There are a number origin stories behind 1981’s “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins…but almost all of them are false.

The most famous of these urban legends goes something like this: When Phil was a young boy, he witnessed a man drowning someone, but was too far away to help. Later, he hired a private detective to find the man, sent him a free ticket to his concert, and premiered the song that night with the spotlight on the man the whole time.

Other origin stories also center on Phil witnessing a drowning…but the truth of the matter is this: Phil wrote the song while divorcing his first wife, Andrea, and the lyric: “If you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand,” was completely misunderstood.

Phil has explained repeatedly that the drowning line is symbolic, representing the pain and anger he was feeling at the time. But still, the urban legends live on.

“In the Air Tonight” was a Top 10 hit in 17 countries, including here in the US, where it topped Billboard’s Rock Chart.

Although most of its backstories are False, “the fact that “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins was a Great Song of 1981 in most defintely true.