Wishing Well (Free song)

"Wishing Well" is a song by the English rock band Free. It was released in December 1972 as a single and entered the UK Singles Chart on 13 January 1973, reaching number 7. The single was re-released in remixed form in 1985 and reached number 96 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on the band's sixth and final studio album, Heartbreaker. It was their final hit single before the group disbanded in 1973, with Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke going on to form Bad Company.

B-side"Let Me Show You"

Released8 December 1972 (UK)^[1]

Recorded1972

StudioIsland, London

Quick facts Single by Free, from the album Heartbreaker ...

"Wishing Well"
Single cover from Italian release
Single by Free
from the album Heartbreaker
B-side	"Let Me Show You"
Released	8 December 1972 (UK)[1]
Recorded	1972
Studio	Island, London
Genre	Hard rock blues rock
Length	3:41
Label	Island
Songwriters	Paul Rodgers Simon Kirke Tetsu Yamauchi John Bundrick Paul Kossoff
Producers	Free Andy Johns
Free singles chronology
"Little Bit of Love" (1972) "Wishing Well" (1972) "Travellin' in Style" (1973)
Audio
"Wishing Well" on YouTube

Close

Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic said:

Lyrically, the song can be interpreted many ways, but it appears on the surface to be an angry message to a friend with heavy substance abuse problems who has one foot in 'the wishing well', which is possibly an analogy for 'one foot in the grave'. Next to "All Right Now", this is indeed the band's most important - and perhaps finest moment.^[2]

Record World called it a "heavy number that could bounce [Free] back to hitsville."^[3]

It was covered by Southern rock band, Blackfoot.