Songful Style Link Party #36: “Wish I Knew You” by The Revivalists

It was my turn to choose the song for March and I went with “Wish I Knew You” by The Revivalists. Although this song was released 9 years ago, I heard it for the first time about 4 or 5 years ago and fell in love with it immediately. And now 4 or 5 years later, I watched the official music video for the first time and I fell in love even more.

The Lyrics

You shine like a star
You know who you are
You're everything beautiful
She's hot, hot like the sun
The loneliest one
Still everything beautiful
Well I'll be god damned
You're standing at my door
We stayed up in the city
Until the stars lost the war
So Friday night, holy ghost
Take me to your level
Show me the one I need the most
I need the most

I wish I knew you when I was young
We could've got so high
Now we're here it's been so long
Two strangers in the bright lights
Oh I hope you don't mind
We can share my mood yeah
Two strangers in the bright lights
I wish I knew you
I wish I knew you
Oh I wish I knew you when I was young

Truth, it's all that you need
You bury that seed
It's everything beautiful
And that sound comes from the underground
It's all inside you now
It's everything beautiful
But what you, what you, what you, what you running from?
And they got, they got, they got, they got you on the run?
So Friday night
Holy ghost
Take me to your level
Show me the one I need the most
I need the most

I wish I knew you when I was young
We could've got so high
Now we're here it's been so long
Two strangers in the bright lights
Oh and I hope you don't mind
We can share my mood, yeah
Two strangers in the bright lights
I wish I knew you
I wish I knew you
Oh I wish I knew you when I was young

Maybe we can share my mood
Hmm hmm hmm
Maybe we can share my mood
Hmm hmm hmm
Maybe we can share my mood
Hmm hmm hmm

I wish I knew you when I was young
We could've got so high
Now we're here it's been so long
Two strangers in the bright lights
Oh and I hope you don't mind
We can share my mood, yeah
Two strangers in the bright lights
I wish I knew you
I wish I knew you
Oh I wish I knew you when I was young

About the Band and the Song

The Revivalists are an American rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana. The eight piece band consisting of David Shaw on lead vocals, Zack Feinberg on guitar, Ed Williams on guitar and pedal steel guitar, Rob Ingraham on saxophone, George Gekas on bass guitar, Michael Girardot on trumpet and keyboard, and Andrew Campanelli and Paulet “PJ” Howard on drums and percussion, was formed in 2007.

Lead vocalist David Shaw was born in Hamilton, Ohio, on June 6, 1983. He is a fellow Gemini, which is likely a contributing factor to why I find David Shaw to be one of the sexist men alive. There, I said it. I can’t and won’t take it back.

After attending a few different colleges, Shaw earned his degree in business management with an emphasis in construction management from Ohio State University. Upon graduation, Shaw promptly moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. Two weeks after his move, Shaw was sitting on his front porch playing an original song on his acoustic guitar when Zack Feinberg, who recently moved to New Orleans from New York City, rode by on his bicycle. The two musicians struck up a conversation and the seed was planted for The Revivalists.

Feinberg brought in Andrew Campanelli whom he met playing gigs at Tipitina’s. Within two weeks, this trio of musicians formed the earliest version of The Revivalists, playing their first gig at Checkpoint Charlie’s Laundromat/Bar on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans. They soon had regular jam sessions booked at Tipitina’s and began playing an average of 150 shows a year.

On May 15, 2008, the band released their first album, a self titled EP, independently. New Orleans DJ Sherwood Collins of WWOZ named The Revivalists one of the best albums of 2008. The band released their debut album, Vital Signs, on March 3, 2010, and began touring the United States. Their second album, City of Sound, was self released in 2012 and re-released by Wind-up Records on March 14, 2014. On July 17, 2015, the band released their third album, Men Amongst Mountains, which included their hit single, “Wish I Knew You”. “Wish I Knew You” reached #1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative and Alternative radio charts, remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks.

The single for “Wish I Knew You” was released on February 23, 2016, with the video being released the following day. I do recommend taking the time to watch the video. It is so stinking cute and it made me laugh and cry about a dozen times in less than 5 minutes.

The song was written by the band, produced by Ben Ellman, and became the band’s first chart topper on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Finding success on multiple rock radio and adult contemporary formats, “Wish I Knew You” also set a record for the most plays ever recorded during a week’s time in May 2017, with 3,488 spins of the track on Alternative/Modern Rock radio.

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of Adult Alternative Airplay in February 2021, Billboard released a list of the most successful songs in the charts history, ranking “Wish I Knew You” at number 57 out of 100. In September 2023, Billboard revised their ranking, placing “Wish I Knew You” at number 84.

After the release of Men Amongst Mountains, Rolling Stone included The Revivalists in their list of “10 Artists You Need To Know.” They also were nominated for Billboard Music Awards in the categories of Top Rock Song, Alternative Rock Song of the Year, and Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist.

