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Alpha Blondy — Wish You Were Here
Album: Jah Victory
Avg rating:
4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 247









Released: 2011
Length: 4:21
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skys from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

And did they get you to trade
Your heros for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here
Comments (129)add comment
always wanted to hear the original version, thanks!

10
Posted 6 years ago by labancza    [ Reply ]
It's so bad that it's good! Bit like Rolf Harris' version of Stairway to heaven..
Posted 7 years ago by pcc    [ Reply ]
WOW - Bagpipes through a vocoder? Who'd have thought of that?
Posted 10 years ago by The_Walrus    [ Reply ]
Think about it. Jamaica in February, warm evening breeze, rum drink in hand, your one true love by your side, maybe a spliff, dancing intimately at some local grass-hut-on-the-beach, hole-in-the-wall boozer, and this song comes on. Weeks later, back in snow-blasted wherever, it has forever become the defining song of one helluva sexy week away.



Posted 10 years ago by turnpike    [ Reply ]
The best thing about this song are the comments. It's funny when people are out of their comfort zone.
Posted 10 years ago by pm4em    [ Reply ]
Sounds like Passenger--- Let it Go !
Posted 10 years ago by Rmike    [ Reply ]
So wrong. It sounds very like some of the Thai bands who do covers live in the bars.

Maybe thats why owners seem to want to employ more Filipino bands these days...........haha
Posted 10 years ago by AndyFarang    [ Reply ]
I would consider this desecration of a sacred object.    Worst thing I've ever heard on RP.  Horrible.
Posted 10 years ago by silby    [ Reply ]
Wtf?
Posted 10 years ago by RoyalTS    [ Reply ]
Whoa!! Didn't know such a thing could exist.
Posted 10 years ago by midget    [ Reply ]
No. Just no.
Posted 10 years ago by random1    [ Reply ]
It's not terrible, but something is wrong with this. Let's just leave this song to Pink Floyd. And if we grow tired of the original song, there's an awesome version with S. Grappelli playing violin.
Posted 10 years ago by 0047    [ Reply ]
 RandomousJam wrote:
Reminds me of the 'dub side of the moon' covers by easy star all-stars.
 
...but dub side of the moon works very well, it totally gels as a concept album on its own terms; this one comes across more as a novelty piece to my ears, like hayseed dixie without quite the same musical integrity...
Posted 10 years ago by mandolin    [ Reply ]
Alpha Blondy can certainly do some good reggae, but this one ain't.  As my wife said - "You simply can't improve on perfection..."
Posted 10 years ago by MilesW    [ Reply ]
Had to log on to see the comments. I predicted "WTF" would be popular.
Posted 10 years ago by MJMJ    [ Reply ]
This is the first time I've ever added a negative rating. This is terrible. Simply doesn't work.
Posted 10 years ago by soupfork    [ Reply ]
I hardly ever hate anything so much as to rate it a 1, much less feel the need to comment, but this has to be the worst cover ever made in the history of mankind.  I hope never to hear it again.  {#No}
Posted 10 years ago by scarletdancer    [ Reply ]
 Alchemist wrote:
I'm thinkin' Dread Zeppelin...

 
yep. agreed.
Posted 10 years ago by Hogtownmike    [ Reply ]
alpha baloney
Posted 10 years ago by dziebell    [ Reply ]
unnecessary remake
Posted 10 years ago by Dinges,_the_Dude    [ Reply ]
"Wish you were here, mon..." {#Lol}

I don't think I'm high enough to appreciate this...once the bagpipes kicked in I couldn't help but start laughing.  {#Lol}
Posted 10 years ago by keymaster    [ Reply ]
My head tells me I should hate this, but my face won't stop smiling...
Posted 10 years ago by wossName    [ Reply ]
Look what too much hash can do :)
A bit of African tambourines were missing to this Jamaican - celtic mix to result in a perfect cacophony.  
Posted 10 years ago by ciolca    [ Reply ]
WTF?
Posted 10 years ago by parnoldo    [ Reply ]
I didn't think there was a way to screw up a Pink Floyd song.........................I stand corrected.
Posted 10 years ago by meauclaire    [ Reply ]
Unusual, to say the least.
Posted 10 years ago by casey1024    [ Reply ]
Reminds me of the 'dub side of the moon' covers by easy star all-stars.
Posted 10 years ago by RandomousJam    [ Reply ]
This gives it a happy-go--lucky backing.  Like:  "Join me on the beach."


Pink Floyd was addressing something much, much darker and poignant.


