The curious thing about the _The Doors_ is that they're always being re-discovered by younger people who are looking for something different than the current pop hits. Jim Morrison, with all his faults, managed to write some timeless, fascinating lyrics that, even today, compel listeners to pay close attention. He performed these songs with his band, without any musical training whatsoever. One day he just decided he wanted to be a singer, he wanted to bring his poetry to life, and yet, he never took any singing lessons. I find this rather amazing - and inspirational. I suspect people will still be listening to _The Doors_ 100 years from now. Thanks for posting this. Now consider giving _The Crystal Ship_ a listen.
Yeah it's very timeless feeling and sounding. They seemed to have let their minds roam in the ancient Halls of our consciousness and found all those rooms you aren't supposed to go into. The abyss is real. They knew some stuff. You can just feel it. But yeah, great stuff. This was awesome 👌
@@L33Reacts Yeah, I agree. They paint a surreal portrait of a land filled with light and dark shadows. Like balancing between the delightful and the dreadful. More than most rock bands of their era, _The Doors_ music seems to have these weird, built-in psychological triggers - like a cocktail drug made from a combination of their music, lyrics and vocals. It's actually what they were trying to do - and in this song, and also _When The Music's Over_ they achieved this effect.
I totally agree, that's what happened to me when I was 16, in 1992, and discovered the Doors, (and Pink Floyd). The Crystal Ship is my favourite Doors song, but the live version of When The Music's Over comes close.
@@L33Reacts I remember reading an interview with Jim Morrison years ago where he said the band's name was shortened to The Doors from The Doors Of Perception. Their music can open some doors if you let it.
it is a break up song wh/ initiates the protagonist to seek & exam his own self, freedom & place w/in a culture through wh/ he is operating w/in. the break up is what starts the vision quest. each stanza after scales up to see it on a higher & deeper level then just himself or even his time. it examines the entire cycle of the culture & civliz itself. the snake is time, fate & power. 7 miles=7k year. ie., the birth of the West in ancient greece & rome. ... notice at the end of the song, it returns back to the break up. he has now seen his vision & understands the soil on wh/ he stands. it isnt about death. rather examining death, trauma & even cultural fall, but how to find self sustaining freedom from it. to seek anew.
Robert Plant once said that this might just be the best song ever written. In addition to the avant-garde/free form music, the lyrics themselves have multiple meanings...from an individual's lament about their own demise, to the end of a societal/cultural epoch during the turbulent sixties. Morrison was a true visionary and talented poet as well.
well said. the meaning is multi layered and scale up to mesh the story on several concurrent levels. it takes flight, then comes back down to the beach again, in the last stanza. plant's since of phrasing was certainly influenced by morrison. ditto bono, bowie & iggy. morrison was inconsistent moreso then those guys. but when he was dialed in on his A game, no one, incl those talents could evoke mood and palpable danger and suspense like morrison. goth and punk before both were created.
it may be. he certainly understood the draft & was much more aware of what was going on in nam in '66 well before it upramped by '68. he talked to his siblings & his father was in the middle of it as a top naval officer.... but its hard to know for sure. morrison loved blake symbolism. the blue bus may also converge w/ the snake as the passage way to death, implied by the snake metaphor.... listen close, the snake, is the dna genesis of western culture. each of the 7 mile was 1k years. hes dating it back to the times of the birth of Rome, then across the passage of time thru europe, over the shores, to the west (weird scenes inside the gold mine), then to his present modern LA empire. the west on the precipice. notice he mentions the snake sinking into the ancient lake. that is meant to say, the West was near its fall. the cycle was almost over. ancient rome to fallen USA empire. the ancient lake, the pacific. the edge of western culture, LA. the end in chaos, wars abroad & civil war w/in.... thus the blue bus, may be the passage way to death. blue, the sea. cycle completed. the fork in the road. go down w/ the ship or reject the order (hence the oedipal section in the song) & declare indiv freedom for self sustainment, post fall. the end isnt a death song. just an examination of it but a way beyond it.
