Annabel Lee

[Bandon]

I am convinced that "Annabel Lee" is Stevie's best mid-tempo fantasy, "Stevieland" song since "Gypsy."

[tabruns]

The more I hear this song the better it gets. I think it's a second classic track on In Your Dreams ("Moonlight" being the other one).

[BombaySapphire3]

^^^^ Agree with the above couple of posts .Annabel Lee is pure classic Stevie and the song is greatly abetted by one of Mick Fleetwood's best performances in years IMO.The protracted ending of the song with the slowly building crescendo under Stevie's passionate vocals is something I never thought I'd hear on a Fleetwood Mac song again .Yeah I know this isn't a Fleetwood Mac record but you'd never really know it wasn't a classic one while you are listening to Annabel Lee.

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by Bandon

I am convinced that "Annabel Lee" is Stevie's best mid-tempo fantasy, "Stevieland" song since "Gypsy."

yeah I know, i really like it... I love the chorus. I don't like the way the song ends, but hey...

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

yeah I know, i really like it... I love the chorus. I don't like the way the song ends, but hey...

Oh noes! Really? I like the whole thing too, but I swoon on the ending. Kinda reminds me of the ending of 'Gate and Garden'.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by Richard B

Oh noes! Really? I like the whole thing too, but I swoon on the ending. Kinda reminds me of the ending of 'Gate and Garden'.

Really I don't get that at all "Gate and Garden" was the first really mediocre song Stevie ever officially recorded IMO ..soon to be followed on side two by "Nothing Ever Changes"I agree that I love the ending of Annabel though.

[mylittledemon]

yeah i dont care for the change when she starts talking about laying down her pride... it must've been tricky for them to find an ending to the song... I would've rather them faded the song out her repeating the chorus and making up her own words like she used to do... and I'm pretty sure thats Mick Fleetwood on drums

[StevieNicksfann]

Damn, I love the ending. I am marching down the trail with my arms in the air celebrating victory - this song is absolutely perfect to me!

[jellyman10]

Originally Posted by Artemis

In Stevie-Land, I'm sure it's about a doll. Poe was totally writing about a dudette though.

Although, I was thinking, I think some of the song refers to the friendship between Stevie and Robin. I need to listen to it a few more times to get the lyrics that infer this stuff, but, to me, it's definitely in there.

I haven't heard the song yet (still waiting for that dang CD!) but it seems like another instance of classic Nicksian conflation. Her imagination was clearly drawn to the situation in Poe's poem long before she lost Robin, but, as with 'Gypsy', lines from it can achieve a new resonance as events unfold.

Of course, the poem's enduring emotional power lies in the way it describes the agony and longing that comes from being separated by death from someone you love. In that respect, it could be 'about' anyone that Stevie is parted from in that way: Robin, her dad, Sara, even (dare I say it) her unborn child(ren).

[markolas]

Originally Posted by Bandon

When "Sara" first came out, people thought the same thing. What you hear in the song is, "Sara, you're the poet in my heart, etc." Whatever.

It's kinda clipped, but it's always been clear to me that she sings "He said, 'Sara, you're the poet in my heart.'" But some people don't listen to lyrics that closely, I guess.

Originally Posted by tabruns

Deborah Harry had the same attitude. She'd a song even if the lyrics were really from the perspective of a man (like "Sunday Girl").

Well, Deb really does swing both ways, tho.

[jellyman10]

Originally Posted by markolas

It's kinda clipped, but it's always been clear to me that she sings "He said, 'Sara, you're the poet in my heart.'" But some people don't listen to lyrics that closely, I guess.

I always thought it was just 'Said "Sara, you're the poet ..."'? As in 'I said "Sara..."', but with the pronoun dropped off? I don't hear 'he'.

[blemelin]

The chorus of this song is just amazing, it really lifts the song into the air. Annabel Lee is one of those great highway-driving songs. Get in your car and give it a whirl, it's worth the price of a gallon of gas, no really! Probably my favorite song on the record.

[Ghosty]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

this is what is says:

Music: Stevie; Words: adapted from the Edgar Allan Poe poem "Annabel Lee"; Interlude Waddy Wachtel

She is basically just getting credit for the music, she gave Poe words credit and waddy gets the interlude credit. That's very generous considering that she is really responsible for the song. You can't complain about that.

that is a good way to word it, looks like she totally gives homage to poe.


i have the demo in my head because i only listened to the new version once so far, and my quiet laptop didn't give the best sound either for me to pick up the full feel of the music. but i love the ending, it gets stuck in my head. i like the whole thing. i don't see it as stevie singing about loving a woman as some have joked about. just seems she loved the poem and got a melody in her head. or that the poem sounded romantic to her, or reminded her of one of her love affairs. i would picture her thinking of herself as annabel lee though. there's more than one way to look at her "dying"....

[bellagypsy79]

I have the demo of this song from back in the 80's I believe, and when I saw that it was on the IYD album, I flipped out because I love it so much. It is one of my favorite poems by Poe. The album version wasn't really any different than the demo. I was impressed and loved it and was happy it was on the album!

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by tabruns

The more I hear this song the better it gets. I think it's a second classic track on In Your Dreams ("Moonlight" being the other one).

Totally agree.