Saturday 21 May 2011

Nevermore - One Song = Two Inspiring Paintings

The inspiration to writing "Nevermore" began in central London. I was walking through the rooms of the Courtauld, while outside, London Fashion Week was well underway.

I found that it was not the pandemonium of fashion in Somerset House, nor the women, students and press gathering for the event outside that drew me in, but the art. It's not everyday I get to stand in front of the world's greatest bar (or any bar in fact!) but here I was, staring at Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergère. And there she was, gazing at me; the barmaid, nameless and disposed of. Her reflection in the mirror  does not work in reality but is Manet's own interpretation. The gaze is so intense, it took me a while to turn away.


                         
I eventually did, but then found myself looking into the eyes of a suffering Tahitian girl who was directly opposite the barmaid. It was Gaugain's 'Nevermore' .

The mysterious raven in the background looks ready to fly, but we know that it never will - in Poe's poem the raven only utters the words "nevermore".

The entrapment of these two women had been frozen in time by Manet and Gaugain and were beyond rescue, but I could write about them for "evermore".


Lyrics:

Another one sir? 
Another wine?
Here for the show madame? 
Another show. 

The raven won't fly, no sir,
Away, Away

Walk past the gallery, 
She's watching me
She's longing, for something,
Begging me
Turn away

Another lost reflection,
Gazing at me,
At me,
I can't help you, 
Don't know how to help you,
Fly away, away

And I can't see my reflection nevermore,
The visions changed from what it was before,
I'm nameless, nameless,
I'm nameless, for ever more
Nevermore

A crack in the world, 
They wanna leave, 
But the people won't fade away, 

Turn away, 
Another lost reflection,
Yearning,
Burning, 

And I can't see my reflection nevermore,
The visions changed from what it was before,
I'm nameless, nameless,
I'm nameless, for ever more
Nevermore

It's just the wind, 
Nothing more,
The image won't move,
And it longs for more

And I can't see my reflection nevermore,
The visions changed from what it was before,
I'm nameless, nameless,
I'm nameless, for ever more
Nevermore

The Raven won't fly, away
The Raven won't take to the sky
Away, away,

Another one sir?
Another wine? 
Please take your seats for the show,
We won't be going away, no, no.