Bio of the Band
The Doors are somewhat of an anomaly in the rock. The band took its name from the poet-visionary-artist William Blake, who had written, 'When the doors of perception are cleansed, things will appear to man as they truly are...infinite.' English author Aldous Huxley was sufficiently inspired by Blake's quote to title his book on mescaline experiences The Doors of Perception. Morrison was so connected to both works that he proposed, The Doors, to his bandmates. Everyone agreed that the name, as well as the inspiration from which it sprang, was perfect to convey who they were and clearly representive for what they stood for.
From their beginnings during the summer of 1965 at Venice Beach, California, The Doors were truly a band--a remarkable fusion of creative energies, a lot of attention has been focused on Jim Morrison which his looks and talents clearly justify. However, Jim was well aware that the magic of The Doors could never have happened without the fortunate forging of John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison into a single creative whole. It is no mystery why Jim Morrison never went solo; so sympathetic were the three other musicians to Jim's mission that such a consideration was out of the question. Robby Krieger, for example, was able to write lyrics and music that sounded more like Morrison than Morrison himself-- among them 'Light My Fire,' 'Love Me Two Times,' and 'Love Her Madly.'
The group was signed to Elektra Records, then a small folk-music record company, in July of 1966 by Jac Holzman, Elektra's founder. By April 1971, The Doors had recorded six landmark studio LP's and a two-record set of live performances, the first seven discs with producer Paul A. Rothchild and the last one co-produced by The Doors and their career-long engineer Bruce Botnick... both The Doors and Elektra had grown into world famed institutions.
Without Krieger, Manzarek and Densmore there is a strong chance that Jim's songs would never have made it off the page, into rehearsal, onto the stage, into the recording studio and, in defiance of all odds, to successive generations who have since discovered The Doors as a 'new' group.
Ray Manzarek, a classically trained pianist, raised in Chicago with a deep love for the blues, wrote the themes for many of the songs and played not only the keyboard parts but simultaneously (with his left hand) propelled the band with melodic driving bass lines. John Densmore, a jazz drummer with an unbeatable knack for shamanic rhythm and theatrical timing... the band's tireless engine. Robby Krieger, a songwriting secret weapon who could play any guitar, from classic flamenco to bottle-neck blues, to creating styles and sounds previously unheard on this planet. And Jim Morrison, the baritone, eclectic/electric poet with an innate compositional gift and the soul of a mystic. Together these men brought The Doors' songs to life-- they were equal points of a musical diamond.
The band's unstated goal was to accomplish musical alchemy-- to fuse rock music with both existential poetry and improvisational theater. Jim was greatly influenced by the nineteenth century poet Arthur Rimbaud and he dutifully imparted Rimbaud's philosophy to the group. Rimbaud advocated a systematic 'rational derangement of all the senses in order to achieve the unknown.'
Jim's fascination with the unknown is well documented. He was fond of William Blake and liked to quote him, 'The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom,' a bit of advice he took all too tragically to heart.
Morrison was a man who would not, could not, and did not know how to compromise himself or his art. He was driven to go all the way or die trying, the ultimate ecstatic risk taker. Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore's contribution to this state of creative ecstasy cannot be underestimated. In order for the musical spell to be successfully cast they gave willingly and generously-- the power of improvisation that drove Morrison onstage required the other three Doors to not merely play arrangements but to follow Jim's unplanned creative arc perfectly in one of the music's classic and most difficult feats-- the art of intuitive accompaniment.
Jim once explained, 'A Doors concert is a public meeting called by us
for a special dramatic discussion. When we perform, we're participating
in the creation of a world and we celebrate that with the crowd.' He would
scream, 'Wake Up!' 1000 times on 1000 nights in an effort to shake the
audience out of its self-imposed lethargy and TV- bred unconsciousness.
A few days before he flew to Paris, to his death, Jim gave his last statement
to the press, 'For me, it was never really an act, those so-called performances.
It was a life-and-death thing, an attempt to communicate, to involve many
people in a private world of thought.'
During the late 1960's bands sang of love and peace while acid was passed out. But for The Doors it was different. The nights belonged to Pan and Dionysus, the gods of revelry and rebirth, and the songs invoked their potent passions-- the Oedipal nightmare of 'The End,' the breathless gallop of 'Not to Touch the Earth,' the doom of 'Hyacinth House,' the ecstasy of 'Light My Fire,' the dark uneasy undertones of 'Can't See Your Face in My Mind,' and the alluring loss of consciousness in 'Crystal Ship.' And as with Dionysus, The Doors willingly offered themselves as a sacrifice to be torn apart, to bleed, to die, to be reborn for yet another night in another town.
