Wish You Were Here
Lionel Cohen Lyrics
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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 air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
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.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
The song "Wish You Were Here" by Lionel Cohen is a melancholic reflection on the struggles that human beings go through on a daily basis. The opening line, "So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain?" sets the mood for the rest of the song. The lyrics reflect an existential crisis that the singer is going through, and the questions posed in this line are philosophical in nature. The song then goes on to ask whether one can tell a green field from a cold steel rail, a smile from a veil, and if one thinks they can tell the difference between the two.
The second verse of the song is more straight forward and deals with the topic of loss. It talks about whether one has traded their heroes for ghosts, hot ashes for trees, hot air for a cool breeze, or cold comfort for change. This is a reflection on how people sometimes trade things that are meaningful to them for things that do not really matter, and how they eventually end up with the same old fears.
The chorus of the song expresses the longing of the singer for someone who is not there with them. The line "How I wish, how I wish you were here" is repeated twice, and the verse that follows describes how the singer and the person they miss are just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year, running over the same old ground.
Overall, "Wish You Were Here" is a song that deals with themes of loss, detachment, and longing. The song's introspective lyrics and melancholic tune have made it one of Lionel Cohen's most beloved compositions.
Line by Line Meaning
So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
Are you confident in your ability to distinguish happiness from sorrow and peace from turmoil?
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
Can you recognize the contrast between nature and technology?
A smile from a veil?
Can you differentiate between genuine happiness and a false facade?
Do you think you can tell?
Do you really believe that you can truly discern reality?
Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Have you replaced your authentic role models with nonexistent, hollow ones?
Hot ashes for trees?
Have you discarded vibrant and living surroundings with ones that are dull and decaying?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Have you replaced refreshing and genuine respite with hollow talk?
Cold comfort for change?
Have you settled for an unsatisfying status quo instead of pursuing a positive transformation?
Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
Did you compromise your potential for passive security?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
I desperately desire your presence and companionship.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
We are aimlessly drifting through life, struggling to find purpose.
Running over the same old ground.
We continually make the same mistakes and experience the same struggles.
What have we found?
Despite our efforts, have we ultimately achieved anything meaningful?
The same old fears.
We are plagued by the same persistent anxieties.
Wish you were here.
I miss you and long for your presence in my life.
Contributed by Bailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.