How to play Go West's "King of Wishful Thinking" on the guitar

While considered a classic by many, this song is perhaps one of those that everyone knows, but can't recall either the title or the artist. The song is called 'The King of Wishful Thinking' and it's by the 80s band, Go West. In fact, the song was a pretty big hit when it was released and has since become a popular choice of cover for many musicians. Here is a guide to the song and how to play it on guitar.

Wishful thinking

The 'King of Wishful Thinking' lyrics are pretty literal. The kind of 'I'll get over you' lyrics that contain a sense of self-deception and, of course, 'wishful thinking'. In fact, the song is something of a example of how grief can be induced within the listener through a kind of 'dissonance'. Empathy
The singer is content to deceive himself with regards to his recent break-up while the accompanying musicians play an upbeat tune that perfectly belies the nature of the singer's woes. The symbolism contained within the lyrics cleverly exposes the carnival atmosphere of the music to be something of a fraud. The listener is left in no doubt in terms of the singer's deep despair, inspiring an emotion of empathy.

The music

The structure of the song is not that complex. It is written in standard 4/4 time and follows a moderate/up-tempo, rock-pop beat. The chords are relatively simple, involving progressions revolving around standard F, C, D and G chords. The only complicated part is the bridge which involves a quick exchange of minor chords.

The sheet music

You can effectively play the song just by following the basic guitar tabs. Should you want an accompanying piano part or perhaps learn the guitar solo, then you might want to get hold of the sheet music. While a lot of good music stores may have the sheet music in stock, an online search will reveal a few sites which offer a simple download for a relatively small sum.

Go West

Go West is an English pop duo who got together back in in 1982. They predominantly comprise of singer and drummer Peter Cox and guitarist, vocalist Richard Drummie. While 'King of Wishful Thinking' is perhaps their best-known song, they also enjoyed success with the songs 'Faithful' and 'We Close Our Eyes'.