Deep Lyrical Dive into "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd

"Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd

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 leading 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 Here is one of my favorite Pink Floyd's, "Wish You Were Here". According to the members of the group, it has a dual meaning, but primarily is in reference to one of their founding members that had quit due to mental illness and addiction issues. That being said, each of our own personal interpretations can evolve into a different picture, colored by our own experiences and way of thinking. Here's my interpretation of my favorite line I'd like to highlight: 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 I love the imagery and claustrophobic feeling this line gives, almost a coexistence of both desperation and complacency. It's an unnerving depiction that provides the listener with a cautionary window into this tale. To break it down line by line, "We're just two lost souls" identifies the subjects as having no direction in life, but still aware of having a soul, therefore desires, interests, dreams and personal expression are still living and not entirely deceased within the "two" of them. The second line is where the aforementioned claustrophobic feeling is strongly implied, "Swimming in a fish bowl Year after year" both evokes the feeling of living in a tight space, but also the madness of swimming that repetitive circle "year after year". And again, but in human terms, "Running over the same old ground What have we found? The same old fears" further highlights the repetitive madness of the two people. To me personally, I feel a sense of urgency to break out of any repetitive behaviors and mindsets that keep me/delay my personal growth and self actualization in terms of my dreams and goals. One of the many painful lessons I've had had to learn is that some people that you tie yourself to turn out to be the mill stone around your neck that sinks you deeper into that fish bowl. And while it may hurt, and you wish they were still here, their chosen path isn't necessarily one that your specific human legs were made to carry you through. Regardless, wish them well, but maybe not always wish they were here.