Jim Morrison Has Made A Name For Himself As A Poet. But He Also Occasionally Wrote Music

25 Million New & Used CDs / Vinyl Records

Jim Morrison Has Made A Name For Himself As A Poet. But He Also Occasionally Wrote Music
by Nick Law - November 30, 2008

I have always liked The Doors and the music of Jim Morrison. Let me repeat that. The music of Jim Morrison.

It never fails. Every time I walk into a used record store, the first thing I always seem to hear is “The Ghost Song” being played over the house speakers while Trustafarians sway and make obvious comments about the lyrics.

An artist with the ability to write great music isn’t necessarily a poet too just by association. There’s meaning in everything if you’re high enough and looking for it. My personal favorite example being a field trip to a museum when I was in 5th grade. People were examining works of art and trying to figure out what the artist was trying to say with each piece. Eventually the group moved over to the middle of one room, which contained a trashcan surrounded by yellow “do not cross” tape. Everyone in the room stared, each trying to guess what this particular piece was saying. Before anyone had said anything that made any sense, a janitor came, wrapped up the yellow tape and pushed away the trashcan. I’ll never forget it.

The point I’m trying to make here is that maybe Jim Morrison himself didn’t even know what he was trying to say in the lyrics of his poems. It sounds to me like he didn’t. Besides, I think it’s safe to assume he was “on something” at the time. Yet every time I find myself in a used record store, or any place that specializes in hard to find music, I’m always bombarded by some of the most idiotic explanations.

Look, I’m all for expressing yourself as an artist, but shouldn’t a real artist stick to his or her strengths? The Doors wrote some of the best psychedelic rock in American history as a band with members Ray Manzarek (keyboard), John Densmore (drums), Robby Krieger (guitar) and Morrison at the helm. Why then, when we think of the band, do we think of only poetry, Paris and Val Kilmer?

If you really want to hear the best that Jim Morrison and The Doors have to offer, look no further than the band’s second LP, Strange Days. A continued exploration into acid rock, Strange Days was the first album to earn the group a gold record and has since become one of their best known works with tracks such as: “People Are Strange”, “Love Me Two Times” and “When The Music’s Over”.

The album also includes part of the band’s history. “Moonlight Drive” was the first song written by Jim Morrison for The Doors. It was originally supposed to be on the band’s first album, being recorded in 1965 as a demo. In 1967, however, a final version was recorded and placed on Strange Days as track number 6.

The next time you visit your local used record store, be sure to tune out the poetry and stick with what Jim Morrison was really good at. Writing and performing some of the best rock music the world has ever heard.

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