The mood is uplifting, and a choir comes in and begins to cheer “Bring the boys back home!” To me, this is voices from the wall officially calling you in. Now, in “Bring the Boys Back Home,” the tone completely changes.
Perhaps this final plea instigates that the heartbreak from a woman could be that deepest fear.
This woman, Vera, said she would meet you again, but she is gone. In “Vera,” Waters says with his sorrow voice, “Vera, Vera, what has become of you? Does anybody else in here feel the way I do?” In part one of “The Wall,” we learn that a heartbreaking relationship was one of the bricks in the wall. “Vera,” in my interpretation, is a revelation of your deepest fear. There are references to World War II, but it took me a few close listens to the lyrics and tone of the song to find my interpretation.Īt the end of the album, there is a reference to learning your deepest fear. I did look up some meanings to these two songs. The next two songs, “Vera” and “Bring the Boys Back Home,” confused me a bit, I’ll be honest here. One of my favorite lyrics is, “I’ve got a strong urge to fly, but I got nowhere to fly to.” Perhaps the lyrics in the little black book have powerful messages to help you overcome this low. You’re lost, and you start pouring out your emotions. To me, this little black book’s poems are actually lyrics to songs. “I’ve got a little black book with my poems in.”įirst, we hear it screamed in the background right before the piano introduction to the song, and then Waters opens with it. The first lyric, however, sticks out to me. There are references to drugs, loneliness, and defeat. There are many references to the late Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd’s founder, but at this point you are reflecting on the lows of your life. The next song is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, “Nobody Home.” Richard Wright plays a tear-jerking piano, and Waters’ voice seems drained and almost lifeless at first. You desperately search, but in the end, no one is there. You explore, realizing that you are alone. This is your first experiences behind the wall. That question is the only lyric, repeated over and over again. The next song is “Is There Anybody Out There?” which is one of the creepiest songs I’ve ever heard. Roger Waters ends it by yelling, “Together we stand, divided we fall.” That’s a powerful message in and of itself. The final lyric of this song has always stuck with me. Pink Floyd is calling you into the music.
You’re not quite behind the wall, you are being welcomed to the wall. “Hey You” calls for someone who is, “out there in the cold, getting lonely, getting old.” When I first listened, this to me was almost like a stage of purgatory. It’s basically an introduction to life behind the wall. The entire second half of the album is a musical masterpiece, but this first sequence is a wide range of magical. The second half of the album begins with a cool sequence of songs that range from, “Hey You,” to “Bring the Boys Back Home.” This small part is very interesting. You are safe, you are happy, and you are yourself. They eventually built the wall, and you are now behind it. I talked about how Floyd took us on a journey through all the hardships in your life. Last issue, I wrote my interpretation of the first half of “The Wall,” another Pink Floyd concept album. There’s so much that goes into this album. This was originally going to be a two-part column, but after I started to write this one, I realized it needs to be three parts. If you didn’t read my column from the last issue, first off go read it (I think you kinda need it for this one to make sense), then come back to this column. My third column will be the second part of my column from last issue, which was another iconic concept album from Pink Floyd. This column will dive into my love for music from different perspectives. When I go on my 4-hour drive from Connecticut to Vermont, what gets me through is music. Music is one of the most powerful and influential things in my life.