Pink Floyd’s album, Wish You Were Here, celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 12th. The album’s five tracks prove to remain more relevant than ever in today’s culture, showcasing themes of the heartbreaking loss of a friendship and disillusionment within the music industry. Wish You Were Here takes listeners on a sonic journey over the course of its forty-four minute run time. Faced with immense pressure to follow up their commercial success of Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd entered Abbey Road Studios with the weight of the world on their shoulders. In the creation of this album, lyricist and bassist Roger Waters lamented over the loss of his friendship with Syd Barrett, who had left the band due to struggles with his mental health. The opening track, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-5)”, is structured around a haunting guitar melody reminiscent of Barrett’s past guitar work. David Gilmour’s guitar weaves in and out of the atmospheric synthesizers that remain constant throughout the thirteen minute track. Waters writes about years spent with Barrett and how he “shone like the sun.” He is addressing Barrett, encouraging him to “shine on, you crazy diamond.” The song builds and builds until a chorus of voices chimes in with Waters for the refrain.
The opening track perfectly segues into the only remaining song on the first side of the record, “Welcome to the Machine.” Sung by David Gilmour, this song is littered with various industrial sounds and a pumping bass line. Waters’ poignant lyrics compare the music industry to a machine, demonstrating the band’s growing dissatisfaction with their success. Keyboardist Richard Wright’s searing synthesizer solo closes out the first side of the record. The second side opens with the bluesy “Have a Cigar”, another commentary on the greed and corrupt nature of rock stars at the time. It is the only track not sung by Waters or Gilmour, instead featuring vocalist Roy Harper, who was in the studio at the time. This song is from the perspective of a materialistic manager begging his band to keep releasing music to make more money, despite the band’s current success. The swampy guitar work from Gilmour perfectly compliments the punch of Harper’s vocals. This song is definitely the most rock and roll oriented part of the album. “Have a Cigar” ends with sounds of a radio switching between channels, ultimately landing on the next track, “Wish You Were Here.” “Wish You Were Here” was written after an unrecognizable Syd Barrett visited the studio, reducing Waters and Gilmour to tears at his drastic change in appearance.
Gilmour’s relatively simple riff serves as a motif throughout the song, which he also provides lead vocals for. “Wish You Were Here” is the biggest hit off of this record, and it is still played live by Gilmour today. It is a song of grief and regret, two universal themes that everyone can relate to. Waters’ lyrics of “two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year” have tugged at the heartstrings of listeners for the past fifty years. “Wish You Were Here” is a beautifully melancholy tribute to a lost friendship. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 6-9)” bookends the album. It is a continuation of the album opener, bringing back Gilmour’s Barrett-esque guitar riff into the minds of listeners. This track closes out a fantastic album from a fantastic era of music. 1975 was a year of musical innovation and creativity, and Pink Floyd's work from that era has inspired artists for years to come. Wish You Were Here cemented Pink Floyd’s status as one of rock’s true giants, forming a legacy that will be discussed and revered forever.
- Ashley Bendorf
