Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_Wet_Wet
Studio albums
Popped In Souled Out (1987)
The Memphis Sessions (1988)
Holding Back the River (1989)
High on the Happy Side (1992)
Cloak & Dagger (1992)
Picture This (1995)
10 (1997)
Timeless (2007)
The Journey (2021)
I Wish
Wet Wet Wet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That was the way when I first met you baby
You weren't right for me
I didn't really care
Act quite naturally
She said
Plenty more supplies
Seen a lot of planes going up in the air
Do you ever get the feeling
That you want to fly like a bird in the sky
Hey Lucille, you'll be the talk of the town
Lucille hey, you'll be the talk of the town
She met a young man called Johnnie
He played a little mean guitar
No matter how hard I try
I want to fly like a bird in the sky
I want to fly like a bird in the sky
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
Living the night, doing it wrong
It's a little lonely without you
The feeling was strong
The world was holding on
I want to be on my own
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
Won't you stay with me
Take from me what I take form you
You can take from me what I find in you
Come on, tell me, tell me, tell me
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
Hey, I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
Say I can't get by without your love
Say I can't get by without your love
Say I can't get by without your love
Say I can't get by without your love
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
I wish I could take time
I wish oh I wish so hard
The lyrics to Wet Wet Wet's song "I Wish" are a mix of yearning, loneliness, and a desire for freedom. The singer begins by reminiscing about his first meeting with a girl who wasn't right for him, but who he was drawn to anyway. He talks about wanting to fly like a bird and about a girl named Lucille who will be the talk of the town, before admitting that he wishes he could take time and be on his own. The emotion throughout the song is deep and contradictory, with a sense of longing that is never fully satisfied.
The song opens with the singer encouraging someone to come up to him, calling them "hey little darling." He then talks about his first meeting with the girl he is addressing, admitting that she wasn't right for him but that he didn't care. He says that he acted naturally, suggesting that he was true to himself in the relationship, but then the narrative jumps to a memory of the couple on a boat by the river, watching planes fly overhead. The song then shifts to Lucille and a young man called Johnnie, with the singer wishing he could fly like a bird and be free of his romantic longing. He then pleads with the girl to stay with him, but also acknowledges that he wishes he could be on his own. The chorus repeats the phrase "I wish I could take time" as if to suggest that the singer is stuck in a moment he can't escape.
The song is a deeply emotional track that speaks to the yearning we all feel for something more. The lyrics are at times contradictory, with the singer both pleading for a relationship and wishing he could be free of it. The song's refrain of "I wish I could take time" suggests a desire to escape the confines of his current situation, but there is also a sense of uncertainty around what that escape might look like. Overall, the song speaks to the deeply human struggle between freedom and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on up, hey little darling
I encouraged you to come to me, my dear friend.
That was the way when I first met you baby
At that time, the way we interacted was similar to when we first met.
You weren't right for me
We weren't compatible with each other.
I didn't really care
I didn't have strong feelings about it.
Act quite naturally
I behaved in a way that was true to myself.
She said
A woman told me something.
Went on a boat going down by the river
I traveled on a boat that was moving downstream in the river.
Plenty more supplies
There were many more provisions available.
Seen a lot of planes going up in the air
I observed many planes ascending into the sky.
Do you ever get the feeling
Have you ever experienced the sensation?
That you want to fly like a bird in the sky
You have a desire to soar in the air like a bird.
Hey Lucille, you'll be the talk of the town
Lucille, you will become a popular topic of conversation in the community.
Lucille hey, you'll be the talk of the town
Lucille, hooray, you will be the talk of the town!
She met a young man called Johnnie
She encountered a guy named Johnnie.
He played a little mean guitar
He played a guitar with a slightly aggressive style.
No matter how hard I try
Regardless of how much effort I put in.
I want to fly like a bird in the sky
I long to soar through the atmosphere like a bird.
I wish I could take time
I yearn to possess more free time.
I wish oh I wish so hard
I desperately want this desire to come true.
Living the night, doing it wrong
I am living through the night, failing to do things correctly.
It's a little lonely without you
I am feeling slightly lonely without you being present.
The feeling was strong
The sentiment was very potent.
The world was holding on
The planet was maintaining its position.
I want to be on my own
I desire to be alone, without company.
Won't you stay with me
Please remain close by my side.
Take from me what I take form you
Extract from me what I receive from you.
You can take from me what I find in you
You are welcome to take from me what I discover in you.
Come on, tell me, tell me, tell me
Please reveal to me, tell me, tell me, tell me.
Say I can't get by without your love
Express your belief that I cannot survive without your affection.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATTHEW BAIR, BENJAMIN RUTTNER, JAMES PATTERSON, ROSS CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind