I love this song!!! The Doors are my first favorite band (along with Judas Priest and Soundgarden) Been a fan of the Doors since I was 12…but was born in late 60’s…so born in the wrong decade therefore missed seeing them in concert. 💜🤘🏻💫
This is my moms favorite Doors song, she thinks it's about being unafraid of death, the crystal ship full of girls and thrills refers to the flight to heaven, and the people who choose to fly unafraid into whatever awaits, the first lines refer to saying goodbye to a lover before you both "fly"into the unknown and don't get the chance later. No idea if she's right, but it sounds cool 😅
It's a love letter to Jim's first flame after breakup. That's the official. Still, it's art, and art is interpretation left to the viewer. If your mom thinks it's about death, then death it is. Lex believes it's drugs, so that's very real to her. I see it as pure sleep. None of this is wrong. That's the beauty of having individual minds.
I really like that interpretation, very poignant. I think it’s quite possible that there were several layers/meanings floating through Jim’s mind when he wrote the lyrics. Sometimes lyrics can be abstract to the writer himself, there may be no actual palpable meaning…that’s where the listener can interpret freely based on their own feelings/experiences.
@@mgordon1100 hmm,while I get what you're saying I must disagree. Songs are about whatever the writers says they're about. If I wrote a song about say my ex girlfriend and someone said ,well it's about flying to the moon as that's my interpretation. I'd say,no it's not,it's got nothing to do with flying to the moon,it's about my ex,I know ,I wrote it. Obviously we can't ask Jim what it's about and I don't know if the official answer is correct, but you get what I'm saying, songs are about what the songwriter says as they're in the position to know
This song reminds me of when I went to visit my ex-girlfriend one last time before I went away to college, expecting my memory of her to fade as I went off to experience my future. Fun fact: ten years later we got married.
@@davidmellish3295 Yes And No Anna Nalick Lyrics in "Breathe (2 AM)" Tell how a lot of people listen to songs ( And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd 'Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud And I know that you'll use them, however you want to ) I agree with you but also question some songs.
This song is based on poetry written in 1965 by Morrison after a breakup with a girlfriend, possibly relating to his decision to be part of a band, with the sacrifices that entails. She'd rather cry, while he'd rather fly. The band formed in 1965, with the first album released in 1967. This song was the third song on that first album. Four songs from the album are classic Doors hits ("Break On Through," "Light My Fire," "Back Door Man," "The End"), supported by "Soul Kitchen," "The Crystal Ship," and "Alabama Song."
Strange Days too, and Morrison Hotel. L.A. Woman too. I love Soft Parade but I can see how people might be turned away from it. And Waiting for the Sun has some great songs but some filler too
And Absolutely Live as well. Great songs not on studio albums. Who Do You Love, Universal Mind, Dead Cats Dead Rats, Close To You. The full Celebration Of The Lizard.
This is probably my favorite Doors song! I always thought the slipping into unconsciousness referred to falling asleep, likely after sex. But with Jim Morrison and his crazy poetry, who knew?!
One of the most sensitive combinations of melody, harmony and lyricism this fine band made. It gets my eyes all blurry even though I don't think it's particularly sad or anything, just an overwhelming sense of beauty.
Once again...NOOOO! He wants to kiss her before she falls asleep, not unconscious because she's drunk! The couple are going through a rough time but still in love. "The days are bright and filled with pain..." Normally, bright days are happy. This is called juxtaposition. "Enfold me in your gentle rain..." He's seeking some comfort in their shared sadness. The "Crystal Ship" is not a drug a reference. Why do you guys think that the 60's/70's artists are always referring to drugs and secretly veiled references? Jim's lyrics were very cryptic at times and meant to take the listener on a musical/lyrical journey. YOUR journey/imagination.
I read through the comments everybody has mentioned some great freaking songs. The deep cuts. I always thought the soft parade was one of the most trippiest in a musical sense.
You guys should react to more of The Doors… "Five to One", "Twentieth Century Fox", "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)", "Back Door Man", "I Looked at You", "End of the Night", "Strange Days", "You're Lost Little Girl", "Love Me Two Times", "When The Music's Over", "Hello, I Love You", "Love Street", "Touch Me" 🎸🤘
I was thinking that thunder sound doesn't belong on this track, but then I heard it again during the break and realized that the storm was on your end!
The most interesting thing about this band to me always has been keyboardist Ray Manzarek, which this track highlights about as well as anything of theirs
He's a sheer rock music immortal and eternally encoded in its DNA. Whenever I'm in the neighborhood, I'll go out of my way to go riding past the house in which he was brought up and the park where he played ball as a kid.
