# Wish You Were Here (Rednex song)

"Wish You Were Here" is a song by Swedish band Rednex from their first album, Sex & Violins (1995). Written by Teijo Agélii-Leskelä and produced by Denniz Pop and Max Martin, the ballad is performed by lead singer Annika Ljungberg and was released as the third single of the album in April 1995 by ZYX Music. It became a number-one hit in Austria, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. In Austria, it was the most successful single of 1995. Additionally, the song reached number two in Iceland, number three in Sweden, and number six in Finland. Its music video was directed by Matt Broadley.

## Critical reception

American magazine Billboard complimented 'Wish You Were Here' as a "surprisingly sincere ballad". J.D. Considine from The Daily Gazette described it as a "unexpectedly ABBA-esque" and "melancholy ballad". Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel called it a "leaden ballad". Howard Cohen for The Miami Herald named it one of "a few melodramatic instances" on the Sex & Violins album. Pan-European magazine Music & Media remarked that it focuses on a totally different side by the band, adding, "It's a ballad, sung with lots of Dolly-patented vibrato and pathos." David Nagy from Red Deer Advocate wrote, "Just when the hillbilly party gets going, the band throws a contemporary pop ballad at you, and thoughts of ABBA come to mind." Jordan Paramor from Smash Hits said, "Mind you, in amongst all the barn dance bobbins, there is a very lovely ballad to be found called 'Wish You Were Here'."

## Chart performance

"Wish You Were Here" made an impact on the charts in Europe, becoming a successful hit in several countries. The song went to number-one in Austria (10 weeks), Germany (6 weeks), Norway (2 weeks), and Switzerland (11 weeks). It entered the top 5 also in Iceland (2) and Sweden (3), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number five in July 1995, after 14 weeks on the chart. Additionally, "Wish You Were Here" was a top-10 hit in Denmark (10) and Finland (6), and a top-30 hit in Belgium (24) and the Netherlands (26). In Austria, it was the most successful single of 1995, while in both Germany and Switzerland, it was the third most successful single of 1995.
The song was awarded with a gold record in Austria and Switzerland, with a sale of 25,000, and a platinum record in Germany and Norway, where the single sold 500,000 (in Germany).

## Music video

The accompanying music video for "Wish You Were Here" was directed by Swedish-based director Matt Broadley. It shows a woman, played by lead singer Annika Ljungberg, sitting in a meadow, singing to her man, a soldier who has been killed in a war. Other times we see the male band members dressed like soldiers, on a battlefield. They are shooting at each other and some of them being shot. In between, romantic flashbacks between the woman and the man takes us back to happier days. In the end, the woman walks through the battlefield at night with a torch in her hand. She watches and sings to the dead soldiers, lying on the ground. The video has a sepia tone. It was later made available in HD on Rednex' official YouTube channel in 2013, and had generated more than 18 million views as of early 2025.

## Other versions

Blackmore's Night, the band formed by Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (formerly of Deep Purple) and his wife Candice Night, recorded a rendition on their 1997 debut album Shadow of the Moon.

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Gold | 25,000$^*$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Platinum | 500,000$^^$ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) | Platinum | |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Gold | 25,000$^^$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||

## Cover versions

* Urgent C in 1995
* Blackmore's Night on album, Shadow of the Moon (1997)
* In 2006, the song was covered by former Deutschland sucht den SuperStar contestant Anna-Maria Zimmermann on the Love Songs album.