"Wish I Was Here" is a song by British rock band Coldplay and American singer-songwriter Cat Power from Wish I Was Here (Music from the Motion Picture), the soundtrack album to the 2014 American comedy-drama film Wish I Was Here, directed by American actor and filmmaker Zach Braff.
"Wish I Was Here" is Coldplay's second original song written and recorded for a film soundtrack, preceded by "Atlas", composed for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), and followed by "Miracles", composed for Unbroken (2014).
Background and recording[]
Film's director Zach Braff has been outspoken about his admiration of Coldplay over the years, revealing that the band's music — particularly their debut studio album Parachutes (2000) — helped him get through depression. He included the track "Don't Panic" on his directorial debut, the 2004 American romantic comedy-drama film Garden State, for considering both the song and its album “the soundtrack of my life.”[1][2] In 2006, Braff — in addition to starring — was also involved with the soundtrack for the comedy-drama film The Last Kiss, hand-picking "Warning Sign", from Coldplay's second album A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002).[3] Braff also expressed interest in eventually directing a Coldplay music video backstage at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards.[4]
For the soundtrack of his second directorial film, Wish I Was Here, Braff stated that he wanted to find “as much original content as possible, stuff that isn't available everywhere else”, due to changes in music consumption following the development of iTunes, thus seeking to comprise songs “unique to the film”.[5] In an interview with NPR, Braff revealed Chris Martin got the band together to work on the title track after sending to him a rough cut of the film. Chris would later suggest that the song feature a female vocalist, an idea that Braff agreed to, as he believed it could better represent Kate Hudson's character in the story.[6]
Braff and Chris both considered Charlyn "Chan" Marshall (known by her stage name Cat Power), and Braff arranged a meeting with her. After the meeting, Braff sent another rough copy of the film to Power so she could watch it in her apartment; during the exhibition, Power would text Braff her impressions on different parts of the film that she was enjoying. Once the film was done, she agreed to be part of the song. Power recorded her vocals at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Chris would later add his harmonies with Coldplay arranging the instrumental of the track. The song was produced by long-time producer and collaborator of the band, Daniel Green.[6]
Composition[]
Dubbed an “unlikely collaboration”,[6] "Wish I Was Here" was described as a “dreamy”, “minimal ballad”[7] featuring “smokey” vocals by Cat Power, harmonies provided by Chris Martin on top of it, and gradual “layers in a frayed guitar line and a distant synth.”[8] NPR stated that the song is “a bit shinier than what [Power] would do on her own or a bit darker than what Chris Martin of Coldplay might do... but not by much.”[6]
Release and promotion[]
"Wish I Was Here" first premiered on NPR Music on 7 July 2014,[6] whilst the soundtrack — Wish I Was Here (Music from the Motion Picture) — was released through Columbia Records digitally and on CD on 15 July, with vinyl copies out on 5 August.[9][10] The song was only added to streaming services almost ten years after its original release, on 29 January 2024.
"Wish I Was Here" was included in a commercial for the all-electric mid-size crossover SUV Kia EV9 that aired during the Super Bowl LVIII on 11 February 2024.[11]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: Cat Power]
It's been a night
Such a night
Such a long night
Watch myself disappear
Into the wild side
Said goodbye to my hard side
Sang, saw a jackal appear
[Chorus: Cat Power]
Every road, that's wrong
Seems like the road, I'm on
Every sign just seems unclear
Won't you come switch me on
Don't know where I've gone
And I, I wish I was here
[Verse 2: Cat Power, Cat Power & Chris Martin]
In a fight, such a fight
Hell of a fight
I'm not lying, this I swear
The demons that hide inside
To the wild, why am I tired
How come I'm never there
[Chorus: Cat Power]
Every road, that's wrong
Seems like the road, I'm on
Every sign just seems unclear
Won't you come switch me on
Don't know where I've gone
And I, I wish I was here
[Bridge: Chris Martin]
Uuuh, uuh uuh uuh uuh
Uuuh, uuh uuh uuh uuh
Uuuh, uuh uuh uuh uuh
[Outro: Cat Power]
And I, I wish I was here
And I, I wish I was here
Official audio[]
Wish I Was Here
References[]
- ↑ NME - Zach Braff says Coldplay got him through his depression: “I love Chris Martin. I love his voice”
- ↑ Timeline Coldplay - Don't Panic on Garden State
- ↑ Billboard - Braff Drafts Coldplay, Snow Patrol for ‘Last Kiss’
- ↑ Coldplaying - Zach Braffffff wants to direct Coldplay!!!!
- ↑ Rolling Stone - Zach Braff Breaks Down ‘Wish I Was Here’ Soundtrack Song by Song
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 NPR - Song Premiere: An Unlikely Collaboration from Cat Power and Coldplay
- ↑ Rolling Stone - Stream Coldplay and Cat Power’s Dreamy Duet ‘Wish I Was Here’
- ↑ Boston.com - Coldplay, Cat Power Collaborate for Zach Braff’s ‘Wish I Was Here’
- ↑ Pitchfork - Zach Braff Details Wish I Was Here Soundtrack with Bon Iver, The Shins, Cat Power with Coldplay
- ↑ The Hollywood Reporter - Cat Power/Coldplay Collaboration from Soundtrack to Zach Braff’s ‘Wish I Was Here’ Debuts
- ↑ YouTube - Perfect 10: The Kia big game commercial featuring the 2024 Kia EV9