No, Phil Collins Never Confronted a Criminal Concertgoer Before Playing This 1981 Classic

It’s hard to imagine anything could make the 1981 Phil Collins track, “In the Air Tonight”, more dramatic than it already is, but the story about how the English drummer and songwriter confronted an alleged criminal concertgoer before playing the song and immediately having said concertgoer arrested certainly does the trick. One can almost imagine the scenario in their heads. Collins introduces the song with its slow, anticipatory buildup. When the drums finally come in, so do the police to arrest the wrongdoer. It’s good writing.

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According to the story, the person for whom the authorities were searching in that dark concert venue was a man who was at the scene of a drowning that Collins also witnessed. The man had the opportunity to save the victim in the water but chose not to, something Collins also witnessed. Whether a few days, weeks, or years later, Collins then wrote “In the Air Tonight” about the harrowing incident. His recounting practically spells itself out in the lyrics.

“If you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand. I’ve seen your face before, my friend, but you don’t know who I am. I was there, and I saw what you did. I saw it with my own two eyes.”

Phil Collins Never Called Out a Criminal Fan With This 1981 Classic

The story about Phil Collins writing “In the Air Tonight” about a negligent bystander and then calling him out mid-concert is definitely an exciting one. Some accounts even say Collins spotted the man and said, “I know what you did,” which is even more ominous (almost comically so). Ultimately, though, all these stories are just that—fictional stories. Urban legends that amplify the myth and legacy of a particular track, like Collins’ classic signature from 1981. Not only did Collins not call out a concertgoer and have police arrest him. But he also didn’t write “In the Air Tonight” about watching someone drown.

“None of it’s true,” Collins clarified in a 2016 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “I was just p***ed off, you know? I was angry. Going through a divorce, sometimes it’s like [pretending to be on the phone], ‘I love you, I love you, don’t hang up.’ And sometimes it’s like, ‘F*** you!’ [pretends to slam the receiver] Then, of course, that’s when a song like ‘In the Air Tonight’ comes out. There’s obviously a lot of anger in there.”

In past interviews, Phil Collins has called the song “a noose” because his musical legacy has become so closely associated with the 1981 classic. Speaking to Dan Rather, he clarified that it was a comical comment. But we don’t doubt that it’s a heavy burden to bear—especially when so many people think part of that song’s legacy involves Collins watching a stranger let someone drown and then pointing them out with a spotlight at a show. It’s undoubtedly fit for a film… but maybe not for real life.

Photo by Angelo Deligio/Mondadori via Getty Images