It starts off the movie Apocalypse Now with a scene of a Vietnamese jungle and choppers in the foreground, followed by the jungle going up in flames via napalm as Morrison sings the first part “This is the End”. Chilling! And the movie ends with the second half of the song with Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) attacking crazed Col. Kurtz played by Marlon Brando. The theme of the movie and the name Kurtz is from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Sheen had a heart attack while filming the movie at 38 years old following a scene in the move where he was actually drunk and smashing a mirror in his hotel room in Saigon. Brilliant project all around but plagued with delays: Sheen’s mental and physical meltdown, tropical illnesses among the cast and crew, hurricanes etc. “Charging a person with murder in this place is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500!”
copolla knew morrison in college. they were friends. morrison dated talia, his sister, later of rocky fame as adrian.... morrison talked to francis a few times after he formed the band. if jim had lived, he may very well have been involved in the film project on some level. copolla admired morrison's talents. parts of the movie are inspired by this song on some level. its why its a perfect score fit. just as conrad use the river as passage way metaphor. morrison is doing the same w/ the snake & blue bus. the former the dna creation & movement of western power and domination. from ancient rome to modern LA. the blue bus merges w/ the ancient lake. meaning the cycle was near its end. the snake was ready to return to the sea on the western most shores. ie., the west near its fall. as prophecisized also in the book of Danial. its blake symbolism meets joseph conrad. morrison wrote w/ a cinematic & epic scape of things. again, its why the song is perfect. Morrison was about the same age as sheen. he couldve played either sheen or brando's character at age 35 seemingly.
Check out the finale to Francis Ford Coppola's 1978 dystopian Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now featuring a violent and pyrotechnic 'The End'. Still sends chills.
the took one of jim's poems about the weight and price of being in the war & putting it on the cutting floor. sheen reads it.... in the directors cut, you can see it. morrison wrote that poem.... copolla knew jim in college and was friends and admired his talents. its why he used the end in the film & it has so much power. if jim had lived, he probably wouldve been involved in the film in some capacity. francis also knew, jim grew up military & his own father was a top officer himself.
Jim delivered his dark green reptilian lyrics in a kind of trance, like an oracle. John's drumming is outstanding. What a great drummer he was. We used to listen to this over and over trying to transcribe the lyrics, looking for meaning. The meaning could only be discerned in an altered state. This song has retained its power over time, it still blows my mind to pieces
you dont need drugs. its actually in the jospeh campbell, book of Danial, william blake symbolist wheel house. sure drugs go w/ a vibe and song like this, but, if you understand how hes using metaphor here, it starts to become clear, he was actually drawing out a very lucid trace & vision of the arc of the western civilization. from ancient rome to modern LA media empire. the 7 mile snake is the 7k continuum of western culture from its egytian/roman acient dna to the presesnt modern media empire. the west on the precipice. protaganoist vision triggered by the trauma of break up. spurs a vision quest of self realization & ones place in this culture. then the last stanza back to his lover, proclaiming his vision & declaring breakage from this cultural fall & embracing self sustaining freedom. the end of an old way to embrace the brave new one.
More than anyone else, Morrison embodied the bacchanalian spirit of the pagan celebrant with his passionate, wild revelry. He is like the avatar of the Dionysian aspect originally described by Nietzsche in "The Birth of Tragedy", and later referenced by Rush in "Hemispheres".
this is hands down the darkest song Morrison ever wrote and I loved it, thanks for sharing it with all of us. It was on the soundtrack of the movie Apocalypse Now, anyone who has never seen this movie owes it to themselves to watch it but make sure you watch the [ Redux ] version, it has about 20 extra minutes of scenes in it.
I've watched the "Redux" version, and the extra scenes are a waste of time IMVHO. Going to that plantation was an needless detour. That's why Mr. Coppola took it out of the theatrical release. It didn't add anything of substance to the movie, just time.
thank you for your thoughts I am of the opinion the plantation scene gave a little more perspective on how the war affected people in general but no matter what version you watch it was and still is a awesome movie.@@bobschenkel7921
thank you for your perspective, I always enjoy a healthy discussion from intelligent people like yourself. Like you said it just added a little more information about how the war affected peoples lives.@@Hartlor_Tayley
notice how morrison sings it... arguably the most dramatic gifted singer in re to creating mood. he put major tone & embedded meaning into his phrasing of lyrics. this is song as much like an actor on stage in an intense scene as it is someone singing a song. its why it has such mood & cinematic scape. morrison doesnt get enough credit for that. a few others (like bowie) could also do this. but morrison was arguably the first & still the best imo.
Can you imagine what it must have been like seeing them live...?? Keeping Jim on a leash on stage was not an easy thing.. I don't know of any other band that had that issue...!!! Keep on Rocking young sir.
