One of the most commonly believed messages behind ‘In the Air Tonight’ is that Phil Collins wrote it about a man who could have saved another man from drowning but chose not to. Collins  actually wrote this song about the anger he felt after divorcing his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, in 1980 . The lingering tension caused by the divorce led Collins to the title, as these negative feelings were “In The Air,” and affecting not just the couple getting divorced, but the entire family. Collins explains the lyrics, “If you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand,” by saying the drowning is symbolic.

I can relate to the drowning metaphor, my ex-husband brought out similar feelings in me. I had reached a point where I envisioned him choking to death in mind every time he spoke to me. I knew I had to get out of the marriage before I took it to the next level.

 My choice for Earth is Cat Stevens’ Where Do the Children Play.

 Where Do the Children Play was written by Cat Stevens in 1970. However in 2017 it was  used for a lyrical message to the United Nations about human trafficking of children.

“Cat Stevens (who also goes by the name Yusuf) was born Steven Georgiou in central London on 21 July 1948 and grew up in Holborn, attending a school in the theater district of Drury Lane. “It was all entertainment, everywhere; I mean, I thought this was natural,” he later told NPR. “But then I realised that there weren’t so many parks around there. And that’s where, when you come to my music, a song like ‘Where Do the Children Play?’, there’s a kind of harking to that issue.”

Stevens is a master of writing melancholic songs – alongside ‘Where Do the Children Play?’ are other classics like ‘Moonshadow’ and ‘Peace Train’ – and his lasting contribution to popular music was recognised with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014. Five years later, he also made it into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame”~ https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/yusuf-cat-stevens-where-do-the-children-play-song/

 

My choice for Fire is Jerry Lee Lewis’s Great Balls of Fire.  According to Wikipedia, “Great Balls of Fire” is a 1957 popular song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer.

 

I remember seeing my father and mother dancing in our living room to this song.

My choice for Rain is Credence Clearwater Revival’s Have You Ever Seen the Rain.  Awesome song, awesome band.

 

“Have You Ever Seen The Rain”

This song is John Fogerty’s take on the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band, and the overall tension in the group at a time when they should have been enjoying their success. The line, “I want to know – have you ever seen the rain comin’ down on a sunny day?” refers to Tom leaving while CCR was at its commercial zenith. The flip side of this single, “Hey Tonight,” is John reassuring the band that all would go well despite the adversity.

Music never dies.