"Josie and the Pussycats" evolved from DeCarlo's "She's Josie" comic, first published by Archie in 1963. The change in format came about as a result of the success of The Archies in the books, on television, and on the pop charts. When "Josie and the Pussycats" migrated to a Saturday morning cartoon in 1970 (courtesy of Hanna-Barbera Productions), a full Pussycats album and several singles were released on Captiol Records. These recordings feature Cathy Doguher as the singing voice of Josie, with Patrice Holloway (sister of Motown singer Brenda Holloway) as Valerie, and Cherie Moor (later Cheryl Ladd) as Melody. While the Pussycats' songs were featured heavily in the cartoon series, they were not successes on the pop charts as the Archies' recordings had been. Producer Danny Janssen gave the Pussycats a pop-soul sound with all three women sharing lead vocals.
Three decades later, Universal Pictures and MGM produced a live-action "Josie and the Pussycats" feature film, directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont and released in April 2001. R&B/pop producer Babyface, an executive producer for the film, supervised a soundtrack of new Pussycats recordings, done in a modern pop rock style. Kay Hanley, from the band Letters to Cleo, provides the singing voice of Josie and sings lead on all ten Pussycats songs. Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson, who appear in the film as Josie, Melody, and Valerie respectively, provide some of the background vocals on the soundtrack recordings. Unlike the 1970 album, the 2001 soundtrack charted on the Billboard 200 albums chart, peaking at number 16.
I Wish You Well
Josie and the Pussycats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Couldn't you tell after all these years
I wish you love
And life in a world that you're dreaming of
I wish you well
I wish you love
I wish myself
All of the above
What made me think
That I could survive all the wear and tear
It's not my thing
To stand here and pose for some William Tell
I wish you well
I wish you love
I wish myself
All of the above
If there was a better time I could not find it
What's mine's not yours and yours not mine
And we couldn't hide it
Don't take me on a ride with you, it's a roller coaster
The only time I look at you is on a rock 'n roll poster
I wish you well...
Where are you now
Couldn't you see through the sweat and tears
I took my bow
While you confirmed all my saddest fears
I wish you well
I wish you love
I wish myself
The world I dreaming of
I wish you well
I wish you love
I wish myself
All of the above,
All of the above,
All of the above,
All of the above
The lyrics of "I Wish You Well" by Josie and the Pussycats are about wishing someone who you once had a close relationship with all the best in their life going forward, as well as wishing the same for yourself. The singer has clearly experienced some difficulties and challenges in their interactions with this person, with lines such as "What made me think / That I could survive all the wear and tear" and "While you confirmed all my saddest fears." Despite these struggles, the singer is extending a genuine message of goodwill and hope for the future.
The song reflects on the ups and downs of a relationship that has come to an end, with the singer acknowledging the challenges they faced but ultimately wanting the best for the other person. There is a sense of closure to the lyrics, with lines like "I took my bow" indicating that the singer is ready to move on. However, there is also a hint of regret and melancholy, with the line "Where are you now" indicating a sense of longing or loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish you well
I hope everything goes well for you
Couldn't you tell after all these years
I've been wishing you well for a long time, didn't you notice?
I wish you love
I hope you find love
And life in a world that you're dreaming of
I hope you live the kind of life you want
I wish myself
I also wish for
All of the above
All the things I just wished for you
What made me think
Why did I believe
That I could survive all the wear and tear
That I could endure all the damage and hardships
It's not my thing
That's not something I can do well
To stand here and pose for some William Tell
To just stand here and play the target for someone else's amusement
If there was a better time I could not find it
I looked for a better time, but couldn't find one
What's mine's not yours and yours not mine
What I have is not yours and what you have is not mine
And we couldn't hide it
We couldn't keep that fact hidden
Don't take me on a ride with you, it's a roller coaster
Don't involve me in your unpredictable life, it's too tumultuous
The only time I look at you is on a rock 'n roll poster
The only time I pay attention to you is when you're a rock star on a poster
Where are you now
I wonder where you are currently
Couldn't you see through the sweat and tears
Didn't you notice all the effort and struggles I went through?
I took my bow
I took my final curtain call
While you confirmed all my saddest fears
While you made my worst fears come true
I wish myself
I also wish for
The world I'm dreaming of
The kind of world I want to live in
All of the above,
All the things I just wished for myself
All of the above,
All the things I wished for both of us
All of the above,
All the things I wished multiple times for emphasis
All of the above
All the things I wished for
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Anna Jeanette Waronker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
moreblack
You know what, rock was in such a dire state when this movie came out, that this soundtrack album was probably one of the few newer rock releases I truly enjoyed that year. Still do.
Chris Boyd
The song was written by Anna Waronker. She recorded and released the track on her album Anna the year after Josie and the Pussycats was released in theaters. If you've never heard of her before, you should check out Anna Waronker in her 90s band That Dog. They reformed in 2011 and are releasing a new album soon. Til then, check out Retreat from the Sun.
Leigh Frenette
Thanks for sharing ! I just found her on Spotify and Downloaded this song <3
ilovewaterslides
That Dog. is a freaking classic! I love Anna Waronker!
Jill Starland
I was describing a relationship to my daughter, and she told me to listen to this song, stat. Hell yeah. Thanks, sweetie.
Wingy
I love this playlist man. I am reminiscing hardcore right now. Now all I need is a file converter haha
Obsidian Doll
Thanks so much for posting this. I lost my friggin' CD. :(
Kris
best coast vibes🌊 before best coast existed! I love this movie and soundtrack so much💜😺
misterfreehugs
the sound quality is amazing! >8D
Pearl Catz
"I wish you well, I wish you love. I wish myself all of thee above." Haha...