I wish you were here

Seattle, Washington

I recently spent several days on Lopez, working remotely and riding my bike. My daughter taught me how to make a playlist on our Spotify account, and I set up possibly the most eclectic "riding songs" playlist possible. Hours riding in circles on Lopez blasting, among other things, a song by Alpha Blondy called "I wish you were here." Somehow it felt like an anthem for the last weeks: a year ago I was in Uzbekistan with my daughter. Right now my father is trapped in Europe and my mother in Arizona. Wish you were here. Or: I wish I was THERE. The song itself was a favorite of a house guest from Equatorial Guinea whom we hosted several years ago.

Yeah, I wish you were here--

Listen to the Alpha Blondy version here.

Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell
Blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
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
And how we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here