Wish You Were Here is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released in 1975 as the title track of their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here. The song was written by the band members Roger Waters and David Gilmour and is one of Pink Floyd’s most iconic and enduring compositions.

Wish You Were Here is renowned for its poignant lyrics, which reflect themes of absence, alienation, and the disillusionment felt by the band members amidst their growing fame and the music industry’s commercial pressures. The song’s emotional depth is further enhanced by its evocative melody and Gilmour’s soulful guitar solos.

The track is also notable for its distinctive sound effects, including the use of radio tuning and the recording of a wind sound created by blowing through a straw into a microphone, which contribute to the atmospheric and introspective mood of the song.

Wish You Were Here has remained a beloved classic and is often regarded as one of Pink Floyd’s greatest achievements. It continues to resonate with audiences around the world, capturing the universal longing for connection and understanding.

Editors Note: With the lyrics “We’re just two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl,” we were “hooked” (really bad pun intended).

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here Lyrics

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