Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd Lyrics


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(Yes, and disciplinary remains mercifully)
(Yes, and um, I'm with you Derek, this star nonsense)
(Yes, yes)
(Now, which is it?)
(I am sure of it)

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 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 Pink Floyd was released in 1975 and is considered one of their most iconic songs. The song is about the feelings of estrangement and disconnection that the songwriter feels and reflects on the culture of greed and corruption that has become dominant. The song talks about how people trade their true heroes for ghosts and get lost in the rat race of the corporate world. The first lines of the song suggest that the singer is skeptical about the therapeutic methods used by society to reform people, which includes discipline and penal systems.


The lyrics then move on to ask some soul-searching questions, which are poetic and philosophical in nature. The singer asks the listener if they can tell the difference between heaven and hell, blue skies and pain, or even a smile and a veil. These questions are intended to provoke introspection in the listener and make them question their belief system. The lyrics then shift to accuse society of creating a system where people get comfortable with discomfort, which is shown by the exchange of hot ashes for trees, hot air for a cool breeze, and cold comfort for change.


The song then moves on to a personal lament where the singer expresses their longing for a person who is not present. This could be interpreted as a mourning of a loved one who has passed away or a longing for a more authentic connection in a world where people are increasingly disconnected. The song's final lines "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" eloquently portray the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of repetition and the desire for a deeper connection.


Line by Line Meaning

Yes, and disciplinary remains mercifully
Acknowledging a strict authority figure who is nonetheless doing their job with empathy


Yes, and um, I'm with you Derek, this star nonsense
Expressing agreement with someone else's frustration about trivialities


Yes, yes
An affirmative response, indicating understanding or agreement


Now, which is it?
Asking for clarification or a decision to be made


I am sure of it
Expressing confidence in one's own belief or statement


So, so you think you can tell
Challenging the listener's perception or ability to distinguish certain qualities


Heaven from hell?
Asking whether one can tell the difference between good and evil or happiness and misery


Blue skies from pain?
Asking whether one can appreciate beauty in the midst of suffering


Can you tell a green field
Asking whether one can differentiate between nature and man-made constructs


From a cold steel rail?
Drawing a contrast between the beauty of nature and the harshness of industrialization


A smile from a veil?
Asking whether one can see through a facade or recognize true emotion


Do you think you can tell?
Repeating the earlier challenges, demanding a response from the listener


Did they get you to trade
Questioning whether one has willingly given up something valuable for a false promise or illusion


Your heroes for ghosts?
Asking whether one has replaced real inspiration with empty images or ideals


Hot ashes for trees?
Pondering whether one has sacrificed something of substance for something that appears grand but is ultimately useless


Hot air for a cool breeze?
Asking whether one has been tricked into accepting something empty and hollow in place of something refreshing and real


Cold comfort for change?
Wondering whether one has settled for the illusion of stability and familiarity instead of seeking true progress and growth


Did you exchange
Continuing to question whether the listener made a misguided trade or choice


A walk on part in the war
Asking whether one has bought into a harmful or senseless struggle without realizing their role in it is small and insignificant


For a lead role in a cage?
Asking whether one has given up their freedom and individuality for the sake of fitting into a rigid system or societal expectation


How I wish, how I wish you were here
Expressing a deep longing for something or someone absent


We're just two lost souls
Acknowledging a shared feeling of disorientation and disconnection from the world


Swimming in a fish bowl
Feeling trapped and exposed, with no privacy or control over one's environment


Year after year
Emphasizing the enduring, unchanging nature of this feeling or situation


Running over the same old ground
Stuck in a repetitive cycle or pattern, unable to make real progress or change


What have we found?
Questioning the meaning or value of this situation


The same old fears
Identifying a recurring source of anxiety, doubt, or discomfort


Wish you were here
Repeating the earlier sentiment of longing for something or someone absent




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David Gilmour, Roger Waters

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@maryanneandrade7796

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 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



@anthonydickinson5913

Wish You Were Here.

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?

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.



@rishabmarmat1152

Lyrics
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 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



@paullaleda

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 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



All comments from YouTube:

@user-ru3ql6ji4p

2024 and I'm still listening. Who's with me?

@swedishchefhands9037

I'm not with you. And that's why I wish you were here.

@MrGodbumps

I'm with you

@tatianepereira5465

Amoooo Brasil ❤❤❤

@RoadToXyon

🍄💖

@charlesmasson9597

I’m still here and always will be🎉

8 More Replies...

@JobOthoniel

Amazing song, still valid!!!

@jeffreylaporte2237

This song will always be valid. It’s a beautiful song

@siegeupon5894

I was there when the seating collapsded
@@jeffreylaporte2237

@pierru98

It's timeless, obviously's still valid

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