Raye first attracted Nashville's attention as the lead vocalist on a string of independent singles in the 1980s. Billed as The Wrays, the act released a couple of singles on Mercury Records in the mid-80s before breaking up. Epic Records signed Raye as a solo act in 1990. A year later, the nostalgic ballad Love, Me hit No. 1, and by 2000, he charted 21 Top 10 hits for Epic. His first four studio albums, as well as his Greatest Hits, have been certified platinum. His best-known hits include Little Rock, about a recovering alcoholic, and I Think About You, about watching his teenage daughter grow up.
I Wish I Could
Collin Raye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See you playing in the leaves
It's amazing how a little girl
Means all the world to me
When I tell you that I love you
I love you more than words can say
Smile say cheese pretty please
I want to take your picture
I gotta take your picture
And hold on to the mem'ry before
The whole things slips away
I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop
The world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from
Everything not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
But I wish I could
When you kiss me for no reason
It goes straight to my heart
When I feel your arms around me
I almost fall apart
It's time for bed
You whisper "daddy we forgot to pray"
I wish I could save these moments
When I watch you sleeping
All my worries slip away
A little bit of heaven
Close on your gentle face
I wish I could save these moments
In “I Wish I Could,” Collin Raye expresses his deep affection and love for his daughter, capturing both the joys and the pains of watching her grow up. The song expresses a deep longing to freeze time and memories, to preserve his daughter’s youth forever, and to protect her from the harshness of the world. Raye wishes he could give her a perfect world, where everything is pure and sweet and good, but acknowledges that he cannot. The gift of his love for her is the ability to cherish and hold dear the memories they share.
Throughout the song, Raye reminisces about the moments and experiences that define his relationship with his daughter. He watches her play in the fall leaves, takes her picture, and holds her close as she falls asleep. The song portrays the special bond between a father and his daughter and the innate desire to keep her close and protected from harm. Even as he longs to keep her close, he knows that he must let her grow up, face challenges, and make her own way in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out my window
Starting from my window view
See you playing in the leaves
I see you playing in the leaves outside
It's amazing how a little girl
It never ceases to awe me how an angel in the form of a daughter
Means all the world to me
means everything and more to me
When I tell you that I love you
Whenever I try to express my affection for you
I love you more than words can say
I love you beyond expression
Smile say cheese pretty please
Can you please put on a smile so I can take a lovely picture of you?
I want to take your picture
I want to capture a moment of my beautiful daughter
How'd you ever get so big
My daughter, you have grown so much over the years
I gotta take your picture
I need to take your picture before you grow up anymore
And hold on to the mem'ry before
I need to keep the memory before it fades away completely
The whole things slips away
Before the moments pass us by
I wish I could save these moments
I wish I could preserve these beautiful moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could keep them in a container like a treasure
I wish I could stop
I wish I could halt the progression of life
The world from turning
to stop the cycle of time
Keep things just the way they are
to keep everything the same forever
I wish I could shelter you from
I wish I could protect you from
Everything not pure and sweet and good
anything that is not pure, sweet, and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
I am aware that it is impossible to prevent change from happening
But I wish I could
But I still wish I could do something about it
When you kiss me for no reason
When you come and peck me with no forewarning or motive
It goes straight to my heart
It touches me in a deeply emotional way
When I feel your arms around me
When you embrace me with your small arms
I almost fall apart
I am overwhelmed with emotions
It's time for bed
It's time for you to sleep
You whisper "daddy we forgot to pray"
You murmured "dad, we haven't prayed"
I wish I could save these moments
I desire to preserve these precious times
When I watch you sleeping
When I keep an eye on you while you sleep
All my worries slip away
My worries fly away and new-found peace envelops me
A little bit of heaven
A tiny piece of a paradise-like contentment
Close on your gentle face
is seen on your calm and gentle visage
I wish I could save these moments
I wish I could save and preserve these times
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOUGLAS, THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind