Wish I Knew You

Album: Men Against Mountains (2015)
Charted: 84
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Revivalists are an American rock band who formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2007. The band consists of David Shaw (lead vocals), Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas (bass guitar), Andrew Campanelli (drums, percussion), Ed Williams (pedal steel guitar) and Michael Girardot (keyboards, trumpet).
  • This jazzy horn-laced tune was written by Shaw on his front porch and released as a single in February 2016. The song climbed to #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart, becoming the band's first track to reach the peak position. It also found success on a number of other rock radio formats, as well as adult contemporary stations and even saw a stint on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • The song set the record in May 2017 for the most plays ever recorded during a week's long period (3,488 across the panel) for any track on Alternative/Modern Rock radio since the inception of Mediabase tracking systems in 1988.
  • Asked by Billboard why he believes the song has proved so successful, Shaw replied:

    "I think it's a tune that's broad enough so that people can attribute their own meaning and I think that's what art is about. I know exactly what the inspiration was and I think that when you have an idea and a piece that that speaks in a broader sense and you can have all of these different avenues, I think that's when something really, really connects. We are all different people; we have come from all different walks of life and have different experiences. But, when you can hone in on this one thing that everyone can have a unique experience and connection to, that's where the fire is."
  • The song was featured in a 2017 commercial for Blue Moon Belgian White beer.
  • This featured in the Season 7 finale of Suits. The episode marked Meghan Markle's last appearance in the show, due to her impending marriage to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018.

Comments: 2

  • B from Austin I think it should be “we can share my MOON’
  • Jd Vineland Sound from NohoI think one detail that people seem to miss when they talk about the songs crazy run when it was re-released 2 years after the album dropped was that it was remixed to be more poppy rather than indie. The drums in the remix hit wayyyy harder and the guitar is brighter so it gives more of that dance funk sound. I noticed this when I would jam out to the song in my car on the radio then I went and looked it up on iTunes and listened and I was like wait a minute why do I not like this song as much. At first I thought it was due to the compression and high frequency exciters radio uses but then I realized there was a 2017 - single version and I listened to it and I was like damn what a difference! Now when I am pitching my mixing and mastering services to people I use this song as a reference for what a better mix can do to a songs popularity. I'm a little more expensive than most mixers and this song and it's remix makes people understand what a great mix can do for their music!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.