Annabel Lee

[mdakd]

It looks like Annabel Lee is going to be performed on stage, according to an interview Stevie gave with HitFix. Wooo!

While many of these songs are based on poems you wrote, “Annabel Lee” is about the last Edgar Allen Poe ever wrote.

It’s my favorite poem of his and I found out later it’s Maya Angelou’s favorite poem too. I wrote it when I was real young and I wrote it on guitar. I made a demo of it in 1995 and I never thought I’d ever record it and I just decided somewhere last year, I said I think it’s time for “Annabel Lee.” And I brought it and showed it to Dave and he loved it and Glen Ballard loved it and we just said, let’s do it. We did it very much like the demo and it came out really rocking, it’s going to be a great stage song.

[jellyman10]

Originally Posted by UndoingTheLaces

I'm a songwriter and I pretty much learned to write songs by picking apart Stevie's songs ...
Although demos like Blue Water , China Doll and Spinning Wheels are just beautiful as they are without the star treatment.

I do that, too! And I totally agree with you about those three songs you mentioned, especially Blue Water. I haven't heard Annabel Lee on IYD yet - I'm being totally anal and waiting for my CD over here on Mars (sorry, I mean in the UK) - but I'm so psyched by what I'm hearing. I agree that it always had an incredible spine to it.

Great that you write songs.

[-Lillith-]

Originally Posted by UndoingTheLaces

I'm a songwriter and I pretty much learned to write songs by picking apart Stevie's songs down to their basic parts (which was easy to do when several session demos were available). So now, when I listen to a demo I usually hear the potential in it to become a great song. Although demos like Blue Water , China Doll and Spinning Wheels are just beautiful as they are without the star treatment. Landslide didn't need drums, bass and tons of keyboards to make it wonderful. But I digress... So when I heard Annabel Lee I was blown away but the sheer beauty in the vocal melody and that guitar chord during the chorus. I could hear in my head something similar to what most of you are hearing on IYD. So I was really surprised to hear how so many people hated that demo because I always thought it was such a beautiful song. So I'm beyond thrilled that the song got the treatment that it did to bring out it's inner beauty so everyone can enjoy it. The little brat in me wants to go "I told you so" but it's not about being wrong or right. I'm just so happy you guys are loving this song now. I hope it becomes the next single and really captures people's attention.

I am writing songs as well and agree with everything you wrote in here

[Morgana]

Originally Posted by mdakd

It looks like Annabel Lee is going to be performed on stage, according to an interview Stevie gave with HitFix. Wooo!

While many of these songs are based on poems you wrote, “Annabel Lee” is about the last Edgar Allen Poe ever wrote.

It’s my favorite poem of his and I found out later it’s Maya Angelou’s favorite poem too. I wrote it when I was real young and I wrote it on guitar. I made a demo of it in 1995 and I never thought I’d ever record it and I just decided somewhere last year, I said I think it’s time for “Annabel Lee.” And I brought it and showed it to Dave and he loved it and Glen Ballard loved it and we just said, let’s do it. We did it very much like the demo and it came out really rocking, it’s going to be a great stage song.

I don't think I've read/heard the HitFix article. Could you kindly please send the link?

[mdakd]

Originally Posted by Morgana

I don't think I've read/heard the HitFix article. Could you kindly please send the link?

It was just posted today!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...lupHjWNjmE8hgw

[J.Miller]

Originally Posted by UndoingTheLaces

I'm a songwriter and I pretty much learned to write songs by picking apart Stevie's songs down to their basic parts (which was easy to do when several session demos were available). So now, when I listen to a demo I usually hear the potential in it to become a great song. Although demos like Blue Water , China Doll and Spinning Wheels are just beautiful as they are without the star treatment. Landslide didn't need drums, bass and tons of keyboards to make it wonderful. But I digress... So when I heard Annabel Lee I was blown away but the sheer beauty in the vocal melody and that guitar chord during the chorus. I could hear in my head something similar to what most of you are hearing on IYD. So I was really surprised to hear how so many people hated that demo because I always thought it was such a beautiful song. So I'm beyond thrilled that the song got the treatment that it did to bring out it's inner beauty so everyone can enjoy it. The little brat in me wants to go "I told you so" but it's not about being wrong or right. I'm just so happy you guys are loving this song now. I hope it becomes the next single and really captures people's attention.

