About 25 years before Incubus released their song “Wish You Were Here” in 2001, a little band called Pink Floyd also put out a track with that title. Given that one of the most popular songs by a beloved classic rock band was already called “Wish You Were Here,” did Incubus ever consider calling their song something different?
“It’s not lost on us that there is another song [called ‘Wish You Were Here’],” drummer José Pasillas tells ABC Audio. “But … [frontman] Brandon [Boyd‘s] really good with just following his gut and intuition, too, when it comes to lyrics and titles.”
He continues, “So we were just, like, if that’s what you want it to be and that’s what it is, why not?”
Besides, it’s not like Pink Floyd and Incubus are the only bands to ever record a song called “Wish You Were Here.” Avril Lavigne, for example, also put out her own “Wish You Were Here” in 2011.
“There’s probably many a song that had the same title,” Pasillas says.
Even if they were walking in some pretty large footsteps by naming a song “Wish You Were Here,” Incubus’ track has certainly distinguished itself from Pink Floyd and has become one of their signature hits. In addition to playing it live nearly every show, Incubus revisits “Wish You Were Here” on Morning View XXIII, a rerecorded version of their 2001 album, Morning View.
While a number of songs on Morning View XXIII take some dramatic left turns, the rerecorded “Wish You Were Here” largely stays true to the original.
“‘Wish You Were Here’ was sort of, by-and-large, a finished product after we recorded it,” Pasillas says. “So there’s just little tiny hints of subtle changes.”
Incubus will be playing Morning View in full on tour starting in August.
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