Wish You Were Here
KITCHEN 1 - 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 lyrics of "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd are a reflection on loneliness and the desire for human connection in a world where people are often forced to hide behind masks and illusions. The song begins with a sarcastic exchange between band members, in which they mock the idea of fame and celebrity status, alluding to the idea that it is nothing more than "star nonsense". The first verse then goes on to ask a series of rhetorical questions that reflect the singer's disillusionment with life and his inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not. The chorus expresses the singer's longing for someone to be with him, to share his life experiences with and to help him navigate through the difficulties of the world.


The second verse of the song is even more melancholic than the first, as it is a reflection on the sacrifices that people make in order to succeed in the world. The questions posed in this verse are rhetorical as well, highlighting the idea that people often exchange their values and morals for worldly success. The most powerful line in this verse is "Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?", which reflects the idea that people often give up their freedom and individuality in order to conform to societal norms.


As the song closes, the singer expresses his longing for someone to be with him, to share his experiences and help him find his way. The repeated line "Wish you were here" is a plea for human connection, and the metaphor of two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl emphasizes the isolation and loneliness that the singer feels. The final line "What have we found? The same old fears" expresses the idea that, even in a world that is constantly changing, our deepest fears and human desires remain the same.


Line by Line Meaning

So, so you think you can tell
Do you believe that you have enough clarity and wisdom to make accurate differentiations?


Heaven from hell?
Can you truly distinguish between what is good and bad, right and wrong?


Blue skies from pain?
Is it possible for you to differentiate between happiness and sadness, pleasure and sorrow?


Can you tell a green field
Are you able to differentiate between the simplicity of nature and the complexity of industrialization?


From a cold steel rail?
Can you see the beauty in simplicity, or are you blinded by the cold and hard realities of the modern world?


A smile from a veil?
Can you see through the façade that people put on and differentiate what is genuine and fake?


Do you think you can tell?
Is your perception strong enough to truly differentiate one thing from another?


Did they get you to trade
Did the powers that be successfully convince you to abandon your principles and beliefs in exchange for something else?


Your heroes for ghosts?
Did they make you abandon the people you looked up to and their values in pursuit of something that does not even exist?


Hot ashes for trees?
Did they make you trade what was once alive and flourishing for dead, useless remains?


Hot air for a cool breeze?
Did they make you take something that is merely superficial and empty, rather than something that is real and refreshing?


Cold comfort for change?
Did they make you choose between the temporary reprieve of staying in your comfort zone and the more difficult but ultimately more beneficial path of change?


Did you exchange
Did you willingly give away what you had once believed in and lived by?


A walk on part in the war
Did you exchange your minor and insignificant participation in the chaos of the world for a more prominent and recognized role in the same chaos?


For a lead role in a cage?
Did you make the trade for a more important and commanding role, but ultimately in a less free and more restricted environment?


How I wish, how I wish you were here
I desperately desire for you to be with me and see the same things that I do.


We're just two lost souls
We are both wandering aimlessly and feeling directionless amidst the uncertainties of life.


Swimming in a fish bowl
We are trapped in our own small worlds, unable to escape due to our own limitations and fears.


Year after year
This unchanging cycle repeats itself as time passes.


Running over the same old ground
We are moving along the same familiar path that we have always walked.


What have we found?
Despite our journey, nothing truly new or enlightening has been discovered.


The same old fears
The same anxieties and worries still haunt us with no resolution in sight.


Wish you were here
I miss you and wish you were here to share this experience with me.




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.



All comments from YouTube:

@bradvan316

I still remember my dad playing this on his guitar. When i hear this song, it just goes on my mind about my dad. I wish he was hear again. I miss you dad (1958) - (2016)

@danielregisalmeida8106

)

@xpilipinas

Rest in Paradise to your old man.

@TranceJedi

Close your eyes.... He's still here ...

@crystalsavery5430

BradVan316 pink Floyd where always my dad's favourite band, this was always my personal favourite and like you, I wish he was here. Only got taken just over a month ago. Always will be with us.

@christianwimmer2544

Cy

549 More Replies...

@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 ❤❤❤

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