View source for Wishing Well (Free song)

{{Infobox song
| name       = Wishing Well
| cover      = Wishing Well free.png
| alt        =
| border     = yes
| caption    = Single cover from Italian release
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Free (band)|Free]]
| album      = [[Heartbreaker (Free album)|Heartbreaker]]
| B-side     = Let Me Show You
| released   = 8 December 1972 (UK)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Free&titel=Wishing+Well&cat=s|title=Free singles}}</ref>
| recorded   = 1972
| studio     = [[Island Studios|Island]], [[London]]
| venue      =
| genre      = {{flatlist|
*[[Hard rock]]
*[[blues rock]]<ref name="Discogs">{{cite web |url= https://www.discogs.com/Free-Wishing-Well/release/5826307|website=[[Discogs]]|title= Free Wishing Well|accessdate=2018-11-13}}</ref>}}
| length     = 3:41<ref name="Discogs"/>
| label      = [[Island Records|Island]]<ref name="Discogs"/>
| writer     = {{flat list|
*[[Paul Rodgers]]
*[[Simon Kirke]]
*[[Tetsu Yamauchi]]
*[[John Bundrick]]
*[[Paul Kossoff]]<ref name="Discogs"/>
}}
| producer   = {{flat list|
*[[Free (band)|Free]]
*[[Andy Johns]]<ref name="Discogs"/>
}}
| prev_title = [[Little Bit of Love (Free song)|Little Bit of Love]]
| prev_year  = 1972
| next_title = Travellin' in Style
| next_year  = 1973
|misc={{External music video|header=Audio|
{{YouTube|AdWz2fbiSno|"Wishing Well"}}}}}}
"'''Wishing Well'''" is a song by the English [[rock music|rock]] band [[Free (band)|Free]]. It was written by the entire group about their close friend Bevan T. Woodhouse. 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 1985 and reached number 96 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on the band's sixth and final studio album, ''[[Heartbreaker (Free 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]].
Matthew Greenwald of [[AllMusic]] said:
<blockquote>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.<ref name>{{cite web |url= https://www.allmusic.com/song/wishing-well-mt0054330098
|website=All Music|title= Free Wishing Well|accessdate=2018-11-13}}</ref></blockquote>
''[[Record World]]'' called it a "heavy number that could bounce [Free] back to hitsville."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=January 6, 1973|accessdate=2023-03-24|title=Single Picks|page=10|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/73/RW-1973-01-06.pdf}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (1973)
!scope="col"|Peak<br>position
|-
{{singlechart|UK|7|date=1973-03-04|accessdate=13 November 2018}}
|-
{{singlechart|West Germany|47|artist=Free|song=Wishing Well|songid=23023|year=1973|accessdate=13 November 2018}}
|}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Free (band)}}
[[Category:1972 singles]]
[[Category:Free (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Paul Rodgers]]
[[Category:Island Records singles]]