
Pink Floyd’s album cover for “Wish You Were Here” was designed to attack the music business and the lies that are twisted from it. Around the time this album was produced, Pink Floyd had been receiving a lot of critical press. In response to the negativity, the album was recorded and released in 1975. When you first look at the album cover, it is obvious that two men are shaking hands and one of the men is on fire. However, once you begin to analyze the image it becomes apparent that Pink Floyd is sending a message. The message is that the band does not need to be in the middle of pop culture and the press in order to succeed. 

The background of the album photo appears to be a back lot for Hollywood television and music studios. This specific scenery makes it apparent that the music business plays a role in the theme of the photo. By placing these two men in this particular setting, the audience is now aware that the two men must be a part of the industry. It is not said whether both men work for a production company or if one is the artist, but it makes sense to assume that the man on fire is the artist, because he is getting burned by the music industry. Something odd about the background is that the lot is completely empty except for the two men. Usually, when you think about Hollywood and music studios, you picture it as bustling with workers and props. However, the empty lot is suggesting that nobody else is involved, and the agreement is just between the industry and the artist. That way nobody else is a witness to the band getting burned later down the road. 

Looking at the men in the picture, they both are dressed in business suits, another sign of a business-esque theme. Since the two men are dressed this way, nobody would expect that something suspicious is going on in what appears to be a professional consultation. A man in a suit automatically gives an appearance of authority and qualification, and yet one or both of these men are participating in shady behavior. Their outfits put up a front that the music business is professional, but analyzing the picture deeper makes it known that what you see is not always what you get. 

The men are shaking hands which seems to relate to making a deal or an agreement. Even the man who is on fire seems to be so absorbed by the settlement that he is unaware that he being consumed by flames. The man being unaware is significant because no one expects to be burned. It is not something that is said or made obvious by the industry. The artist is focused on shaking hands because that is all he wants out of this meeting; he wants his music to be produced and spread across the world. It is in his best interest to agree with the industry and go along with what it wants. However, Pink Floyd was known to distance themselves from jumping through hoops like other bands and this is a perfect reason as to why they are fighting back against getting burned. 

The key piece of evidence on the album cover is the man who is on fire. Him being on fire hints that he is being “burned”, which often means, relative to the music business, being cheated or ripped off. Even though the man is on fire, it seems that he does not realize it yet and all of his focus is on the handshake. Perhaps, he is being blindsided by the other man and didn’t expect to be cheated by him. The flames are all on the back side of the man, unnoticeable from his perspective. Almost as if he was being “stabbed in the back”. The correlation between the fire and the location of the flames suggests something shady is going on. 

In conclusion, Pink Floyd is upset with the music business and its dishonorable actions. Obviously their experience has not been great, and that is why they are lashing out and trying to make a statement. After taking a closer look and analyzing the album cover, all of the different pieces of evidence tie together to reach this conclusion. The first sign is the music studio lots, making it obvious that what is going on has something to do with the music industry. Secondly, the suits suggest that it is a professional business meeting. The hand shake says that the two men have reached an agreement. Finally, the man on fire suggests that he is getting burned by the industry. The man/artist is being taken advantage of by the industry’s actions and there are no witnesses to these wrongdoings. Pink Floyd does not need a shady music industry to succeed. Originally, the album “Wish You Were Here” received mixed reviews, and significantly lower ratings from the press than the consumers. Even though they were getting low reviews, the demand for the album was greater than the actual production of it. The moral of the story is that Pink Floyd does not need to partake in the shady music business deals in order to thrive in the music world.  