Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd/roger waters Lyrics
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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?
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
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 Pink Floyd is a heartfelt tribute to the band's original lead singer, Syd Barrett. The opening lines of the song, "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?" are powerful in their simplicity. They suggest that life is more complex than we realize, and that we often mistake the good for the bad and the bad for the good.
The second verse shifts to a more specific narrative about Barrett. The lines "Did they get you to trade / Your heroes for ghosts? / Hot ashes for trees? / 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?" reflect on Barrett's departure from the band due to his mental health issues. The lyrics suggest that Barrett was lured away from his dreams and aspirations by the temptations of fame and the music industry, and that his eventual breakdown left him feeling trapped and isolated.
The chorus of the song, "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," expresses a deep longing for connection and understanding. The fish bowl metaphor represents the feeling of being trapped and watched, while the repetition of "the same old ground" and "the same old fears" suggests a sense of stagnation and hopelessness.
Line by Line Meaning
So, so you think you can tell
Do you have the ability to distinguish
Heaven from hell?
Can you differentiate between good and bad?
Blue skies from pain?
Can you tell the difference between happiness and sadness?
Can you tell a green field
Is there a discernible difference between
From a cold steel rail?
two seemingly opposite things?
A smile from a veil?
Can you see through appearances?
Do you think you can tell?
Are you confident in your judgment?
Did they get you to trade
Were you convinced or manipulated into exchanging
Your heroes for ghosts?
your idols for phantoms?
Hot ashes for trees?
Did you exchange something valuable for something worthless?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Did you exchange something real for something fake?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you give up comfort for uncertainty?
Did you exchange
Did you give up
A walk on part in the war
A small, insignificant role in a conflict or struggle
For a lead role in a cage?
For a more prominent, but still trapped or imprisoned position?
How I wish, how I wish you were here
I really miss you and wish you were present
We're just two lost souls
We are two aimless and directionless people
Swimming in a fish bowl
We feel confined and trapped in our environment
Year after year
Over a prolonged period of time
Running over the same old ground
Doing the same thing repeatedly without progress
What have we found?
What have we accomplished or discovered?
The same old fears
We are still held back by the same anxieties
Wish you were here
I really wish you were with me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicolas Haegens
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?
Did you exchange
A walk-on part in the war
For a leading 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
Balzinder Chhabra
It will be really hard to stop myself from crying if I heard Roger sing this live.
ookiiani
He did this live at the show I went to see a couple weeks ago, was brilliant
Ivan Jerez
@ookiiani You damn right!
Greates experience in my life.
Виктор Заяц
Браво старина Роджер🎉🎉🎉
Shemsuddin Millard
Love how he tells us the story and doesn’t over sing it. Like we’re sitting on the porch drinking tea and he reaches for his guitar (nice one btw) and says, “About Sid? let me say it like this.”
Daniel Boldt
Beautifully said. I bet you that Syd crossed his mind quite a bit during this performance. You can hear the sense of hopelessness in his voice which shows so much anguish for the loss of his friend. Like you said, an absolute tragic story being told.
the gardenhead
He doesn’t over sing it because he couldn’t even if he tried
Daniel Boldt
@the gardenhead I think our brains are all a little hardwired to automatically love the original recorded version with all of the Floyd members and especially with David singing it. I don’t think this version discredits the four heart and souls that were put into Pink Floyd, but I respect your opinion. Every person hears things differently. Regardless, I think this video is a beautiful rendition and though Roger doesn’t seem to hit the same chords of the heart that the original Pink Floyd version did, I still believe that he hits some different ones. The lyrics have always been his story about loss (especially of his dear friend Syd), and as the older, and wiser (give or take) that he is, it has a whole different feel than the Floyd classic. I appreciate your insight on your own thoughts and feelings, here are mine! Have a beautiful day :)
M.C. Dr B
@Daniel Boldt No, I think he means, and I agree with him, Roger Waters can't sing. He was never great, Dave Gilmour has a better voice, but his voice has gone now.
roydagger
Roger could sing - once. He can't now. His voice has been going down hill since Radio Kaos.