Carol Ann

This was probably one of my three favorite songs off of the complete Afterman experience. Oddly, it's one Coheed chose not to include on the main album. I personally feel like this song belongs between "Vic the Butcher," and "Evagria the Faithful"

The basic story line, I believe, follows the events of a girl named Carol Ann, a young lover who dies tragically in an unexpected, violent, car accident. Perhaps the car accident element, which shows up as a main theme in the second half of "Descension" is why Coheed left this one off?

Interpretation:

These are the words, from my Carol Ann The girl I broke in half Of her, I'm afraid there's nothing left No pieces to put back in place

I was the monster The things that I did I regret, I dismiss

Oh, it's a shame about Carol Ann And all she could have been She soared with such grace as her body sailed Through the windshield from the passenger seat

I was the monster Through neglect I replaced her love For these lonely days

These are Sirius' interpretation of what is happening: his soul is being invaded by a new entity, that of a young girl who died in a car accident, thrown through the windshield. He, Sirius, is also reflecting on how his own soul is trying to reject her's; someone who has suffered and hurt so much that they've become content with their labyrinth. First he dismisses what happened, and then he realizes his dismissal has changed her contentment with being dead into something else.

Oh, she'll be forgotten... Oh, she'll be forgotten...

A moment of grim honesty perhaps? That the greatest of personal tragedies, in the afterlife, is meaningless. However haunting and horrible what happened to Carol Ann was in life, no one knows who she is, or was, now. She will be, and is, forgotten. Her death no more meaningful than the next girls'.

Young hearts belong, to a love that everybody wants But we can't have it all, so we take what little we can

This is coming from the entity again now, she's again being honest about her existence in the Keywork. Pure, unadulterated love is something which both the living, and the dead, want, but cannot necessarily attain. When humans cannot, they cause grief; when the dead cannot, they take it from the living. Which is why the entities are digging into Sirius: he possesses love, and life, and all those things which they lack.

Mother, did you see him coming; did you see him? Mother, did you see him sneaking through the back door? Stealing the time we wish we spent, but lost it all

Mother, did you see him coming; did you see him? Mother, did you see him sneaking through the back door? This time, we'll reinforce the walls

I'm not sure who "mother" is, but I believe that this addresses the other entities of the Keywork. Carol Ann is essentially saying: Did anyone see the living man come in? How could we have missed his entrance? Let's reinforce the door, this way he can't get out again.

Don't turn the page, love It's words don't hold your fate But soon we'll become one And from their world you'll escape

The final revelation: the entity wants Sirius' body, his vitality. It will take his body, and escape from the Keywork; free to live again. His fate is not set in stone, because while his individuality, his personality, will wander among the Keywork forever, his body will live; with a new soul in it.

Through the walls of your heart I will tear you apart Through the walls of your heart I will tear you apart Through the walls!

The entity is digging in, clawing its way into Sirus' body, his heart; his soul. It's going to remove his essence from his body and escape with it. This also gives new meaning to the opening lines of "Evagria: the Faithful" where Sirius says: "sinking warmth through obscurity," caught between "where you are (Evagria)" and "What you're doing (Carol Ann)"

And that's my interpretation of what I like to think is "Key Entity Extraction IV: Carol Ann"

Actually, I believe this song to mean something deeper. Meri does say that she is 5 months preagnant from Colten as they ride in Sirius' car after they return. After the news Sirius loses control of the car and crashes "As her body sailed through the windsheild through the passenger seat." This may reference to how Meri died from the accident, and how her child died as well before even being born. I'm guessing her name was going to be Carol Ann, and Colten and Meri were already expecting a daughter. "From my Carol Ann the girl I broke in half." This line raises this line even more, and Claudio singing "I was the monster." might be Sirius grieving over what he did. Lastly, the line "She'll be forgotten" referencing that she can never have a proper funeral since she was never born, and "Mother did you see him coming" Carol Ann wondering if Meri ever knew Sirius would return as she fades away into the Keywork. All in all, either this song wasn't included in the album because the story of Carol Ann might be continued in later albums, or that Claudio didn't have enough time to reinforce the music.

I believe that the last comment could be right. It sounds legit, but another thought; what if Carol Ann was an occupant in the truck with the driver and this is like a side story to that. idk... just a thought.

I believe that the last comment could be right. It sounds legit, but another thought; what if Carol Ann was an occupant in the truck with the driver and this is like a side story to that. idk... just a thought.

I believe that the last comment could be right. It sounds legit, but another thought; what if Carol Ann was an occupant in the truck with the driver and this is like a side story to that. idk... just a thought.

When I first heard this song I immediately connected it to Mery's accident, seeing as it was a bonus track on Decension. Obviously some things don't add up about this, like the line "she'll be forgotten", which contradicts Sirius' feelings for her, and the fact that Mery did indeed make it as far as the hospital (hence the song Number City) whereas it seems our dear Carol Ann did not. But I did find the similarity between these two characters striking.