a distinctive gated reverb drum sound on many of his recordings. In 1985, he was the only artist to perform at both Live Aid concerts. He also resumed his acting career, appearing in Miami Vice and subsequently starring in the film Buster (1988). In 1996, Collins left Genesis to focus on solo work; this included writing songs for Disney's Tarzan (1999) for which he received an Oscar for Best Original Song for "You'll Be in My Heart". He rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in 2007. Following a five-year retirement to focus on his family life, Collins released an autobiography in 2016 and completed his Not Dead Yet Tour in 2019. He then rejoined Genesis in 2020 for a second reunion tour, ending in March 2022.
Collins's discography includes eight studio albums that have sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists. He is one of only three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, who have sold over 100 million records both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band. He has won eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards (winning Best British Male Artist three times), two Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award. He was awarded six Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the International Achievement Award. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010. He has also been recognised by music publications with induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Collins
Studio albums
Face Value (1981)
Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982)
No Jacket Required (1985)
...But Seriously (1989)
Both Sides (1993)
Dance into the Light (1996)
Testify (2002)
Going Back (2010)
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
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
@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
@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
@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