Much lost here.       
Posted 10 years ago by steeler    [ Reply ]
Oh man. O'na man
Posted 10 years ago by ajudd    [ Reply ]
PLEASE MAKE IT STOPPPPP!!!!!!!!
Posted 10 years ago by glassman    [ Reply ]
{#Sorry}{#Eyes}{#Lol}{#Eyes}{#Eyes}
Posted 10 years ago by aspicer    [ Reply ]
This did not need to be covered. 
Posted 10 years ago by Zep    [ Reply ]
This is FANTASTIC! Pass the ganja, bro!
Posted 10 years ago by Krakus    [ Reply ]
 bbrally wrote:
Is nothing sacred?

 
Should any piece of music be sacred in the way you mean? Sometimes it's good not to take things too seriously.
Posted 10 years ago by ncollingridge    [ Reply ]
Its a wonder, that he is still alive. Good song btw. 
Posted 10 years ago by helgigermany    [ Reply ]
Alpha Blondy sings like no other. I like the medley, bagpipes and all. Affords a ponderous moment in the key of Côte d'Ivoire. 
Posted 11 years ago by PLH    [ Reply ]
call me weird but I like it better than the Pink Floyd version... wich is my absolute favorite Pink Floyd song
Posted 11 years ago by erickandcarol    [ Reply ]
That's a perfect example of why you have to simply shut up when you have nothing to say...
Posted 11 years ago by ciolca    [ Reply ]
I'm thinkin' Dread Zeppelin...
Posted 11 years ago by Alchemist    [ Reply ]
 skyguy wrote:
Not everything should be done reggae despite what David Lindley says.

 
hahaha, I found that comment pretty funny and I am in full agreement.
Posted 11 years ago by bluematrix    [ Reply ]
bla
Posted 11 years ago by paisleydancer66    [ Reply ]
Normally if I don't like something, I just kind of tune it out, rather than rating it poorly. Until now. 
Posted 11 years ago by myasma    [ Reply ]
Is nothing sacred?
Posted 11 years ago by bbrally    [ Reply ]
Those bagpipes sound right... Somehow... Reggae with bagpipes what is not to like?
I don't think this song will wear very well though.
Posted 11 years ago by MortimerS    [ Reply ]
Interesting. To say the least. I need to smoke a joint.
Posted 11 years ago by daniel_rusk    [ Reply ]
I canna take it, Captain!
Posted 11 years ago by k1j2cat    [ Reply ]
For the love of god...make it stop.
Posted 11 years ago by ayohn    [ Reply ]
I guess something like this was inevitable.  
Posted 11 years ago by Typesbad    [ Reply ]
{#Eyes}
Posted 11 years ago by NeuroGeek    [ Reply ]
Let's play and hear "Phantom of the Opera" in all major happy chords, folks. Anyone wanna pop some damn balloons?
Posted 11 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
UGH. this is the worst song ever. if we must hear a cover, can we hear Catherine Wheel's?
Posted 11 years ago by typeforbreakfast    [ Reply ]
 Stingray wrote:
hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha

 
Torture is not a joke!
Posted 11 years ago by beinder    [ Reply ]
Ouch, ouch, ouch...this hurts my ears!
Posted 11 years ago by rharvey658    [ Reply ]
Not everything should be done reggae despite what David Lindley says.
Posted 11 years ago by skyguy    [ Reply ]
So it looks like at least 1, um, interesting soul out there rated this a perfect 10. PRETTY PRETTY Please post up and let us know why, I'd love to hear!
Posted 11 years ago by NeuroJoe    [ Reply ]
Cote d'Ivoire is know for good bananas!

Bagpipes also...?


Posted 11 years ago by Stingray    [ Reply ]
almost gave this one a ten - lol
Posted 11 years ago by ycb661    [ Reply ]
Astonishingly bad. 
Posted 11 years ago by Lonestar    [ Reply ]
 
andrewmi wrote:
This is playing for the third time, and I have had the misfortune of hearing all three occasions. If it must be kept on the playlist, could you at least move it to, say, midnight Eastern Time?

 
Now 4/4! Lucky me! Hooray for PSD
Posted 11 years ago by andrewmi    [ Reply ]
hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha
Posted 11 years ago by Stingray    [ Reply ]
you need pain to appreciate pleasure, I guess.

Please can you only play this at night.   ok for a global radio, that could be difficult, so where is it always night?
ahh yes, the dark side of the moon.   go play it there!
Posted 11 years ago by stunix    [ Reply ]
 stromdal wrote:
Holy Batman this is bad! Rating 2 instead of 1 just because of sheer... astonishment. {#Eek}

 
Only redeeming quality of this... song... is the commenting it spawns.


