Anatomy of a "Wish You Were Here"

I remember a trip to my grandparents' hometown in the old car we had, which allowed you to play CDs. My father and I were arguing about which version of "Wish You Were Here" was better—the one by Incubus or the classic by Pink Floyd. Beyond the humorous argument we were having, simply to contradict each other, I realized years later that, regardless of whether you prefer one style or the other, the two songs couldn't express the feeling of missing someone in more different ways. Let's explore why:

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

The song, that gives its name to the 1975 album it belongs to, was composed by David Gilmour and Roger Waters, but with Waters as the sole lyricist.

In this piece, in my humble interpretation, Waters explores the relationship between two soulmates (not necessarily a couple, which is what everyone jumps to when they hear those words), one of whom decided to distance themselves, leaving the other person hurt, abandoned, and questioning the other person on whether the change was worth it, whether the sacrifice was worth it, whether they made the right choice... but still, they miss them. On the other hand, it seems like it could be the same conversation, but directed at himself, wondering if all the changes he has made were the right ones, thus distancing himself from what was his reality and, perhaps, missing how things used to be.

The musical accompaniment starts with simple acoustic guitars and soft background synthesizers, which seem to mimic whispers of wind. The guitars become stronger as the lead vocals begin to "reproach," with the bass, drums, and piano entering the scene, but still in a very gentle way, as if to convey that, although the person is hurt or angry, they could never entirely hate the cause of the situation (whether it's the other person or themselves, depending on how you choose to interpret it).

The final part of the song becomes a bit stronger than the chorus when it expresses missing the other person and wishing they were there, with the music helping to convey the emotion in the words.

The coda is entirely instrumental, with the guitar playing the main chords of the song, accompanied by a soft but distinct bass line, a light drum rhythm, and the synthesizer sounding like the wind. All of this gradually fades out as real wind sounds begin to play, suggesting that everything has passed, been forgotten, and is now lost in time.

Therefore, it seems to me that this "Wish You Were Here" is told from a place of melancholy and, in a way, sadness. Now, let's move on to the next one..

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Wish You Were Here - Incubus

The third song from the 2001 album Morning View, co-written by the entire band. This song presents a much more "alive" interpretation than the previous one. In this one, Brandon Boyd, the singer, talks about a wonderful day at the beach, sinking his feet into the sand, looking at the sea, the sky, and the stars once night falls. He also misses someone, but not in the same way as in Pink Floyd's song. This is a much more positive Wish You Were Here. Brandon speaks from the perspective of a happy day; he's having a great time and wishes the other person were there to enjoy it just as much as he is, to share the joy and freedom he feels that day. This song has a bit more lyrics than the previous one, so I’ve condensed the choruses to avoid repeating the same phrase too much.

The instrumental part of the track also quickly highlights the difference between the two songs. Although it starts softly with guitar strumming, it soon breaks into much more distortion and an energetic drumbeat. However, this energy subsides into a guitar playing arpeggios with a touch of reverb as the verses begin, conveying the peace he feels in that moment, being in touch with the beach after that burst of fun. It then rises again during the choruses, subtly reflecting the ups and downs of the metaphorical roller coaster mentioned in the song. He is happy and wishes we were there to share in that happiness too.

With all this, this seems to me like a "Wish You Were Here" coming from love and joy, from the desire to share a good moment with someone you care about.

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What’s the conclusion of all this? Missing someone is a universal feeling, we’ve all missed or currently miss someone. But as we see in this post, it’s a feeling that can be experienced in different ways. You might wish someone were here with you because you long for how things used to be, wanting to return to that time; it’s a sad feeling tied to the past.

Or you might miss someone in a more heartfelt way, where your heart is full, and you want to share that with them. Of course, there may always be an underlying sorrow in thinking that person is missing out, but your mind focuses more on the fact that you’re happy and that if the person you miss were there, they would be happy too. It’s a feeling where the present—the here and now—takes precedence.

So, in honor of that debate I had with my father (in which, by the way, he defended the Incubus version and I defended the Pink Floyd one, though now I see it with different eyes), I write this article and dedicate it to him. I Wish You Were Here pops, in every sense of the phrase.🤍.