“Vera” by Pink Floyd
The titular “Vera” would actually be one Vera Lynn, a very renowned British singer and actress who gained worldwide stardom during the Second World War. And likewise the song itself, as well as the entirety of the album it is featured on, is largely based on that historical conflict.
In the lyrics, Roger Waters is questioning the whereabouts of Vera Lynn. Miss Lynn was very much alive and kicking at the time this song was dropped and in fact died as recently as 2020, surviving to the ripe old age of 103. But by and large, after WWII she fell out of the public spotlight. Or stated otherwise, she was a British icon due to her activities during the war.
“Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?”
So with Roger Waters, a Briton himself, namedropping her in such a manner, it is a roundabout way of him referencing the World War II in general. In fact his own personal history has been directly affected by the aforementioned war as his dad, Eric Fletcher Waters, died in the Battle of Anzio in 1944. And such is actually the storyline of the music video to “Vera”, if you will, as depicted in the highly-celebrated “Pink Floyd – The Wall” (1982) musical film.
Facts about “Vera”
“Vera” was written by Pink Floyd’s very own Roger Waters. And it was produced by B. Ezrin, J. Guthrie and the entirety of Pink Floyd, with additional special acknowledgement being given to Waters.
Columbia Records alongside Harvest Records released this track on November 30th, 1979 as part of Pink Floyd’s classic album “The Wall”. It was never issued as a single itself.
Actually, “The Wall”, which is considered one of the greatest albums ever released, was supported with the following three singles:
- “Comfortably Numb“
- “Run Like Hell”
- “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2“
This track samples audio from a World War II film entitled “Battle of Britain” (1969).
The version of “Vera” found on the aforementioned “Pink Floyd – The Wall” film is a bit longer than the rendition found on the album itself.
