“I went through a session where we punched pillows for a while, and it all seemed kind of strange.” »read more
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This song is about meeting with a cocaine dealer. The lyrics detail withdrawal symptoms from a cocaine high and the relief of knowing tonight is the night cocaine will be purchased. It deals with the struggle against the highly addictive drug. (thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, WA. U.S.A)
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Comments:
Thanks folks, I've learned alot about this song. I never caught on that it was about jonesing for coke. Hey Brant, wrong song man, it was "in the air tonight". On a lighter note, this song was so appropriate for Miami Vice (remember the Michelob commercials during the show)
- JIBRI, MUSKEGON, MI
I can't get enough of that sound once the song starts. It so defines this song. It's one of the eeariest songs I've ever heard. Reminds me alot of "In The Air Tonight".....
- Adam, Boyce, VA
Brant from S.F.:
First, you got the song wrong. The one you're thinking of is "In the Air Tonight" from Collins' first solo effort, "Face Value". Secondly, the myth has been debunked about a zillion times, including by Collins himself, whose exact words were, "I don't know where that story came from."
- S.D., Denver, CO
I have heard from multiple sources that this song is indeed not about cocaine. When he was a kid, Phil Collins was at a summer camp. At the pool there was a kid drowning. One of the camp counselors watched the kid drown, doing nothing.
This stayed in Collins' memory for years, prompting him to write the song. Afterwards, he invited the same counselor to a Genesis concert. They played this song and a spotlight was shown on the counselor, who the song was written about.
I am not 100% sure of this, but it's what I heard.
- Brant, S.F, CA
In my opinion, the character in the song is crashing off the last good high (I'm coming down, coming down like a monkey..), and it's a heavy burden to crash on coke (It's like a load on your back that you can't see). The only way to shake the horrible feelings of withdrawl is to make it "right tonight" and get some more coke. He keeps calling his dealer, because he has the cash in his pocket to score, and shake this "helter skelter, going down and down, round and round" - horrible feeling of withdrawl, but his dealer is never home. He's sitting in a room beginning to freak out that he won't score, ("Oh get me out of here, please get me out of here Just help me I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help me (score) get out of here.(out of this feeling)").
Even though his friend says that he'll help him out, but he doesn't call. So he continues to sit and wait and hope that tonight will be the night to get high again and shake that monkey on his back dragging him down.
- Jay, Callander, Canada
this last comment is really bull
all lines quoted are actually about TAKING and WANTING the drug
shake it loose, ... (preparing the drug)
gonna make it right.. (taking it)
got some money in my pocket (paying for it with money regardless how to get it, possibly stealing)
- Eric, Maastricht
I don't agree with the song meaning above. I do agree that it is about drugs but I think it's more about the singer addressing someone who is helping him overcome his addiction. I believe this because of the lines "Try to shake it loose, cut it free, just let it go" Tonight Tonight Tonight, gonna make it right" meaning that tonight is the night that he stops. Also the line "I got some money in my pocket about ready to burn, I don't remember where I got it, I got to get it to you". It's as if he has no self control and needs this person (maybe his sponsor) to take this money before he spends it on drugs.
- Christopher, Centereach, NY
This song was used in a Michelob beer commercial.
- Mike, Fort Wayne, IN