"I Wish I Could Have Been There" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist John Anderson

John Anderson (musician)

John David Anderson is an American country music artist with a successful career that has lasted more than 30 years...

. It was released in April 1994 as the fourth and final single from his 1993 album Solid Ground

Solid Ground (John Anderson album)

Solid Ground is an album by country artist John Anderson. It was released in 1993 under BNA Records. The album includes the singles "Money in the Bank" , I've Got It Made", "I Fell in the Water", and "I Wish I Could Have Been There"...

. It peaked at #4 in the United States, and #21 in Canada. John Anderson co-wrote this song with Kent Robbins

Kent Robbins

Kent Robbins was an American country music songwriter. He began writing for Charley Pride's Pi-Gem music in 1974. Between then and his death, he wrote songs for several other country music artists...

.

Content

The narrator wishes that he could have been around his family more often for many things.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

magazine gave the song a mixed review, saying that while Anderson "squeezes the emotional maximum from this nostalgic ballad with his usual full vocal assault", he compares it to the song "Cat's in the Cradle

Cat's in the Cradle

"Cat's in the Cradle" is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974...

."

Music video

There was a music video for this song. It features Anderson singing in a room at a fireplace, and also shows him on his touring.

Chart positions

"I Wish I Could Have Been There" debuted at number 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 23, 1994.

Chart (1994)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	4
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	21