Wish You Were Here
The Pink Group 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 ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in a 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 lyrics of "Wish You Were Here" by The Pink Group have a contemplative quality as it explores the idea of loss, disillusionment and emotional disconnection. The song opens with a series of questions, each one probing the listener's ability to differentiate between opposites such as heaven and hell, blue skies and pain, green fields and steel rails, and a smile and a veil. The questions are rhetorical in nature, and the tone of the song seems to suggest that the singer has already discovered that the distinctions between opposites are not always clear-cut. The lyrics imply that the singer has experienced disappointment and disillusionment, and has come to doubt his/her own perceptions and judgment.


The next stanza of the song alludes to the idea that the listener has perhaps abandoned their ideals and aspirations, and has allowed themselves to be consumed by the materialistic and superficial aspects of life. The imagery of "trading heroes for ghosts" and "hot ashes for trees" suggests that the listener has relinquished something profound and meaningful for something empty and trivial. The repetition of the phrase "did you exchange" reinforces the idea that the listener has made a bargain at some point, but it is one that has left them feeling empty and unfulfilled.


The chorus of "Wish You Were Here" is the most memorable and poignant part of the song. The singer expresses a deep sense of longing for someone who is absent, who may have left or died. The lyrics are likely to resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one or experienced the pain of separation. The metaphor of two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl captures the sense of inertia and aimlessness that can come with grief or loneliness. The final line of the chorus, "What have we found? The same old fears," is a reminder that life can be cyclical and repetitive, and that even in moments of despair, the same issues and anxieties may continue to haunt us.


Line by Line Meaning

So, so you think you can tell
Do you truly believe that you have such discernment?


Heaven from Hell
Can you distinguish between good and evil?


Blue skies from pain
Can you differentiate pleasure from anguish?


Can you tell a green field
Are you able to recognize nature's beauty and simplicity?


From a cold steel rail?
Or are you only accustomed to the harshness and rigidity of an industrial world?


A smile from a veil?
Can you detect genuine joy from disguises and facades?


Do you think you can tell?
Do you honestly believe you possess this capacity?


Did they get you to trade
Did influential factors persuade you to exchange?


Your heroes for ghosts?
Did you abandon admirable individuals for phantoms?


Hot ashes for trees?
Did you accept destruction and chaos over growth and stability?


Hot air for a cool breeze?
Did you opt for empty words instead of comforting winds?


Cold comfort for change?
Did you seek consolation instead of evolution?


And did you exchange
And did you forfeit


A walk on part in a war
An insignificant role in a conflict


For a lead role in a cage?
In exchange for a dominant position in a limited and confining environment?


How I wish, how I wish you were here
How much I yearn for your presence and companionship


We're just two lost souls
We are nothing more than aimless wanderers


Swimming in a fish bowl
Confined to a restricted and repetitive life


Year after year
Persisting through the passage of time


Running over the same old ground
Repeating the same experiences and patterns repeatedly


What have we found?
What have we discovered or achieved?


The same old fears
Consistent anxieties and apprehensions


Wish you were here
I desire that you were with me




Contributed by Julia N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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