Wish You Were Here

Album: On A Wire (2002)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Matt Pryor explained the meaning behind this song: "There two friends of mine, they were basically like, 'Well, I'm moving, so we're gonna break up in three months.' And I was just like, 'What's the f--king point of staying in a relationship if you know exactly when its gonna end?' It's sort of like knowing the day you're gonna die." In the song, we watch as a couple count down to their planned break up, even though the guy secretly does not want the split to happen. The pair do ultimately break up, although the guy holds on to the memories for years to come: "Remember me, I'm waiting here/Disappointed, hanging on/Stayed behind while you moved on/Wish you were here."
  • This song features on The Get Up Kids' third album, On A Wire. Matt Pryor told 17 Dots the album was heavily influenced by classic rock: "At the time we were just sick of what we were doing. We felt like we were getting stale and getting formulaic... so we just wanted to do something different and wanted to embrace all the facets of the things we were listening to...it's going back and getting more into the Kinks and the Beatles and the Stones and just wanting to be like, we can still be a rock band, we can be all-encompassing if we want to."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Which Songs are About Drugs?

Which Songs are About Drugs?Fact or Fiction

"25 or 6 to 4" to "Semi-Charmed Life" - see if you can spot the songs that are really about drugs.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.