Wish You Were Here (Avril Lavigne song)
"Wish You Were Here" | |
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Song |
"Wish You Were Here" is a song by Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne, taken as the third single from her fourth studio album Goodbye Lullaby. Written by Lavigne with its producers Max Martin and Shellback, and produced by the latter two.
Background
In a telephone interview with The Caprice, Lavigne confirmed that the song would serve as the third and possibly last single from Goodbye Lullaby.[1]
Critical reception
Jody Rosen, writing for Rolling Stone magazine, described it is a "jangling power ballad".[2] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic marked "Wish You Were Here" as one highlight of the album.[3] According to Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine, this song, along with "Push" and "Smile", "mistake having a potty mouth for having an actual personality", and "Wish You Were Here" "fails to pass off [the lyrics] 'Damn, damn, damn / What I'd do to have you here, here, here' as a hook".[4] Al Fox, an editor of BBC Music, said that the song is one of the tracks where "Lavigne actually manages to communicate some real sentiment". He also commented that it is "an unassuming strum-along".[5] Mikael Wood wrote that, in songs like this and "Everybody Hurts", the "former brat-punk princess in dreary woe-is-me mode" can be found.
Chart performance
The song peaked at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and at number 64 on the Canadian Hot 100 on the week of the album's release.[7]
Music video
On August 9, on her official website, Lavigne posted pictures from the shooting of the music video for "Wish You Were Here", one of a red flower, and another of her lying on a wooden floor. Lavigne says that the video will be very raw and exposed, unlike her previous videos "What the Hell" and "Smile".[8]Marc Webb has been confirmed as the director of the video. On September 8, Avril Lavigne posted on her twitter and facebook accounts <<My music video for "Wish You Were Here" is coming out tomorrow (and the tears are real... no onions!!)>> confirming that the video will be posted on September 9. The video premiered on Lavigne's VEVO channel on September 8.
The video begins with Lavigne lying on a wooden floor, surrounded by leaves. She rises, and begins to sing. Lavigne picks up a red flower and begins picking off the petals. She sets the flower on fire, and waves it in the air. As she continues singing, she starts to cry. Towards the bridge, Lavigne is shown lying in a bathtub. She submerges herself, then suddenly bursts out of the tub, as if having made a resolution. Lavigne gets out, and continues singing. It then fades out with her stepping towards the window. The video went viral as it accommodated over 1.3 million views within a day on the video networking site, YouTube.
Track listing
- Digital download
- "Wish You Were Here" – 3:45
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting – Avril Lavigne, Max Martin, Shellback
- Production and recording – Max Martin, Shellback
- Engineering – Michael Ilbert
- Mixing – Serban Ghenea
- Mix engineer – John Hanes
- Assistant mix engineer – Tim Roberts
- Drums, guitar and bass – Shellback
- Keyboards – Max Martin
Source:[9]
Charts
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] | 64 |
South Korea (Gaon Chart)[11] | 6 |
US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 99 |
Release history
Region | Date | Label | Format |
---|---|---|---|
New Zealand[12] | 31 July 2011 | Sony Music | Radio airplay |
Poland[13] | 12 September 2011 | ||
United Kingdom[14] | 26 September 2011 | RCA Records | Digital download |
References
- ^ "Avril Lavigne announces third single off Goodbye Lullaby". Shuffle Me. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ "Goodbye Lullaby by Avril Lavigne". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas."Goodbye Lullaby". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ Keefe, Jonathan (March 6, 2011)."Avril Lavigne: Goodbye Lullaby". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^ Fox, Al (February 25, 2011). "Goodbye Lullaby Review". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ a b "Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media Inc. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ "Week of March 26, 2011". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media Inc. March 23, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
- ^ http://www.avrillavigne.com/us/home
- ^ (Media notes).
{{cite AV media notes}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Week of March 26, 2011". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media Inc. March 23, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
- ^ "Digital Comprehensive Chart: Overseas Week 12" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ "Most Added, July 31, 2011 – Avril Lavigne – Wish You Were Here". Radioscope. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ Premiera nowego klipu Avril Lavigne
- ^ "Avril Lavigne announces new single 'Wish You Were Here'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 August 2011.