According to John Densmore, the song was as a goodbye love song by Morrison to a girlfriend he was breaking up with. Certainly I always thought of the first bit about drifting into unconsciousness was referring to drifting off to sleep rather than a drugged stupor.
Quite simply one of the best singers not for his voice, which is a rich baritone but his lyrics are unrivaled IMO. Own the entire studio album collection with Morrison's numerous books of poetry. Mr.Mojorison....the Lizard King. Tidbit fact, Elvis after watching a Doors concert loved Morrison's look and style so much during his comeback special went so far as too wear an all leather black outfit, Jim famously wore leather pants throughout most of his concerts.
It's just a special song about love with some fancy wordplay, thats all. He'd rather fly than cry. flying means he'd rather pursue happiness then crying which means unnecessary suffering.
This is one of the first songs I ever remember hearing when I was about four years old in 1967. I have older brothers and sisters who are over ten years older than me and they had bought the The Doors album in 1967 and this song gives me am almost magical feeling when I hear it.
Lex; Listen, real poetry doesn't say anything; it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through any one that suits you. Jim Morrison
I, at one point in my life [7 yrs worth] went down The Doors rabbit hole and got stuck there. Not that I didn't listen to other music, buy my everything was The Doors. My best Girlfriend had a custom-made license plate frame made for me as a gift. The frame read : On the top - Strange Days on bottom - The Crystal Ship @Brad & Lex - LOL..., hearing rain and thunder in the background....., dang, Y'all rected to Riders on the Storm too soon.
One of my favorites by the band. If this isn’t a precursor to goth rock, I don’t know what is. In fact, a few songs from this album could be considered precursors to goth rock. The Doors were even once described by a critic of the time as gothic rock.
Ray Pellerin 5 months ago Good guesses but this song in about early Spanish explorers that left behind their wives and girlfriend for years to explore the New World. Once they established a colony that was safe and producing wealth, food, trade etc they would pay for "crystal ships" to bring their wives over to join them. Has nothing to do with drugs or drinking. Jim was a bookworm and read every history book he could get his hands on.
We did not have crystal back then. Heroin, acid, mescaline and pot were around in Hawaii. This was our favorite spin the bottle song then smoke some pot and finish the album.
We DEFINITELY had "Crystal" "back then." My area, Denver, was called "Crystal City" in the late 60s when we were partying and gigging there. Meth was replacing smack as the trending substance of choice at the time.
Like the way that Brad & Lex said it was daunting. Plain and simple they can still ask Robby Krieger and John Densmore since they’re still around before time runs out on them. Brad & Lex ventured into the time of The Counter Culture Revolution. If people weren’t around in the late 60’s to the early 70’s these are the songs that will blow your mind. The Crystal Ship is one of the most beautiful love songs of all time. The songs and the poetry that Jim Morrison wrote are beautiful and some are mind boggling. There will never be a poet and song writer like Jim Morrison. The Crystal Ship was one of Jim Morrison’s compositions other songs were written by Robby Krieger his guitar player. In the 60’s songs that were written by these type of groups during the Hippie era had certain meanings. Music was also wonderful as well since Brad and Lex have also ventured into Psychedelic music. This is the type of that will blow your mind because it’s meant to be enjoyed because…It’s Far-Out!!!
Jim was a mysterious poet. I long ago stopped trying to pin down his meanings. every time I listen I get a different idea. Great song writing keeps you wondering. Yea?
It’s about shooting Speed! A Crystal Ship was 60s slang for a syringe full of Crystal Meth. (line) “The Crystal Ship is being FILLED with a thousand thrills and a million ways to spend your time.” I was a teenager in the 60s, we were ALL very aware of what this song meant and what a Crystal Ship was. Especially to my speed freak friends. 🤪
Its a lullaby song. When the Doors wrote this song Jim notice at night the off shore oil rigs looks like crystal ships. I believe Jim was thinking about kissing a baby goodnight and singing a song about those ships.
It's simply a song about lost love. Gotta love the sheer talent, musicianship, and sheer poetry of the Doors music, fronted by a madman with one of the most amazing voices ever heard in rock.
Morrison was aware that "crystal" is slang for methedrine, he "wrote 'The Crystal Ship' for Mary Werbelow, a girlfriend with whom he was breaking up: it was therefore intended as a goodbye love song. According to Rolling Stone critic Narendra Kusnur, the lines "The days are bright and filled with pain, enclose me in your gentle rain, the time you ran was too insane, we'll meet again, we'll meet again" reflect the breakup.