Posted 11 years ago by stromdal    [ Reply ]

Posted 11 years ago by Beanie    [ Reply ]
I love this song, always brings a smile, thanks Bill. Though you might want to give the haters a break, this is on a pretty strong rotation.
Posted 11 years ago by ench    [ Reply ]
    {#Lol}   {#Dancingbanana}..good one -bg !
Posted 11 years ago by HazzeSwede    [ Reply ]
Holy Batman this is bad! Rating 2 instead of 1 just because of sheer... astonishment. {#Eek}
Posted 11 years ago by stromdal    [ Reply ]
This may be the worst thing I've heard on RP...{#Ass}
Posted 11 years ago by asilbuch    [ Reply ]

This is fun. Maybe I enjoy reggae more than the average RP listener.........
Posted 11 years ago by handyrae    [ Reply ]
Repetitive head injuries were involved in the creation of this rendition. There are actually no words in the English vocabulary that can convey just how bad this song is. I need to go impale myself on something rusty now, just to get my mind off of it. 
Posted 11 years ago by brutustobias    [ Reply ]
Shouldn't he be singing "...trading your heroes for goats..." ?
Posted 11 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
 Geecheeboy wrote:
My wife: "are you entertaining yourself in there? I hear you laughing." 
Me: "Can you hear this? Pink Floyd in Reggae with Scottish bagpipes. It's a hoot."

 
Holy crap, seems you're right!
Posted 11 years ago by Bleyfusz    [ Reply ]
This is playing for the third time, and I have had the misfortune of hearing all three occasions. If it must be kept on the playlist, could you at least move it to, say, midnight Eastern Time?
Posted 11 years ago by andrewmi    [ Reply ]
omg
Posted 11 years ago by tutakea    [ Reply ]
Ugh. 
Posted 11 years ago by Imkirok    [ Reply ]
Bil it's a 4 on a good day...
Posted 11 years ago by kidkool    [ Reply ]
"irie bredren.....chill and dig the vibe.....

peace, one love"


Little Jacob, Grand Theft Auto IV
 
Posted 11 years ago by gjr    [ Reply ]
 ottojschlosser wrote:
This is one of those covers where I think, "Glad I heard this. Once."

 
Yes. Don't know whether to laugh or cry or scream. Laughing right now. 

So...can we list the various cultural musical references here? When it started out with the synth "pipes", I thought it was an Irish pub song. Then the reggae rhythm kicked in and I thought "O-K...Jamaica. With some Wild West thrown in on the side." 

Then the guy started singing. Is he Chinese? Pretty sure he doesn't actually understand what he's singing. 

The piano makes me think of light jazz. Or just jazzerobics. The chorus probably was moonlighting from a Sunday church session. 

Really, this is the musical equivalent of clearing out your liquor cabinet while blindfolded and mixing it all together without taste-testing. Proceed with great caution and consume in strictly limited quantities. 
Posted 11 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
I am never opposed to covering a tune that has a staple in the world of music, regardless of it's origin or importance. But PULEEZ...I understand changing the tempo, cadence even the key...but why must they completely miss the boat with the emotion and meaning. This is the equivalent of singing 'happy birthday' in a demonic minor key.
Posted 11 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
 Geecheeboy wrote:
My wife: "are you entertaining yourself in there? I hear you laughing." 
Me: "Can you hear this? Pink Floyd in Reggae with Scottish bagpipes. It's a hoot."

 
Where is the accordion?
Posted 11 years ago by ColdMiser    [ Reply ]
Cat Stevens doing a reggae cover of a Pink Floyd song?
Posted 11 years ago by acostari    [ Reply ]
this spleef is composed of dry-rot haggis Blondy,  ya bumbleclot
Posted 11 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
My wife: "are you entertaining yourself in there? I hear you laughing." 
Me: "Can you hear this? Pink Floyd in Reggae with Scottish bagpipes. It's a hoot."
Posted 11 years ago by Geecheeboy    [ Reply ]
Yikes... {#Hand}
Posted 11 years ago by BigIslandBlues    [ Reply ]
C'mon people - lighten up!!

Doesn't this make you laugh?  Who could imagine a reggae impression of.........Pink Floyd? 

{#Lol} 
Posted 11 years ago by d48m02h1918    [ Reply ]
 sronis wrote:
Really Bill? Really??

