Wish You Were Here Tabs

"Wish You Were Here" is the title track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song's lyrics encompass writer Roger Waters' feelings of alienation from other people. Like most of the album, it refers to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett and his breakdown. The main riff came to David Gilmour at home while playing on an acoustic guitar, the riff became something which he continued to play in-between takes at Abbey Road Studios where it caught the attention of Roger Waters. They collaborated to complete the song, as Waters had already written some lyrics.

In 2004, the song was ranked #316 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Pink Floyd was an English rock band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and later, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd are known for philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art, and elaborate live shows. One of rock music's most successful acts, the group have sold over 200 million albums worldwide including 74.5 million certified units in the United States. Pink Floyd influenced progressive rock artists of the 1970s such as Genesis and Yes, as well as contemporary artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Dream Theater.

Pink Floyd were formed in London in 1965 when Syd Barrett moved there from Cambridge and joined The Tea Set, a group consisting of Regent Street Polytechnic architecture students Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Bob Klose. The group had moderate mainstream success and were one of the most popular bands in the London underground music scene in the late 1960s as a psychedelic band led by Syd Barrett. However, Barrett's erratic behaviour eventually led his colleagues to replace him with guitarist and singer David Gilmour. After Barrett's departure, singer and bass player Roger Waters became a dominant force in the group, a situation which developed through the late 1970s and lasted until his departure from the group in 1985. The band had always been popular in England, though they did not achieve worldwide critical and commercial success until the concept albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), and Animals (1977), and the rock opera The Wall (1979).

In 1985, Waters declared Pink Floyd "a spent force", but the remaining members, led by Gilmour, continued recording and touring under the name Pink Floyd. Waters sued them for the name and eventually the parties reached a settlement out of court, under which Gilmour, Mason and Wright would continue as Pink Floyd. Without Waters, the band again enjoyed worldwide success with A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994). Waters performed live with the band for the first time in 24 years on 2 July 2005 at the London Live 8 concert.