“See You Again” was written to honor the memory of Paul Walker from the Fast and the Furious franchise.

Charlie Puth said in an interview with American Songwriter that the writing process for this song took place in July 2014 when he was in Los Angeles. Puth had set out independently to try to make his way as a songwriter.

He had received word that the Fast and the Furious producers were looking for a song to honor Paul Walker, who had passed away tragically as a passenger in a speeding car.

A Message to a Lost Friend

The song’s structure breaks the mold when compared to most other popular songs. Instead of a verse to kick things off, it goes straight into the chorus. These opening lines are easy enough to interpret:

“It’s been a long day without you, my friend / And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again”

These lyrics describe the feeling of loss and how time seems to drag out and stand still. The narrator expresses hope that he’ll be able to see his lost friend again someday and that they’ll be able to talk about all the things that have happened in the meantime. These sentiments are further driven home here:

“We’ve come a long way from where we began / Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again”

Khalifa’s Turn

When Wiz Khalifa takes over with his signature rap style he uses imagery associated with traveling to elicit the experience of losing someone when they have gone somewhere you can’t follow:

“Damn, who knew? / All the planes we flew / Good things we’ve been through / That I’ll be standing right here talking to you / ‘Bout another path”

Although there’s no indication that Puth or Khalifa were close to Paul Walker

or that they’d even ever met him, it didn’t stop the artists from writing lyrics that spoke to his fans and loved ones just as genuinely as if they’d been lifelong friends.

The way that the lyrics read conjures the idea of someone standing at a grave and speaking out loud, whether it’s to themself or their fallen comrade. The narrator never would have imagined that he’d be in this kind of situation, reaching out to his friend who had already passed over to the other side.

“I know we loved to hit the road and laugh”

It would be hard to find more pertinent lyrics for someone who played such an integral role in the Furious film series.

“But something told me that it wouldn’t last / Had to switch up / Look at things different, see the bigger picture”

Mourning Through Music

Sometimes it’s easy to look back on the past and wish you could return to it, especially when it seems that everything was perfect then. But these lines suggest that there had always been trouble in paradise.

“Those were the days / Hard work forever pays / Now I see you in a better place”

Without detracting anything from the cherished memories and experiences, the song’s narrator expresses the sentiment and wish here that his long-lost friend is somewhere that’s better now.

Lyrics

It’s been a long day without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

Damn, who knew?
All the planes we flew, good things we been through
That I’d be standing right here talking to you
‘Bout another path, I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
But something told me that it wouldn’t last
Had to switch up, look at things different, see the bigger picture
Those were the days, hard work forever pays
Now I see you in a better place (see you in a better place)
Uh

How can we not talk about family when family’s all that we got?
Everything I went through, you were standing there by my side
And now you gon’ be with me for the last ride

It’s been a long day without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again (I’ll see you again)
We’ve come a long way (yeah, we came a long way)
From where we began (you know we started)
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again (I’ll tell you)
When I see you again

First, you both go out your way and the vibe is feeling strong
And what’s small turned to a friendship, a friendship turned to a bond
And that bond will never be broken, the love will never get lost
(The love will never get lost)
And when brotherhood come first, then the line will never be crossed
Established it on our own when that line had to be drawn
And that line is what we reached, so remember me when I’m gone
(Remember me when I’m gone)

How can we not talk about family when family’s all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon’ be with me for the last ride

So let the light guide your way, yeah
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take
Will always lead you home, home

It’s been a long day without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

When I see you again (yeah, uh)
See you again (yeah, yeah, yeah)

When I see you again

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Cameron Jibril Thomaz / Justin Scott Franks / Dann Hume / Andrew Cedar / Charlie Puth / Joshua Hardy / Phoebe Cockburn

See You Again lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., Universal Pictures Music, Artist Publishing Group West, J Franks Publishing, Artist 101 Publishing Group, Upg Music Publishing, Wiz Khalifa Publishing, Andrew Cedar Publishing, Charlie Puth Music Publishing

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