 

I'll ignore the sad fact i'm replying to myself and add: Yes, i guess he really meant it...

thank you for the PSD button {#Tongue}
Posted 11 years ago by sronis    [ Reply ]
Really cool.  Thanks for blowing my mind.
Posted 11 years ago by Randy    [ Reply ]
Revising my rating downward. This one is not aging well.
Posted 11 years ago by ottojschlosser    [ Reply ]
Oh come on, it's not that bad—kinda interesting, in fact.
Posted 11 years ago by gillespp    [ Reply ]
Again? Really?
Posted 11 years ago by amgieschen    [ Reply ]
Weird.
I like it.
Posted 11 years ago by Ballzak    [ Reply ]
Weird...there needs to be a "This is just silly" rating
Posted 11 years ago by oldsaxon    [ Reply ]
Twice in a week! Really? It's a 4 and that is pretty generous.
Posted 11 years ago by beinder    [ Reply ]
So we get B-musicians performing A-music?  Is this because of the government shutdown?  Thanks, Obama.
Posted 11 years ago by lafcadio    [ Reply ]
Well that was unexpected.  
Posted 11 years ago by hencini    [ Reply ]
With 59 precincts reporting, we have an average score of 4, but the runaway modal score is a solid 1.  {#Eek}  (Can't really even make much of a case for the more typical  bimodal split, here.)

I didn't give it a 1, because I've heard worse, but 2 ("marginal") seemed to be about right. 
Posted 11 years ago by MoonDweazel    [ Reply ]
Never seen the velocity of comments like this on any given day/tune.
 
Bacadiar wrote:
Wow, that escalated quickly.

 


Posted 11 years ago by msymmes    [ Reply ]
Wow, that escalated quickly.
Posted 11 years ago by Bacadiar    [ Reply ]
I'm a Floyd fanatic, and my general rule is "don't mess with perfection."  But...this kind of works for me.  7.
Posted 11 years ago by QueenLucia    [ Reply ]
Sounds like my grandma's church group, but not as good.
Posted 11 years ago by ddbz    [ Reply ]

This horrific cover strips all the emotion out of the original and makes it sound like a happy dance song...  this cover has some slick stuff to it, but my nipples are not pleased...

wish you were here...

Black-and-white photograph of Kafka as a young man with dark hair in a formal suit 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
there's a right way to do this (some of the Radiohesd reggae covers have been great). this is not an example of the right way.
Posted 11 years ago by abcde_fz    [ Reply ]
Where are the negative numbers on this rating scale?
Posted 11 years ago by flyboy    [ Reply ]
 ottojschlosser wrote:
This is one of those covers where I think, "Glad I heard this. Once."

 

I agree! lol
Posted 11 years ago by Baketown    [ Reply ]
Really Bill? Really??
Posted 11 years ago by sronis    [ Reply ]

Liking the arrangement, vocals not so much though the background vocals aren't bad.  Giving it a 6 for now.


Posted 11 years ago by xtalman    [ Reply ]
Not quite up to the lofty standard of the original, but I like it.
Posted 11 years ago by Baby_M    [ Reply ]
This is one of those covers where I think, "Glad I heard this. Once."
Posted 11 years ago by ottojschlosser    [ Reply ]
Very, very bad.
Posted 11 years ago by glassman    [ Reply ]
I am not a PF fan so I'm not saying it's bad because it's blasphemy. It's pretty bad on its own. 

Instrumentation is dull, the song itself doesn't translate to reggae very well, and AB's vocals are too dull to pull it off. I do kind of like the backing vocals tho.

3. 
Posted 11 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]

I like a reggae version of almost anything.   But this is not just anything.  This is very very good IMHO.
 
Posted 11 years ago by msymmes    [ Reply ]
Wow. This just keeps getting worse.
Posted 11 years ago by chiguy    [ Reply ]
5 because i'm picturing being on a beach in the islands and this song is playing while I'm drinking something cold and frosty with some tasty waves
Posted 11 years ago by Kaisersosay    [ Reply ]
kekkseksa ?? Enfer et damnation, c'est un cauchemar !!!
Posted 11 years ago by martian69    [ Reply ]
For some reason this reminds me of a washing machine agitating the clothes.
Posted 11 years ago by gregr79    [ Reply ]
I won the lottery!  Hit the PSD when this POS song came on and got Alison Krauss and Union Station doing "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn"
Posted 11 years ago by ChicoCyclist    [ Reply ]
Check out "Dub Side of the Moon"
Posted 11 years ago by max_p    [ Reply ]
This would really suck if not for the synth. bag pipes.
Posted 11 years ago by beinder    [ Reply ]
Please don't play this again Bill. {#No}
Posted 11 years ago by kidkool    [ Reply ]
Dunno, these all tunes sound pretty much the same. First time I heard reggie beat is was kind of toe tapping.  Now hearing the same beat on tune after tune for these many decades it has gotten kind of dull.
Posted 11 years ago by bitbanger    [ Reply ]
Give it a conditional 7.
Posted 11 years ago by Ag3nt0rang3    [ Reply ]