The Raven

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I
 pondered, weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious 
volume of forgotten lore
While I nodded, nearly napping, 
suddenly there came a tapping
As of some one gently rapping, 
tapping at my chamber door
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, 
"tapping at my chamber door
Only this, and nothing more"

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in 
the bleak December
And each separate dying ember 
wrought its ghost upon the floor
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - 
vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - 
sorrow for the lost Lenore
For the rare and radiant maiden whom
 the angels name Lenore
Nameless here for evermore

( Am )

          Am                
And the silken sad uncertain 
    G
rustling of each purple curtain
                 F          
Thrilled me - filled me with 
                    G
fantastic terrors never felt before
      Am                           
Presently, to still the beating of 
    C
my heart, I stood repeating
             F               
"'Tis some visitor entreating 
          G
entrance at my chamber door
      Em                    
Some late visitor entreating 
          F
entrance at my chamber door
         G               Am
Merely this, and nothing more"

( G  F  G  Am  C  F  G )

     Am                            
Out into that darkness peering, 
     G
long I stood there wondering, 
fearing
           F                       
Doubting, dreaming dreams no 
        G
mortals ever dared to dream before
         Am                      
But the silence was unbroken, and 
       C
the stillness gave no token
         F                         
And the only word there spoken was 
    G
the whispered word, "Lenore?"
       Em                    
This I whispered, and an echo 
           F
murmured back the word, "Lenore!"
       G                  Am
Merely this, and nothing more

( Am )

      Am                           
Back into the chamber turning, all 
   G
my soul within me burning
      F                     
Soon again I heard a tapping 
          G
somewhat louder than before
          Am                     
"Surely," said I, "surely that is 
           C
someone at my window lattice
       F                           
Let me see, then, what thereat is, 
          G
and this mystery explore
       Em                          
Let my heart be still a moment and 
     F
this mystery explore
         G                 Am
'Tis the wind and nothing more"

( Am )

     Am                            
Open wide I flung the shutter, 
               G
when, with many a flirt and flutter
          F                        
In there stepped a stately raven of
      G
 the saintly days of yore
         Am                        
Not the least obeisance made he; 
     C
not a minute stopped or stayed he
          F                    
But, with mien of lord or lady, 
          G
perched above my chamber door
         Em                      
Perched upon a bust of Arice just 
   F
above my chamber door
              G               Am
Perched, and sat, and nothing more

( G  F  G  Am  C  F  G )

           Am                    
Soon that ebony bird beguiling my 
      G
sad fancy into smiling
        F                        
By the grave and stern decorum of 
     G
the countenance it wore
             Am               
"Though thy crest be shorn and 
                  C
shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no 
craven
         F                    
Ghastly grim and ancient raven 
           G
wandering on the Nightly shore
        Em                         
Tell me what thy lordly name is on 
     F
the Night's Plutonian shore"
           G            Am
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore"

( Am )

         Am                        
Now the raven, sitting lonely on 
   G
the placid bust, spoke only
          F                     
That one word, as if his soul in 
           G
that one word he did outpour
         Am                        
Nothing further then he uttered- 
     C
not a feather then he fluttered
        F                          
Till I scarcely more than muttered,
          G
 "other friends have flown before
         Em                        
On the morrow he will leave me, as 
     F
my hopes have flown before"
           G         Am
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore"

( Am )

          Am                 
Then, methought, the air grew 
                  G
denser, perfumed by an unseen censer
           F                       
Swung by seraphim whose foot-falls 
         G
tinkled on the tufted floor
         Am                        
Once more on the velvet sinking, I 
   C
betook myself to linking
        F                          
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what 
   G
this ominous bird of yore
          Em                       
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, 
           F
gaunt and ominous bird of yore
           G         Am
Meant in croaking "Nevermore"

( G  F  G  Am  C  F  G )

            Am                     
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! 
            G
- prophet still, if bird or devil!
          F                     
Whether Tempter sent, or whether 
          G
tempest tossed thee here ashore
     Am                            
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this
  C
 desert land enchanted
          F                        
On this home by horror haunted- 
       G
tell me truly, I implore
              Em                   
Is there - is there balm in Gilead?
              F
 - tell me - tell me, I implore"
           G          Am
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore"

            Am                     
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil -
          G
 prophet still, if bird or devil
          F                        
By that Heaven stretched above us -
         G
 by that God we both adore
            Am                     
Tell this soul with sorrow laden 
      C
if, within the distant Aidenn
          F                        
It shall clasp a sainted maiden 
        G
whom the angels name Lenore
        Em                         
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden 
        F
whom the angels name Lenore"
           G           Am
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore"

          Am                       
"Be that word our sign in parting, 
        G
bird or fiend," I shrieked, 
upstarting
          F                        
"Get thee back into the tempest and
     G
 the Night's Plutonian shore
           Am                      
Leave no black plume as a token of 
     C
that lie thy soul hath spoken
          F                        
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit
     G
 the bust above my door
          Em                       
Take thy beak from out my heart, 
            F
and take thy form from off my door"
          G            Am
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore"

( Am )

         Am                        
Now the Raven, never flitting, 
       G
still is sitting, still is sitting
        F                       
On the pallid bust of Arice just 
   G
above my chamber door
        Am                         
And his eyes have all the seeming 
     C
of a demon's that is dreaming
           F                       
And the lamplight o'er him 
              G
streaming throws his shadow on the 
floor
        Em                      
And my soul from out that shadow 
            F
that lies floating on the floor
         G
Shall be lifted - nevermore

( Am  G  F  G  Am  C )
( F  G  G  F  G  Am )