Jim Morrison wrote what he thought was the truth and never gave a damn what anyone else thought. Take, for example, his Oedipal epic drama The End. The words at the beginning lead you to believe this is a simple love song- despite its title. It starts "Can you imagine what will be, so limitless and free." Soon the mood changes. Suddenly we are confronted with the atmosphere of angst and resentment. The feeling is communicated through a series of cold, serious, harsh word. But to whom are they directed? "Father." "Yes Son." "I want to kill you." ` "Mother, I want to fuck you!!!!" In the Oedipal tradition, the child has sexual feelings for the parent of the opposite sex, and feelings of antagonism to another. These feelings are expressed throughout the lyrics. Jim once quoted from Nietzche's 'The Birth of Tragedy" "Oedipus, murderer of his father and husband of his mother, was the most sorrowful figure of the Greek stage who, ultimately exerts a magical, healing effect all around him, which continues even minutes after death." This inspired Jim. But, we are left to wonder whether he is living in the wake of Nietzche’s observations. The End entails an escape, to a better place, a more surreal existence- pushing the bounds of reality and leaving your troubles behind. "Ride the snake, Ride the snake, to the lake, The ancient lake, baby" Perhaps it is death. Jim’s preoccupation with death and the afterlife seems to be an imminent theme throughout his other lyrics. In Riders On The Storm, the words are repeated twice, and the end of each line rhymes- it draws you in. Many emotions are expressed throughout these lyrics. "Into this house we’re thrown, Into this world we're thrown." Shows a feeling of being lost, "Take a holiday, Let your children play." A bid for freedom, "Girl, you gotta love your man. Take him by the hand, Make him understand." A craving for love and security. We are left to wonder whether Jim is expressing his personal insecurities through these lyrics. The verses are repeated twice throughout, stanza by stanza- as if trying to make the point sink in, and to make you understand. A presentation of vivid imagery, metaphors, symbols, satire statements, protest and personal desires are put across is used in the lyric- When The Music’s Over. It is not everyday we read or hear something that is along the lines of, "Before I sink Into the big sleep, I want to hear the scream of the butterfly" The imagery created in this verse is incredible. A small, delicate creature performing a display of an extreme emotion- anger. Screaming. Jim is stating that he wants to see something truly incredible before death. Also described is an image of a girl seeing her image in the mirror. A reflection of her true self. Later on in the lyrics, Jim uses the metaphor of a woman in exchange for the earth. Using the woman’s body as an example of our destruction of the environment. "Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection, Send my credentials to the House of Detention" In this verse, a combination of modern and biblical terms are utilised in conjunction to one another. As if wanting to rebel from the faith of Christ and opting for a more sinister existence. Against the social and political backdrop of his era, Jim Morrison expressed his personal views through his lyrics. Experimentation with words was, as Jim once said, "the road to freedom."
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