Following this success, the band formed a partnership with the NOLA Brewing Company, debuting their artisanal beer, The Revivalists American Pale Ale, at New Orleans’ Orpheum Theater during the group’s annual New Year’s Eve residency show. A portion of the proceeds from sales of The Revivalists American Pale Ale are donated to the Roots of Music Foundation.

In August 2018, The Revivalists released their single “All My Friends” as a teaser for the upcoming release of their fourth studio album, Take Good Care, on November 9, 2018. “All My Friends” reached number one on Billboard’s Adult Alternative chart. This was the first record to feature PJ Howard, who joined the band the previous year, on drums and percussion.

The Revivalists’ fifth studio album, Pour It Out into the Night, was released on June 2, 2023, with the first single “Kid” being released in February 2023. The band continues to tour with upcoming dates in the US and Canada.

About My Outfit

When I chose this song for our style inspiration, I had fully intended to take some sartorial tips from the music video. With the timeline in the video switching between 1965 and the current day, there are a plethora of outfit styles from different generations to inspire one’s look. However, I ended up not going in that direction for my outfit.

Instead, I decided to create an outfit that I would have worn when I was young. In fact, this Blackwatch plaid trench coat is very reminiscent of a Blackwatch plaid shirt dress that was one of my favorite things in high school (1988-1992). The original dress, constructed from soft flannel, had a similar full and swingy silhouette with buttons down the front and a Peter Pan collar. However, it was significantly shorter than this iteration. I always wore that dress with shredded black tights and black knee high lace up Doc Martens combat boots. Choker necklaces, big earrings, and my grandmother’s hats were my most frequently worn accessories in high school so I definitely included various accessory combinations when I wore my Blackwatch plaid dress and combat boots. Yes, I stood out amongst my peers. And yes, I got made fun of all the time for my personal style choices. But that hasn’t stopped me yet from wearing whatever the heck I like!

When I spotted this plaid trench coat at one of my favorite retailers a few years ago, it reminded me so much of that beloved flannel dress from high school that I absolutely had to have it. I don’t think I have ever worn it as anything other than a dress either. It’s just too pretty to wear as an outer garment to be removed every time I go indoors. Fortunately, it is a light enough fabric that I can wear it indoors without over heating. Because it is jacket, however, I do have to wear something underneath it. For this styling, I threw on a black polka dot hooded nightgown beneath the coat. I allowed just the polka dot hood to be visible from the back for a subtle pattern mix.

I no longer have any black Doc Martens boots, so I wore my reliable old clunky black combat boots. I was going to shred my black tights in the way I used to wear ripped stockings back in high school but it seems that tights are constructed with much more durability now. At first I couldn’t even puncture the tights with scissors so I was going to stab at them with a seam ripper. But then it was wicked cold for taking photographs and I realized not much of my tights was even visible under the dress and boots so I bailed on the ripped tights detail.

My hat collection in high school consisted primarily of my grandmother’s vintage hats from the 1950s and 1960s, so my classic navy blue cloche hat seemed appropriate head wear for this outfit. I added a mint green neckerchief as a hat band and pinned on a cameo brooch. I first fell in love with cameo jewelry in high school as I was discovering my unique and quirky personal style so it made sense to include this pin. I finished my throwback outfit with a choker style necklace reminiscent of the 1990s, large statement earrings, my green cashmere writing gloves, and a green floral brooch on my jacket.

In the end, I created an outfit that would have definitely been approved by teenage Shelbee and it still works 30 years later. I also think it pretty accurately captures the whole vibe of the song. What do you think?

About Songful Style

Songful Style is an ageless style challenge series hosted by Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Marsha of Marsha in the Middle, and Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette (formerly The Grey Brunette).

Each month we will share a song with the lyrics and video and we invite you to use whatever aspect of the song that inspires you to create an outfit. 

It is similar to Style Imitating Art where we use artwork to inspire our outfit creations. Except Songful Style gives you lyrics, music, video, and album artwork to inspire your fashion creativity. You may even find inspiration in a memory triggered by the selected song. It is all open to your own personal interpretation and just a fun way to discover new music and get a little bit more creative with your wardrobe.

Anyone is welcome to join us on a permanent basis or you can just play along without any obligation to do anything other than feel inspired. We are flexible and fun and just want to find more ways to play dress up because it’s what we enjoy doing! 

We will be posting on the last Monday of each month and will announce our song choice for the following month at the end of each post. You are welcome to style your own song inspired outfit and add it to the link party or link anything that you want to share even if it has nothing to do with the song. 

I hope you will check out how my songful friends have styled their outfits inspired by The Revivalists’ “Wish I Knew You”.

• Marsha of Marsha in the Middle
• Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette

Featured Favorite from Songful Style Link Party #35: “Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees

If you enjoyed our musically inspired outfits for this round, please come back on April 28, 2025, to see how we style Suzy’s next song choice, “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum. You are welcome to join us and link your outfit below. It is a great way to view your wardrobe from a totally different perspective! 

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

Link Parties to Join!