Simply a masterpiece. Not to mention one of the best debut albums, AND album cover photo’s of all time. Swirling ‘60’s psychedelia; what a trip! BTW, the organ seems to grt buried with headphones, but is more prominent with speakers. Either way, it plays with you the whole time while Jim, Robbie, and John deliver the goods.
Yeah the psychedelia was strong with this one lol but I totally dig it. These guys were... connected. With something. It's so utterly captivating at points that its almost otherworldly. Which leads me to believe they were channeling higher forces in their music. Or they just fucking rocked. Either or.
@@L33Reacts some would say darker forces.... not so sure about that.... I feel they were just really good at in sync powerful improv music. great jazz since from band mixed w/ raw power and vision of morrison.
The opitome of an Oedipus Complex song. Many acid trips were taken with this song back in the late 60's. Believe me I know. The lyrics can be disturbing, but the vibe of the song still remain with me to this day, and I'm 71 years old. Good choice young man. Great song!
It's available on streaming platforms --- the making of "The Doors" album from the VH1 show "Classic Albums". They interview the surviving members of the band (at the time), friends, managers, producers. They discuss inspiration for the songs and isolate various tracks. Brilliant show.
I'm a boomer born in 1959, I saw alot of concerts in the 70,s Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd Fleetwood Mac/ Skynyrd! But my favorite band is Steely Dan since 74😊
had a weird thought the other day what if Steely Dan could have written and composed a piece of music, but for Frank Sinatra to do the vocals on.... the cool would ooze from every note.. sorry weird rant from a fellow SD fan :D
This version of the song has been re-mixed. The original album version had Jim's curse words buried deep in the mix. You might suspect, but you couldn't prove that Jim was cursing, so these songs all got onto the radio.There are a lot of Doors songs with hidden cursing too, which effected the listener in a subliminal way. It's funny and interesting to now hear the cursing exposed. But I prefer the original mixed version. The obscured curses had a more subtle, dream-like effect, confusing, encouraging an out-of-body experience.
agree.... the straight implicit language isnt as powerfully symbolic.... its still raw and powerful. & certainly innovative (no one did that then), but the subtly imo worked better.
Good lord I can't tell you how The End made the hair on my neck stand up as a 12 year old in 1967! What a trip. When they played this song live in LA clubs they were sometimes shut down and kicked out. Obviously Morrison's lyrics had a lot to do with it. But the original release didnt have the f*** word, or the live version of "mother, I want to...." because that just didn't happen in 1967. I'm glad you recognize the genius of John Densmore. Take a look at a live video sometime and look at the minimalistic drum kit he used and you will be amazed.
This is the song where you knew these boys were just a little different. What a way to "End" your first album. If you have seen the Francis Ford Coppola film "Apocalypse Now", this song plays over the first ten or so minutes, with helicopter sounds blended in, and Martin Sheen having a tough time in a Saigon hotel room. One of the most original songs in Rock history.
Heard The Doors play this at Asbury Park Convention Hall in 1968, so lucky. That venue is long gone, but The Doors live on. Over the years after Jim died you heard their music less and less on the radio, but it never disappeared. Then in 1991 the (excellent) Doors movie came out, and for the next few years the Doors' music was back on the radio again big time. Back in the 1990 I recall reading a couple of excellent books about the Doors; one was "No One Here Gets Out Alive--a very good read. Portions of "The End" and some other songs refer to an incident that happened when Jim was young. He was on vacation with his family in the southwest (believe it or not, his father was an Admiral in the US Navy) and they drove up to an accident, a vehicle was overturned and there were wounded/dying Indians on the road. That incident stuck with Jim throughout his (short) life, and I think it was the genesis of the southwest desert imagery in "The End" (when he refers to the ancient lake, it is likely the former Lake Bonneville), and also the genesis of his "Shaman" persona. Question for L33--I had previously asked for your paypal address but lost it, could you provide it again?
I've heard all kinds of... conspiracies... about his father. My grandpa was a master chief in the navy. Also 31st degree Scottish rite. He knew some SHIT. He never divulged anything while he was alive. But man, I read morals and dogma as a kid (I was very advanced lol) and it shattered my very narrow, Christian world views. Definitely confirmed a lot of things I felt were off in the Bible. But alas, those days are long past. I'll definitely check out that book. Sounds facisnating.
@@L33Reacts morrison was of scots blood also. his lineage goes back to scotland. his father grew up in the south as many scot irish did & do. they were the first to go into the applch pre revl b/c they didnt get along w/ the brits. first to volunteer to also fight brits. scots like mysticism & vigilant indiv freedom. meager food for souls forgot... you should listen to the doors song, WASP. its explores that lineage. the maiden w/ wrought iron soul.
I thought this was an interesting read so... At its core, "The End" is a pilgrimage to the boundaries of existence, an audacious exploration of life's terminal edge. The song opens with the line "This is the end, beautiful friend" which immediately sets a somber tone and introduces the central theme of mortality. It evokes a sense of existential contemplation and serves as a reminder of our finite existence. The song's lyrics contain references to the Oedipus complex. Morrison famously sings "Father, I want to kill you, Mother, I want to…," symbolizing a rebellion against societal norms and traditional authority figures of the established order. As the serpent devours its own tail, so too does "The End" suggest a cyclical nature to life and the possibility of regeneration, a renewal of spirit. Through the ashes of destruction, we rise anew. How can one venture into the cosmic expanse without stepping upon the echoes of biblical tales and ancient wisdom? We are "Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain." This alludes to the idea of spiritual struggles and suffering, echoing themes of existential crisis and searching for meaning. Through the darkness and the turmoil, we strive to find solace and enlightenment. In this poetic labyrinth, psychedelic imagery and surreal landscapes are woven like mysterious strands of hallucinatory transcendence. The musical waves carry you on a journey through the vast corridors of the mind. Overall, "The End" can be seen as a multi-layered reflection on life, death, spiritual searching, and transformation/rebirth. It challenges the stagnant norms that suffocate our souls. It is a radical call to freedom, to transcendence, to break the chains of convention and awaken our dormant energies. In attempting to traverse the depths of the subconscious, it invites listeners to embrace the enigma, for "The End" is but the beginning and within lies the key to unlocking the doors of perception. - The Dweller on the Threshold Now that it's done, I've begun to see the reason why I'm here - The Endless Enigma, ELP
A dark masterpiece ahead of its time.. Another early art rock piece to consider might be Jefferson Airplane's "You , Me, and Pooniel" (also from 1967) though it is infused with a bit more hippy nonsense and fun, it is also more abstract in it's composition and harmonies which paved the way for the later Avant Guard movement.
If you haven't seen it and have, like, 16 hours to kill, I'd recommend checking out the film "Apocalypse Now." The film starts off with this song and narrates a truly nuts opening scene of a man going mad. Martin Sheen absolutely kills it and I can think of no other song to frame the insanity so perfectly.
Great, epic, Doors psychedelia and the Vietnam war as a backdrop for many when this came out. Tremendous tune, we cleaned a lot of Brown Columbian on that album cover! For another Doors epic, try When the Music's Over, more magic from this incredible band. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶
its power was staggering... people forget, this song as played here was in full form, played live for a couple of weeks in the LA summer of '66 at the influential club, the whisky a go go. no one, except maybe the velvet undergrd was in the doors zipcode in the summer of '66. when they played odines in nyc in late '66 w/ warhol, edie, nico & other nyc music hipsters and journalist, people were blown back in their seats. the doors brought not only a dark heavy vibe but power depth.
They recorded this live in the studio and by most accounts this was take 2 with maybe a few edits and dubs. The "fuck me baby" stuff was on on the 1967 release but much later put back in the mix when they went back to the 4 track source tape and yes their first album was one on 4 track. It shows they played this song hundreds of times live so had it down far before going in the studio. Jim would vamp and add different parts in the middle or not to some parts but the main structure was meant to allow for that. It started off as a love song about Jim's high school girlfriend after they split up.
@L33Reacts the doors had a regular gig at the Whiskey-a-gogo before they had an album out. This song was part of their set and originally a 3 minute song about faded love. They got fired the night Jim came in obviously peaking on something. This longer version was the result Jim was a genius in so many ways because he read everything. His family lived just outside DC when he was in high school. He once did a book report that his teacher that was totally made up because she had never heard of the book. It turned to be a book in the library of congress and is the only copy of the book known to exist.
The Doors could induce a trance or incite a riot and at times did both. Strongly recommend reading Morrison's poetry. The story goes that the first time they performed The End at the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollyweird everybody in the place, customers, bartenders, waitresses, became mesmerized and stopped what they were doing until the song ended.
