Epic Story, Epic Warning

If you’re not hip to it, there’s an unbelievable story about the famous Phil Collins’ track entitled, In the Air Tonight. Listen to the song. It’s erie.

The story goes that as a child Collins and a friend were playing near a lake during the winter. The water, frozen over, was dangerously cold. A misstep broke the ice and sent his dear friend into the frigid lagoon and Collins couldn’t reach him struggling to work his way out of the water. In a last ditch effort, Collins ran up to the nearest lake house. Pounding on the front door for help, he was finally met by a man. When he desperately explained his friend’s plight, the man slammed the door in his face. Collin’s friend didn’t survive.

Not only do the lyrics become chilling when you know the backstory, it gets better. When Collins’ grows up to become Phil Collins he sent front row tickets to the man who denied his cries for help to his concert in the major city nearest to the tragedy. In epic form, the house lights turn dark and a single spotlight shines down on the man in the front row, and Collins proceeds to perform the song, In the Air Tonight, to him directly.

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

What an incredible story, right? I told this story for years and I did so, many times, to people who knew it and eagerly finish my sentences. The trouble is none of it is true.

My fascination with it turned to research and I found an interview in which Collins speaks on the incident. He confirmed that he’d heard of the urban legend and, in some ways, wished there was more truth to it. Collins admitted that nearly every song he wrote had some specific influence, except this one.

Sad, right? Also, why did I share this with you to begin with? I bring this up to recognize the power of the narrative fallacy. Humans cannot wait to create stories to explain our world, even if they aren’t true. Chances are you’re What stories are you tell yourself?

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach