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The Alan Parsons Project – The Raven Lyrics 14 years ago
"The clock struck midnight
And through my sleeping
I heard a tapping at my door
I looked but nothing lay in the darkness
And so I turned inside once more"

The protagonist is still mourning for the loss of his wife, so while in solitude, he continues to hope he will see his wife again. Whenever he hears something, he rushes at the door, but he keeps getting disappointed (which he knows will happen, he's torturing himself because he is becoming insane).

"To my amazement
There stood a raven
Whose shadow hung above my door
Then through the silence
It spoke that one word
that I shall hear forever more"

The raven is a metaphor for the protagonist's madness that is trying to devour him. Still mourning and nearly insane, he hopes the mystical raven that descended upon him is some sort of sage of god, so he asks the deity, the raven, if he will ever see his wife again. The raven is his last hope of recovering. Unfortunately, the answer he "shall hear forever more", because the answer is so painful for the protagonist and makes him insane.

"Nevermore
Thus quoth the raven, nevermore

And still the raven remains in my room
No matter how much I implore
No words can soothe him
No prayer remove him
And I must hear for evermore"

The raven will not leave his room, whatever he tries to make him do so. In other words, his madness will not go away, he is forever lost.

"Quoth the raven, nevermore
Thus quoth the raven
Nevermore"

No doubt the climax of the song, the word 'nevermore' echoes through our ears, just like it does through his ears for eternity. It is too late, all is lost. This song is about loss and regret, not being able to deal with your inner demons. Truly a wonderful song.

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