To be a poet meant more to Morrison than writing poems. It meant embracing the tragedy fate has chosen for you and fulfilling that destiny with gusto and nobility.
In the end, after conquering America, after being shackled by the courts and laws of the land that he loved, he escaped to Paris, traditional home of so many expatriate artists, to pursue his life as a poet. But his body was too worn down, his heart too weak; he had already seen and done and drunk too much. He had lived life on his own terms, had reaped the rewards, and now the bill was due. His spirit was tired. Death was simply closer and easier than returning to America, to the endless succession of stages it demanded. Jim Morrison passed away in Paris on July 3, 1971. His dying wish was to be remembered as a poet.
Pamela Morrison used to tell a story from the very earliest day of The Doors. They were playing their first club, The London Fog. It was their last set of the night and there were only three people in the club, two drunks and Pamela. The band was incandescent. Jim raged and exploded with super-human passion-- a transcendent performance. Pam was stunned. In the car she could say nothing...long after arriving home she was still speechless. Jim asked, 'What's wrong baby?' Pam said, 'There were three people in the club during the last set. But you burned like you were performing for thousands of people. Why did you go so far, risk so much for a tiny audience that was barely aware of your presence?' Jim looked at her and said slowly, 'You never know when you're doing your last set.'
Considering the force of energy generated by The Doors over 25 years ago, that 'last set' could well be several generations away. Their music transcends race,religion and generations.The Doors have left a timeless mark the rock world has ever witnessed.
-www.thedoors.8k.com
Quotes
"I think people resist freedom because they're afraid of the unknown. But it's ironic....That unknown was once very well known. It's where are souls belong....The only solution is to confront them--confront yourself--with the greatest fear imaginable. Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power, and fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free."
-Jim Morrison
"I think there's a whole region of images and feelings inside us that rarely are given outlet in daily life. And when they do come out, they can take perverse forms. It's the dark side. Everyone, when he sees it, recognizes the same thing in himself. It's a recognition of forces that rarely see the light of day."
-Jim Morrison
"I am interested in anything about revolt, disorder , chaos— especially activity that seems to have no meaning. It seems to me to be the road toward freedom....Rather than starting inside, I start outside and reach the mental through the physical."
-Jim Morrison
"People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah, I guess it is a friend...."
-Jim Morrison
"I offer images— I conjure memories of freedom that can still be reached— like The Doors, right? But we can only open the doors— we can't drag people through. I can't free them unless they want to be free— more than anything else....A person has to be willing to give up everything- -not just wealth. All the bulls*** he's been taught— all society's brainwashing. You have to let go of all that to get to the other side. Most people aren't willing to do that."
-Jim Morrison
"I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments."
-Jim Morrison
"There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the Doors."
-Jim Morrison
Lyrics
You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah
We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Yeah!
C'mon, yeah
Everybody loves my baby
Everybody loves my baby
She get
She get
She get
She get high
I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chain us
Eyes that lie
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through, oww!
Oh, yeah!
Made the scene
Week to week
Day to day
Hour to hour
The gate is straight
Deep and wide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through X4
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
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People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange X3
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange X3
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange X3
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You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire X2
Try to set the night on fire
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire X2
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire X2
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire X2
Try to set the night on fire X4
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Love me
two time,baby,love me twice today
Love me two time,girl,I'm goin' away
Love me two time girl,one for tomorrow,
one just for today
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Love me one time,could not speak
Love me one time,yea,my knees got weak
Love me two time,girl,lasts me all through the week
Love me two times,I'm goin' away
Love me two times,I'm goin' away
Alright,yea
Love me one time,could not speak
Love me one time,baby,yeah,my knees got weak
Love me two times,girl,lasts me all through the week
Love me two times,I'm goin' away
Love me two time,babe
Love me twice today
Love me two time,babe,'cause im goin' away
Love me two time,girl,one for tomorrow,
one just for today
Love me two times,I'm goin' away
Love me two times I'm goin' away
Love me two times I'm goin' away
Riders on the storm X2
Into this house we're born, Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone, An actor out alone,
Riders on the storm
There's a killer on the road, His brain is squirmin' like a toad
Take a long holiday, Let your children play
If ya give this man a ride, Sweet memory will die
Killer on the road, yeah
Girl ya gotta love your man X2
Take him by the hand, Make him understand
The world on you depends, Our life will never end
Gotta love your man, yeah, Wow!
Riders on the storm X2
Into this house we're born, Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone, An actor out alone
Riders on the storm, Riders on the storm X5
Images
Jim's Grave