Prog Rock Band Wrote a COUNTRY SONG…Became THE PRIME Acoustic Hit of Rock Canon! | Professor of Rock

When Pink Floyd’s leader Syd Barrett descended into madness due to a break from reality and using drugs. The band was concerned that losing their frontman could be the end of their career so Roger Waters stepped up and took over songwriting duties. Then they pulled off the massive album Dark Side of the Moon with the help of a brilliant young engineer named Alan Parsons who decided not to do their follow-up. Was it luck or could they create a compelling follow-up themselves? today’s song is the result. Wish You Were Here from the 70s classic of the same name was partly written about their lost frontman. It was also one of the only songs that the two principal songwriters of this legendary group Roger Waters and David Gilmour truly collaborated on. Waters would call it a simple little country song… What? Prog Rock's Elite band gone country? it may be the greatest acoustic riff ever recorded and it contained screw-ups like David Gilmour coughing and wheezing because he was quitting smoking… This song and its album also prove that even though this legendary band has written some of the greatest songs ever a greatest hits album would be a disaster find out why next.

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It’s really tough to follow a phenomenon- whether it's the follow-up for one of the best-selling albums in history, winning back-to-back Super Bowls, or making a sequel to a blockbuster movie. To the outsider, it might seem like once you’ve won, or achieved at such a high level, you have discovered the elusive 'secret to success', and, thus, can always maintain it. After the landmark impact of their Dark Side of the Moon album in 1973, one would think that the 4 members of Pink Floyd had it all figured out, but that wasn’t the case at all and it’s not the case in general.

Pink Floyd blindly went forward, wondering what just happened, with no 'yellow brick road' to travel down. They were just as human as they’d ever been- maybe more so. Preparation for Wish You Were Here, the album that would presumably pick up where Dark Side of the Moon left off, proved to be a formidable challenge.

The process of returning to that zone of artistic greatness was a painful one. The band was in a reflective mood, thinking about their friend, and lost leader, Syd Barrett, who suffered from mental illness that forced his departure from the group he named, and co-founded, back in ’65.

And, they grappled with their own internal struggles. The first piece of music for the upcoming LP was a tribute to Barrett, created in a 9-part opus they titled “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.”They also composed a song that conveyed the band’s loathing of the record business called “Welcome to the Machine.” “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” is often regarded as one of the greatest Pink Floyd showpieces, and “Welcome to the Machine” is another inspired triumph.

[ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What is your pick for the greatest album cover of the rock era?

[ThePittsburghToddy]

Back in the 90s, there was a homeless man busking in front of a Walgreens where I would buy my beer. He started playing Wish You Were Here (very well, I should add) and despite my limited vocal talent, I decided to sing along as he played guitar. All of a sudden, a small crowd gathered and began dropping coins and dollar bills into his guitar case. Over ten minutes or so, he had close to $80 and offered to share it with me as he had only collected about $4 prior to me showing up. I refused but he insisted that he would at least buy my beer. This became a regular thing for about two weeks until he disappeared. Hopefully, he had gotten enough money to buy the train ticket he needed to go back home…🖖🏼

[MultiHotrod]

I've been listening to this album for about 40 years. Know it word for word. Never, ever would have considered it country.

[Heene]

21 years ago, I buried my best Pal in her Favorite Pink Floyd T-Shirt.... Whenever this song comes on the radio... I turn it up and And sing it loud, so Mom can hear❤️💫🙏🌹

[trinaq]

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year." There's something so deeply poignant about that line to me, I love the way it flows. 🥰💕

[markfetherman]

I remember David Gilmour in an interview saying that during the recording of Wish You Were Here, there was a strange dude sitting in the corner of the studio, smiling at them, and nobody knew who it was. After he left, they told him that it was Syd Barrett. Nobody recognized him, and they were baffled by how he knew that they would be recording a song about him on that day.
Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here are the two greatest back-to-back albums in the history of music. Period!

[lovinlorne]

This song is a hard one for me. It came on the radio as we were driving home from having our dog put to sleep, and that’s all I can think of now when I hear it. How much I wish she was here. 😢

[ncniehauskmkkwkkaiialk]

Pink Floyd, my Dad's "band". I could never understand why he loved them. Sadly after he passed away I sat down and listened, really listened and "Wish you where here" played. Now this is my Dad's song.
Dad wish you where here.

[kengoodman]

We love the coughs and breathing and wouldn't have it any other way. I love everything about this song.

[marklowther]

My brother and I have always been fans of Pink Floyd. I lost him a few years ago and this song still resonates in my heart when I hear it. I sing 'I wish you were here' and it's my brother's face I see. Thanks, prof, for a look at this absolute genius of a song.

[KevinConlon]

Mid-winter talent show, June 1986, McMurdo Station Antarctica.
One of the Kiwi's sat on a stool with his guitar and started playing this song. That moment, the entire Galley fell silent. Not a word was said, not a sound besides this mans playing and singing was made.
We had been away from our loved ones since at least October, me, it was August. We had been totally isolated from the rest of the world since the beginning of March as the sun set and support flights from New Zealand had ended. We missed our loved ones. We missed seeing people other than the 100 of us that were left behind to ensure the base was still there when people would again start coming back.
Every time I hear this song, I remember just how I felt at that moment, when we all listened and wished our loves were there.

[timbarnard]

This song holds great meaning for me. I first heard it back when I was a pre-teen about two weeks after my father died from a ruptured brain aneurysm. He was 39 at the time and I'd just turned twelve. Hearing this song even now at 61 takes me back to that time and reminds me of the good times when he was around. Crazy huh? It's funny how a song can mean so many things to so many different people. Pink Floyd became one my favorite bands and remains so to this day.

[unnaturalselection]

One of the greatest songs ever written.
We lost SO much when Roger and Gilmour decided to start hating each other's guts.

[serendipityshopnyc]

Hey, Professor, if you haven't covered Badfinger's "Baby Blue", I hope you do while the last band member is still alive. Great song!

[edzappia]

Fantastic. I don’t know how you keep pumping out these interesting in-depth videos at this pace. Nice work.

[danielcluley]

I love this album. Shine on You Crazy Diamond is one of the greatest rock songs of all time and a beautiful tribute to their friend.

[literallyshaking]

“Did you exchange, a walk on part in the war, for a lead roll in a cage?”

Hands down one of the most brilliant lyrics ever written.

[susanpumphrey]

I have MANY favorite Pink Floyd songs, but this is definitely one of them. Chokes me up every time I hear it. So beautiful, so melancholy, so emotionally rich.

[terrygracy]

These videos are so good. Really appreciate the stories, background and insight
This is one of my favorite songs and albums of all time too.

[billthepainter]

Special Thanks to Nick Mason for touring the pre Dark Side music with MANY Syd Barrett numbers. The band gives new life to these old and sometimes obscure songs. I was lucky enough to see them twice on the first leg, then once on the second.