Wish You Were Here
Pascale Picard Lyrics


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So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skys from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade
Your heros 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.
What have we found?




The same old fears.
Wish you were here-

Overall Meaning

The song "Wish You Were Here" by Pascale Picard is a poignant reflection on the transient nature of life and the feeling of disconnection from the world. The opening lines "So, so you think you can tell, Heaven from Hell, Blue skies from pain." trigger a thought-provoking challenge to the listeners. The lines suggest that life has its share of good and bad moments, and it is not easy to distinguish between them. It is a metaphor for the difficulties and paradoxes of life. "Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?" The use of rhetorical questions questions how much we really know.


The song then moves to the theme of loss and the urge to go back in time. The next set of verses refers to how people tend to lose their true selves in the quest for fulfillment. People tend to forget their ideals and opt for a life of convenience or end up caged by the expectations of the society around them. It begins with " And 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?" These lyrics are indicative of a person who has been forced to trade off their true aspirations for something that served as a mere compromise. It ultimately ends with a heart-warming expression of longing to be together again - "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."


Line by Line Meaning

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


Heaven from Hell,
Between a peaceful paradise and a chaotic nightmare,


Blue skys from pain.
The clear expanse above from emotional suffering


Can you tell a green field
Can you distinguish a lively meadow


From a cold steel rail?
From a lifeless track of metal?


A smile from a veil?
Can you figure out if a grin is genuine or deceptive?


Do you think you can tell?
Can you really identify?


And did they get you to trade
And did someone prompt you to replace


Your heros for ghosts?
Your idols with mere apparitions?


Hot ashes for trees?
Burning ashes for greenery?


Hot air for a cool breeze?
Blustering, empty words for a refreshing whiff?


Cold comfort for change?
The mediocre safety of sameness over improvement?


And did you exchange
Did you give up


A walk on part in the war
A minor role in conflict


For a lead role in a cage?
In exchange for a confined, dominant status?


How I wish, how I wish you were here.
I yearn for your presence with all my heart.


We're just two lost souls
We are just two aimless spirits


Swimming in a fish bowl,
Swimming in circles


Year after year,
For what seems like an eternity


Running over the same old ground.
Traversing repeatedly through the same, lifeless environment.


What have we found?
What have we actually discovered?


The same old fears.
The same, unyielding anxieties.


Wish you were here
I truly wish you were with me.




Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@1pooltub5391

Fantastic cover by Pascale Picard!! Would be great to have Floyd and Pascale do a collaboration! Breath a little fresh air into those Ol’ Boys!!😉😉😉

@MisterMushr00m

Je suis un fan de Pink Floyd aussi (j'ai tous leurs albums et je pourrais te citer la tracklist de chacun d'entre eux, je joue n'importe lequel de leurs morceaux à la guitare, etc.), et moi j'adore cette version ! Une insulte ça aurait été Justin Bieber, tu vois, là faut pas déconner ! Pascale Picard c'est loin d'être de la merde !

@pinchandtwist

Just discovered Pascale Picard....love it!

@c0olmind

@lauebaker On est d'accord ! Et la musique originale n'est pas massacré non plus, je trouve que l'ambiance rêveuse y est toujours. Il y a toujours cette sorte de nostalgie un peu mystérieuse et cette version à tout d'un cover réussi. J'en ai un peu marre de voir partout sur youtube "elle détruit totalement la version originale" où je ne sais quoi.

@Hellder666

J'adore, faut juste pas comparer a l'original.

@c0olmind

J'adore cette version, seulement il ne faut pas comparer la version originale et celle ci, c'est totalement différent. Et puis j'sais pas ce que c'est que ce refus des sons électroniques mais c'est agaçant à force. C'est clair que parfois l'électronique ne vaut pas l'acoustique, chacun donne une sensation différente, et donc inimitable.

@coltgibson

@sammsaragratteu Bref ! Moi étant musicien j'admet que je n'aurais pas su faire un arrangement aussi impeccable que celui ci ! Je lui lève mon chapeau !

@MrBla83

Forcément moins bien que l'original, mais cette version a un certain charme (grâce à la chanteuse car sincerement l'accompagnement electro, c'est pas le top ...) PS : Si vous ne connaissez pas Pascale Picard, un conseil, écoutez ses compos, vous ne serez pas déçu : rien à voir avec ce cover. Pascale I kiss you ;-)

@nikrofx3094

c pas pire que pas mal de groupes ou chanteurs !

@coltgibson

@sammsaragratteu Premièrement pour avoir fait ça elle a du avoir l'approbation du groupe parce que sinon elle n'aurait pas pu faire cette version. Et je suis garanti à 100% que le groupe lui même doit l'aimer. C'est sur que chacun à son opinion mais je comprend pas le fait que tu dises que c'est une insulte tout es parfait dans ce qu'elle fait la musique est bien équilibrée et sa voix est juste tout au long de la chanson et les recherches instrumentales sont la!

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