Wish You Were Here cover art

  Studio Album · No. 7

Wish You Were Here Songwriting Credits by Pink Floyd

1975 Columbia 5 tracks 44 min

Produced by Pink Floyd  ·  Engineered by Brian Humphries, John Leckie, Peter James

Columbia Progressive RockArt RockExperimental Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 5 of 5 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 5 / 5 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 5 tracks with documented writers, by whether Pink Floyd carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
5 trackswritten by Pink Floyd 0 tracksoutside writers
Pink Floyd's roles on this album

Share of the 5 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

5
Tracks
1
Lyricists
1
Producers
13 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1975
Released
Data Insight

Roger Waters wrote every lyric on Wish You Were Here, while the music was composed collaboratively: the album's spine, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond,' was built from a four-note David Gilmour guitar phrase and developed with Richard Wright's keyboards, and Wright shares music credit across several tracks. Waters supplied the conceptual frame, an elegy for the band's absent founder Syd Barrett and a broadside against the music industry on 'Welcome to the Machine' and 'Have a Cigar.' This is the last Pink Floyd album where the writing feels genuinely shared, with Gilmour and Wright shaping the sound even as Waters controlled the words.

"Wish You Were Here" is the 1975 album by Pink Floyd, a progressive rock and art rock record built around longing, alienation, and criticism of the music industry, with much of it dedicated to absent founding member Syd Barrett. David Gilmour played guitars and sang, Roger Waters played bass and sang, Richard Wright handled keyboards, and Nick Mason played drums. The album features the nine-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," a tribute to Barrett, along with "Welcome to the Machine," the title track, and "Have a Cigar" with guest vocalist Roy Harper. It reached number 1 on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, drawing 900,000 advance orders in America and becoming the band's fastest-selling album at the time. Certified seven times platinum in the United States, it had sold an estimated 13 million copies worldwide by 2004.

Track Listing & Credits 5 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)
Roger Waters Richard WrightRoger WatersDavid Gilmour Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
2
Welcome to the Machine
Roger Waters Roger Waters Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
3
Have a Cigar
Roger Waters Roger Waters Pink Floyd Roy Harper
4
Wish You Were Here
Roger Waters Roger WatersDavid Gilmour Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)
5
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)
Roger Waters Richard WrightRoger WatersDavid Gilmour Pink Floyd Roger Waters (Lead Vocals)David Gilmour (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 5 contributors

More from Pink Floyd

Frequently Asked Questions Wish You Were Here

Who is Wish You Were Here about?
The album is largely a tribute to Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's founding member and original singer-guitarist, who left the band in 1968 after struggling with his mental health. The centerpiece, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond,' is addressed directly to him. Barrett famously visited the studio during the sessions, and the band initially did not recognize him.
Did Roger Waters write Wish You Were Here?
Roger Waters wrote all of the lyrics on Wish You Were Here. The music, however, was a collaborative effort, with David Gilmour and Richard Wright contributing heavily to the compositions, including the central 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' suite that grew from a Gilmour guitar phrase.
What is Welcome to the Machine by Pink Floyd about?
'Welcome to the Machine' is Roger Waters's attack on the music industry, depicting it as a soulless mechanism that processes artists. Its synthesizer drones and mechanical pulse reinforce the theme of dehumanization, a recurring concern in Waters's writing.
Did Wish You Were Here reach number one?
Yes. Wish You Were Here topped both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200 in 1975. It arrived with roughly 900,000 advance orders in the US.
Was a single released from Wish You Were Here?
'Have a Cigar' was issued as a promotional single in late 1975, but it did not reach the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK Singles Chart. Pink Floyd built their commercial success around albums rather than hit singles during this era.
Who engineered Wish You Were Here?
Brian Humphries was the primary recording engineer for the album, recorded at EMI Studios in London. John Leckie engineered portions of the work and Peter James assisted.
What does the album cover of Wish You Were Here mean?
The cover, designed by Hipgnosis, shows two businessmen shaking hands while one is engulfed in flames, symbolizing the fear of getting burned in business dealings. It extends the album's critique of the music industry that runs through 'Welcome to the Machine' and 'Have a Cigar.'

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