Yes,' Blue Water' . Stevie is singing so well now to do it justice. I hope she includes it in some future project.

[skuncles]

Stevie pretty much kept Poes words as is. She did drop one stanza and she turned the final stanza into the chorus. The only other thing I thought was interesting is that she downplays that she is lying down next to a dead Annabel.

[UndoingTheLaces]

Originally Posted by skuncles

Stevie pretty much kept Poes words as is. She did drop one stanza and she turned the final stanza into the chorus. The only other thing I thought was interesting is that she downplays that she is lying down next to a dead Annabel.

That's one of the things that first caught my attention with the demo. I always loved The Cure and they often had these really upbeat happy sounding songs but if you listened to the lyrics you realize they're really sad. And while Annabel Lee, especially the album version, is so beautiful and upbeat it's got this real tragic story to it. And that makes me love it all the more.

"I wanted to write something that was up... and it starts out that way and it is up... but there's a definite eeriness to that song that I didn't even realize was there"

[Morgana]

Originally Posted by mdakd

It was just posted today!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...lupHjWNjmE8hgw

Thanks so much! Did I read that right about Stevie saying she had a sister? Or does she mean a close friend and calls her sister? Hmmmm....

[jellyman10]

"But most important for me is the writing. Nothing makes me happier even if i’m just writing...I have a friend who just lost her husband; I’ve probably written her five letters that are all 10 pages since this happened a couple of weeks ago and writing these letters to her is helping her and it’s also helping me. I sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and I’m trying to tell her all these stories about the guy, and for what it’s worth, try to keep her head above water and that really is the thing I love the most."

That's such a wonderful thing to do for someone who's grieving. I feel obscurely, irrationally and unaccountably proud of Stevie when I read things like this. <3

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by UndoingTheLaces

That's one of the things that first caught my attention with the demo. I always loved The Cure and they often had these really upbeat happy sounding songs but if you listened to the lyrics you realize they're really sad. And while Annabel Lee, especially the album version, is so beautiful and upbeat it's got this real tragic story to it. And that makes me love it all the more.

"I wanted to write something that was up... and it starts out that way and it is up... but there's a definite eeriness to that song that I didn't even realize was there"

Gypsy is kind of like that to me. It's so fun to sing along to and dance, but when you listen to the words you're like damn that's sad...

[Dreamz19]

I adore this song. By far my most favorite song on the album. I also love Mick's drumming . I didn't realize it was Mick until I listened again tonight and thought the drumming sounded like his style. This thread just confirmed it for me. I had the same experience with Sable On Blond. Loved the drumming, but didn't realize it was Mick until later.

[SapphireSister]

Finally guys, I've fallen in love with something on this album and I realized it on the way to work this morning as I listened:

"And the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
And the sun never shines, but I see them bright eyes
I lie down by the side"

I had tears in my eyes when this part came on...now a couple of questions since I can finally analyze a song because I love a part of it-
1. Are those lyrics I quoted above in the original poem or did Stevie write that part?
2. Does this song actually have a chorus and if so is the above it? I really think that it's more of a pre-chorus and would go as far as to say this song does not actually have a chorus. Thoughts?

Sorry if I'm not making much sense today, a little under the weather.

[markolas]

Originally Posted by SapphireSister

Finally guys, I've fallen in love with something on this album and I realized it on the way to work this morning as I listened:

"And the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
And the sun never shines, but I see them bright eyes
I lie down by the side"

This is in the poem, but Stevie changed it a little. The poem doesn't have a chorus, but Stevie turned it into one.

[markolas]

This is the last stanza of Poe's Annabel Lee:

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.