Wish You Were Here
Avenged Sevenfold Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell
Blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
Did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk-on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
And how we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here

How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
And how we found




The same old fears
Wish you were here

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Avenged Sevenfold's song Wish You Were Here serves as a philosophical question that reflects the uncertainties of life. The lyrics discuss themes of loss, displacement, and longing for a better life. The line "Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?" is a metaphor for the struggle to distinguish between positive and negative situations in life. Similarly, "Heaven from hell, blue skies from pain" portrays the challenges and unpredictability of life.


The song then goes on to discuss the emotional distress one goes through as they trade their morality and heroes for societal acceptance and material possession. This is shown in the lines "Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?" and "And did you exchange a walk on part in the war, for a lead role in a cage?" The singer then expresses their loneliness and their desire for a loved one's company. The repetition of "how I wish you were here" and "we're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl" shows a sense of confinement and a yearning for something greater.


Overall, the song suggests that life is not always what it seems, and one should strive for the betterment of oneself and seek genuine relationships. It presents philosophical, existential, and emotional themes that many can identify with.


Line by Line Meaning

So, so you think you can tell
Do you believe that you have the ability to distinguish


Heaven from hell
The difference between a place of bliss and a place of torment


Blue skies from pain
The distinction between happiness and suffering


Can you tell a green field
Are you able to distinguish a lush landscape


From a cold steel rail?
From an unfeeling and harsh environment


A smile from a veil?
Do you recognize a genuine expression of happiness


Do you think you can tell?
Do you believe you have the ability to perceive these things


Did they get you to trade
Were you persuaded to sacrifice


Your heroes for ghosts?
Your idols for intangible and insubstantial ideals


Hot ashes for trees?
The remnants of destruction for the beauty of nature


Hot air for a cool breeze?
Empty rhetoric for refreshing thoughts


Cold comfort for change?
False solace for transformative growth


And did you exchange
And did you trade


A walk on part in the war
A minor, insignificant role in a conflict


For a lead role in a cage?
For a prominent position, but trapped and confined


How I wish, how I wish you were here
I desperately yearn for your presence, your guidance, and your support


We're just two lost souls
We are both wandering and aimless individuals


Swimming in a fish bowl
Trapped in a confining and cyclical existence


Year after year
Repeatedly and monotonously


Running over the same old ground
Continually experiencing the same situations


And how we found
And how we discovered


The same old fears
The recurring apprehensions and anxieties


Wish you were here
I truly desire and long for your presence




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David Gilmour, Roger Waters

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@paradigmaofficial4555

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell
Blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
Did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
And how we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here
How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
And how we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here



All comments from YouTube:

@puppets1979

This song was my late wife's favorite song by Floyd. She loved A7F and introduced me to them. This was published after she died and it hit me so hard when I just now heard this randomly on youtube. She used to play So Far Away all the time, ironically it is now a song I play to mourn her. Thank Avenged Seven Fold for this cover, it means more to me than you can imagine.

@oiilem5549

Michael Piersant Sorry to hear that :(

@mcrfan343

RIP

@DylG1111

RIP. She sounds like a very special person.

@fishingoutdoors4427

God speed brother

@nesopharyumnam8823

😢😢😢😢😢

265 More Replies...

@rockyvasquez25

My Dad is a Pink Floyd fan
And I’m an Avenged Sevenfold fan
I showed him this cover and he found it awesome

@Yoga819

Wow

@wizzngx1950

u call ur dad an it?

@tiastowell2546

@WiZzngx What,?!? Where did he call his Dad an "it"??... I literally read his comment 6x's cuz I thought I was missing something...I'm not and I'm shocked that someone else also believes this

More Comments

More Versions