| "Wish I Could Fly" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byRoxette | ||||
| from the albumHave a Nice Day | ||||
| B-side | "Happy Together" | |||
| Released | 1 February 1999 (1999-02-01) | |||
| Recorded | January; March 1998 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:40 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter | Per Gessle | |||
| Producers |
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| Roxette singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Artwork for the 2000 US version of the single | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Wish I Could Fly" onYouTube | ||||
"Wish I Could Fly" is a song by Swedish pop music duoRoxette, released on 1 February 1999 as thelead single from their sixth studio album,Have a Nice Day (1999). Anorchestral popballad containing elements ofelectronica, the song was written as an experiment byPer Gessle, who was attempting to establish if a prominently-placeddrum loop would fit alongside a large orchestra. The track became a sizable hit for the duo, peaking inside the top twenty ofBillboard'sEuropean Hot 100 Singles, and was the most-played song on European radio of 1999. It would also become their final top 40 hit on theUK Singles Chart.
"Wish I Could Fly" is anorchestral popballad which contains elements ofelectronica. According to theliner notes of the duo's 2002 compilationThe Ballad Hits, the song was written byPer Gessle as an experiment to "see how adrum machine loop would fit with a big orchestra, but it quickly evolved into something more substantial."[1] VocalistMarie Fredriksson has described it as a "very special song to me. One of my all-time favourite Roxette songs. I never get tired of this."[2] A Spanish-language version of the song, titled "Quisiera volar", was included as a bonus track on deluxe edition versions ofHave a Nice Day.[3]
According toUltimate Guitar, "Wish I Could Fly" has a moderately slowtempo of 80beats per minute. The song is composed around a complex,orchestra-performedchord progression, however, itsbasic chord structure consists of four repetitions of anB♭–F–Gm–B♭–C sequence during theintroduction. Eachverse is composed of four repetitions of a Gm–B♭–C sequence, followed by achorus consisting of F–Dm–Gm–C–F–E♭–B♭–C. Thebridge is made up of three progressions of G–C–G–D, followed by two short progressions of a Dm–F–G sequence, while theoutro is based around three elongated bars of Cm–E♭–F.[4]
Swedish newspaperAftonbladet stated that the song "sounds modern but at the same time classic Roxette".[5]AllMusic editor Jason Damas described it as "excellent pop" in his review ofHave a Nice Day.[6]Birmingham Evening Mail commented, "Marie Fredricksson andPer Gessle, once considered the hottest thing out of Sweden sinceABBA andVolvo, are back with their first new release for four years. It's a simple song, a beautifulballad with a big production, that's unmistakeably Roxette."[7]Dagens Nyheter called it a "complete withPortishead loops and finger-in-the-air arrangement."[8] Hege I. Hanssen from Norwegian newspaperNordlys noted it as a "classic Roxette-song",[9] while Brendon Veevers fromRenowned for Sound said it is "classic Roxette balladry".[10]Sunday Mirror commented, "Yes, the Swedish rock gods are back! With the same haircuts, the same sound and the same fans. A hit then."[11]
The song became a sizable hit for the duo, peaking within the top thirty of numerousrecord charts throughout Europe and ending 1999 as the most-played song on European radio.[12] The single charted highest in Hungary, where it reached number one and in the duo's native Sweden, reaching number four;[13] it was certified gold in the latter country for shipments in excess of 25,000,[14] and it was also certified gold in Italy for shipments of 15,000 units.[15] The single reached the top ten in Finland,[16] Iceland[17] and Italy,[18] the top twenty in Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland,[19][20][21] and the top thirty in Germany and the Netherlands.[22][23] It peaked within the top twenty ofBillboard'sEuropean Hot 100 Singles.[24]
Roxette performed the song at numerous high-profile events in the UK, including the annual televisedParty in the Park concert atLondon's Hyde Park, and onBBC One'sTop of the Pops.[25] "Wish I Could Fly" peaked at number 11 on theUK Singles Chart, making it their highest-charting single in the country since "Almost Unreal" reached number seven in 1993, although it would also prove to be their final top forty hit in the UK.[26] Similarly, the song peaked at number 11 on the singles charts of both Austria and Spain, also peaking at number one on the Spanish Airplay Chart.[27][28] It became the duo's first single since "The Big L." in 1992 to enter theFrench Singles Chart, albeit spending six weeks on the chart and peaking at number 80.[29]
WhileHave a Nice Day was not released in the United States, an updated and repackaged edition of their 1995 compilationDon't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits was released there in September 2000 byEdel Records.[3] This new edition of the compilation included "Wish I Could Fly" and subsequent single "Stars", with the former being serviced toadult contemporary radio formats from July 2000.[12] The song went on to peak at number 27 onBillboard'sAdult Contemporary Chart, and at number forty onAdult Top 40.[30][31]
Themusic video of the song was directed by long-time collaboratorJonas Åkerlund, and consists of a compilation of brief shots of different people's lives, prominently featuring Marie alone in her apartment yearning for a missed lover. Shots are sequenced through a moving spotlight that shines through the darkness, illuminating scenes of lovers sleeping or having sex, prostitutes, streets, buses and metro stations, as well as various inanimate objects. In one of those shots, we see Per with his one year old son Gabriel.[32][33] The video was published onYouTube in November 2010. By November 2020, it has been viewed over 10.2 million times.[34]
All songs were written by Per Gessle.
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Credits are adapted from the liner notes ofThe Ballad Hits.[1]
Studios
Musicians
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[15] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[14] | Gold | 15,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 1 February 1999 | Maxi CD |
| [13] |
| Japan | 17 February 1999 | CD | [47] | |
| United Kingdom | 8 March 1999 |
| [48] | |
| United States | 24 July 2000 | Edel America | [49][50] | |
| 25 July 2000 | Contemporary hit radio |
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