Wow brad hit this one on the head this time! It's actually about the early explorers from Spain leaving to find the amazing riches and exotic lands. So, his sensing the feeling of departure was right on!
Many people often only see Jim Morrison the animalistic, unpredictable,wild frontman of The Doors. This was Jim the crooner. He was a huge fan of crooners like Frank Sinatra. Probably my favorite example of Jim the singer.
Just to let you know I've been a big doors fan for over 40 years the song was taken from Jim's notebooks of poetry written about the 1st love named Mary who they broke up and he still hasn't let go even after he had success he still holds on a bit
I believe its about death. Jim morrison loved to write about 3 things, sex, dying, and fire, lol. Death explains the lines " you'd rather cry, I'd rather fly"..... he (or someone) is dying and someone is crying over him. He just wants another kiss, and for that person to let him go, as he is prepared and ready for death.
You guys got to realize this is poetry not literal clinical objective description. The word usage are metaphors. Symbolical of deeper ideas etc… the male here seems to sense that more… drugs may be a part of this but it’s much deeper then just scoring dope. Morrison used drugs but he wasn’t obsessed w/ it… its narrative wise a breakup poem to a lost love. Probably his first love, Mary were low. Deep wound for Jim. Yearn for one last sharing of love, yet a declaration that he must pursue his drive and quest to pursue experience thru art/travel/discovery (crystal ship). Almost as a doomed pursuit (fragile like crystal) to partly lose himself from the loss of Mary…. Song wise it’s a gorgeous composition. Keys are beautiful, echo haunting vibe and sound, subtle accented drumming and morrison in finish crooning form w/ a haunted but beautiful tone. One of their top 5 songs.
If you want to do more Doors reactions check out this live version of Bo Diddley's "Who do you love": The Doors - Who Do You Love (Live At The Matrix, 1967) A more somber version of course. Leave it to the Doors to interpret it that way. But I think you'd find it interesting.
Hey guys although there was speed around in the 60's meth wasn't yet created...The original lyrics were a thousand girls a thousand pills but Ray the keyboard player and Jim didn't want to promote drug use so they changed it...thx..
I believe that meth was available during the 60s, not in crystal form though. 'As I look to where I've been, The whole human race Has a-taken far too much Methedrine' - DONOVAN - THE TRIP (1966).
The Doors are great! I remember my parents had a vhs tape of their videos & I used to watch it all the time. The Unknown Soldier video was really intense when I was young, also Touch Me was funny because Robbie had a big black eye in the video from Jim punching him the night before they shot it 😂
Break up song for his girlfriend. The "crystal ship" is the fame trip he was beginning - everything is bright and sparkly and a ship takes you to far distant places. It's filled with a thousand girls and a thousand thrills. Million ways to spend your time. When we get back, I'll call you.
Doors lyrics are really hard to figure out. Sometimes Jim would just slip a few lines in that have nothing to do with the rest of the song. His metaphors are really obscure too.
More ideas for themed reactions. Songs that quote SCRIPTURES the first is probably the most popular song with 3000 year old lyrics. The second is rastapunk band Bad Brains. The third quote Psalm 40 by U2. 1. TURN! TURN! TURN! (Lyrics) - THE BYRDS. 3:57 2. Bad Brains - The Meek. 3:36 3. U2 - "40" (Live from Paris 1987) 6:53 Songs about PREACHERS the first is Bad Company. The second is Jerry Reed. The third is Johnny Cash with members of Soundgarden and Nirvana. 1. Bad Company - Deal With The Preacher Live. 4:37 2. Jerry Reed - The Preacher and the Bear. 2:46 3. Johnny Cash - "Time Of The Preacher " (feat: Sean Kinney, Kim Thayil & Krist Novoselic) 3:45 Songs about Characters from the OLD TESTAMENT the first is by Patty Griffin. The second is about Cain and Able by Nick Cave. The third is by Ani Difranco. 1. Patty Griffin - Moses. 3:29 2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Good Son (Live) 4:29 3. Ani Difranco - Adam & Eve. 6:40 Songs about WAR the first is epic Black Sabbath. The second is Ted Leo. The third is Pink Floyd from The Wall. 1. Black Sabbath - War Pigs. 7:55 2. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb." 3:12 3. Pink Floyd - When The Tigers Broke Free (1983) legendado. 4:33
I don't think anyone would describe meth/speed/etc in a serene ship way. I was probably reading Lord of the Rings at 12 when I heard this so it fit that universe for me.