If the 60s was the new generation expanding their perspective, questioning hypocrisy, being reborn with idealistic hope, the Doors and Jim represented coming to grips with our darker selves. Our shadow selves…in order to find our collective authentic selves. They were traveling some heavy duty terrain and understood we go through hell to realize a heaven. The Doors were different, scary, new, love/hate, anger/joy, all at the same time. A true poet as lead man, no bass player, pushing the envelope and painting pictures with music while attempting to reinvent how the basic rock instruments were used. One of my all time favorite group of artists that help change my life. Thank you again for a great reaction.
well decribed of their vision quest. like a reptile shedding its skin.... the differentiator w/ the doors then vs most of their peers, was their bravery, depth & exploring both sides. its why many of the love generation didnt get them in the industry. like CSNY. the doors examined and revealed love as they did, but they also examined its flip side. the dark impulses of power, greed conquest. you cant transcend, unless you explore both sides. the doors at their best did that. its why riders is an extension of this song. it shows you the fork in the road of the dark (the temptation of the hitcher) & the possibility of light (sustainable love, family). it provides red pill/blue pill choice. & gives hope that one can ride on & thru this storm to then endure (transcend).
I cannot think of this song anymore, without thinking of the opening of the movie Apocalypse Now. For us who lived during the Vietnam war, that song, and that opening scene, are a perfect metaphor for the time when it seemed that sanity had died. Little did we know what was to come in this century. Here’s a link to that opening scene. Incredible movie. Incredible song. The Combination is greater than the sum of its parts. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E-QefTioe3I.htmlsi=ZPVgnFHqjD5iWS7y
Morrison, an incredible voice and front man gets too much credit. I tell people to really appreciate The Doors listen to the musicianship of Robby Kreiger, john Densmore and Ray Manzareck. I’m glad you pick up on that
he gets too much credit, yet not enough. that may not make sense, but it actually does imo. the brand image of the doors, esp morrison, got over marketed and hyped. it even partly destroyed him.... yet, the indepth lyrical poet, cinematic playwright sense & break thru stage craft it gets overlooked.... always remember this about morrison. the power and creation of this song entered the public and cultural stream, not in '67. amazingly, this song as you hear now, was performed as potently in the summer of '66, in LA to many keen ears, at the whisky go go. think about that! freaking summer, '66. no one was in this zip code that far back. this from a guy a year earlier who had no prior music experience. a savant power force when dialed in at his best. that wasnt overrated & he should get more credit for that.
The Oedipal references is still shocking today. It makes me wonder how they got away with that back in the day? To me, I said it before and I’ll say it again, Densmore is criminally underrated as a drummer. He’s absolutely brilliant here and throughout their catalog of songs. Of course, Jim kind of garnered all the attention and sometimes the brilliance of the players in the band was overlooked at the time. It’s good that we can go back and re-examine the music and bring some of that brilliance into focus.
"The End" is used at the finale of the film "Apocalypse Now" to set the pace and lead us to the "Sacrifice". It is one of the most powerful scenes in the history of film....
John Densmore is probably one of the most overlooked drummer's in rock history. He just tears it up on this! Talk about being in the right place at the right time, these 4 guy's were a perfect compliment to each other. And Bruce Botnicks engineering is overlooked also. Personally, I can do without the f bomb's that were not included in the original version, reason being we all knew what was happening anyway, adds to the mystery or something. " When The Music's Over" next up?👍👍👍👍
Check out Densmore's book "Riders On The Storm." He talks about his percussive influences. BTW: There's an 18-minute live version from New York of the "The End" that kills. Peace on earth.
Robby Krieger was a student of flamenco guitar before going electric. Add a jazz drummer, a classical/jazz keyboardist and you have a criminally underrated group of musicians. Morrison would not have achieved his mythical status without them.
Dark mental mantra, and people thought Black Sabbath was a dark band, they never came close to this level. It's like Silence of the lamb and Friday the thirteen, which one was real possible tangible horror?. The Doors sang about the end of the American dream as it was happening.
I'm surprised you haven't already heard "Riders on the Storm." It was one of their big hits and played on the radio all the time at least when it first came out. If you haven't heard it, you don't know what you're missing. My other suggestion is "The Soft Parade." Both are major pieces like "When the Music's Over" and "The End." So is "Light My Fire."
On vacation now, so there will be trippedi-trip-trips going on, I'll never look into your eyes again. We are the Spirit. The imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather. Hahaha!! To realize that all that you want is at the tip of your hand. You are the Divine One. All Being is in Now and Here, as observed by Me. Say it!
If you really want to appreciate this song you ought to see the epic movie Apocalypse Now which uses this song and some others to make a cinematic point. You won't find a more fitting apotheosis for this amazing track!
