The Jim Morrison Pages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Morrison (1943-1971), the self-proclaimed
Lizard King, lived fast and died tragically young; but during his short
life, he touched the hearts of a multitude with his poetry. Morrison was
born in Melbourne, Florida, and had one brother and one sister. He had an
unusual relationship with his parents, and frequently claimed they were
dead in later life. Morrison's childhood had a strong impact on him. One
incident in particular seems to have stuck with him - the time when he became
convinced that the soul of a dead indian had passed into his body at the
scene of a road accident.
Jim Morrison loved reading (he came
upon the name of his group - The Doors - in a William Blake quote).
For a time, Morrison studied film at UCLA. It was here that he picked up
many of his ideas about how to put on a dramatic show. Shortly afterwards,
he became a singer, and in 1967 had his first number one, Light My Fire.
Morrison's poetry, coupled with his Adonis like good-looks made him something
of a phenomenon in the rock world. He became the ultimate sex symbol. It
is often suggested that Morrison disliked his fame, and that he felt it
got in the way of his need to put across his writing.
Of course, Morrison was not only
famous for his looks. He also gained considerable notoriety for his tendancy
to push back the boundaries of acceptable behaviour on stage. It was this
that eventually landed him in serious trouble, when in 1969 he reputedly
exposed himself on stage in Miami. Morrison was given a jail sentence for
the affair, but remained free, pending an appeal that never happened. Shortly
afterwards, he announced his intention to travel to Paris to get away from
his stressful lifestyle for a few months. This was a trip he would never
return from. On 3rd July 1971, his long-time girlfriend, Pamela, found him
dead in the bathtub. The exact cause of his death remains a mystery to this
day. Some say it was heart failure; others that it was an overdose. Whatever
the truth, it seems safe to say that Jim Morrison would have preferred us
to remember him for what he accomplished in his life, rather than for the
way he died. Morrison was buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetary in Paris, which
should have been the end of it, but like others who have died while still
in the prime of their lives, Morrison's following continues to grow even
now. To hear this undisputed master of dark poetry in action, scan to the
bottom of the page and download the zipped recording of The Severed
Garden (Adagio).
Poetry and Lyrics
by
Jim Morrison
The
Celebration of the
Lizard King
Lions
in the street and roaming
Dogs
in heat, rabid, foaming
A
beast caged in the heart of a city
The
body of his mother
Rotting
in the summer ground.
He
fled the town.
He
went down South
And
crossed the border
Left
the chaos & disorder
Back
there
Over
his shoulder.
One
morning he awoke in a green hotel
With
a strange creature groaning beside him.
Sweat
oozed from its shiny skin.
Is
everybody in?
Is
everybody in?
Is
everybody in?
The
ceremony is about to begin.
Wake
up!
You
can't remember where it was.
Had
this dream stopped?
The
snake was pale gold glazed & shrunken.
We
were afraid to touch it.
The
sheets were hot dead prisons.
And
she was beside me, old,
She's,
no; young.
Her
dark red hair.
The
white soft skin.
Now,
run to the mirror in the bathroom,
Look!
She's
coming in here.
I
can't live through each slow century
Of
her moving.
I
let my cheek slide down
The
cool smooth tile
Feel
the good cold stinging blood.
The
smooth hissing snakes
Of
rain...
Once
I had a little game
I
liked to crawl back in my brain
I
think you know the game I mean
I
mean the game called "Go Insane"
Now
you should try this little game
Just
close your eyes forget your name
Forget
the world, forget the people
And
we'll erect a different steeple.
This
little game is fun to do.
Just
close your eyes, no way to lose
And
I'm right here, I'm going too
Release
control, we're breaking through
Way
back deep into the brain
Way
back past the realm of pain
Back
where there's never any rain
And
the rain falls gently on the town
And
over the heads of all of us
And
in the labyrinth of streams beneath
Quiet
unearthly presence of
Nervous
hill dwellers in the gentle hills around
Reptiles
abounding
Fossils,
caves, cool air heights
Each
house repeats a mold
Windows
rolled
A
beast car locked in against morning
All
now sleeping
Rugs
silent, mirrors vacant
Dust
blind under the beds of lawful couples
Wound
in sheets
And
daughters, smug with semen
Eyes
in their nipples
Wait!
There's been a slaughter here
Don't
stop to speak or look around
Your
gloves and fan are on the ground
We're
getting out of town
We're
going on the run
And
you're the one I want to come!
Not
to touch the earth, not to see the sun
Nothing
left to do but run, run, run
Let's
run, let's run
House
upon the hill, moon is lying still
Shadows
of the trees witnessing the wild breeze
Come
on, baby, run with me
Let's
run
Run
with me, run with me, run with me
Let's
run
The
mansion is warm at the top of the hill
Rich
are the rooms and the comforts there
Red
are the arms of luxuriant chairs
And
you won't know a thing till you get inside
Dead
president's corpse in the driver's car
The
engine runs on glue and tar
Come
on along, not going very far
To
the east to meet the Czar
Run
with me, run with me, run with me
Let's
run
Some
outlaws live by the side of a lake
The
minister's daughter's in love with the snake
Who
lives in a well by the side of the road
Wake
up, girl! We're almost home
Sun,
sun, sun
Burn,
burn, burn
Moon,
moon, moon
I
will get you soon...soon...soon
I
am the Lizard King
I
can do anything
We
came down the rivers and highways
We
came down from forests and falls
We
came down from Carson and Springfield
We
came down from Phoenix enthralled
And
I can tell you the names of the kingdoms
I
can tell you the things that you know
Listening
for a fistful of silence
Climbing
valleys into the shade
For
seven years I dwelt in the loose palace of exile
Playing
strange games with the girls of the island
Now
I have come again to the land of the fair
And
the strong and the wise
Brothers
and sisters of the pale forest
Children
of night
Who
among you will run with the hunt?
Now
night arrives with her purple legion
Retire
now to your tents and to your dreams
Tomorrow
we enter the town of my birth
I
want to be ready.
An
American Prayer
Do
you know the warm progress
Under
the stars?
Do
you know we exist?
Have
you forgotten the keys
To
the kingdom?
Have
you been born yet
Are
you alive?
Let's
reinvent the gods, all the myths
Of
the ages
Celebrate
symbols from deep elder forests
Have
you forgotten the lessons
Of
the ancient war
We
need great golden copulations
The
fathers are cackling in trees of the forest
Our
mother is dead in the sea
Do
you know we are being led to
Slaughters
by placid admirals
&
that fat slow generals are getting
Obscene
on young blood
Do
you know we are ruled by T.V.
The
moon is a dry blood beast
Guerrilla
bands are rolling numbers
In
the next block of green vine
Amassing
for warfare on innocent herdsmen
Who
are just dying
O
great creator of being
Grant
us one more hour to
Perform
our art
And
perfect our lives
The
moths and atheists are doubly divine
And
dying
We
live, we die
Death
not ends it
Journey
we more into the
Nightmare
Cling
to life
Our
passioned flower
Cling
to cunts and cocks
Of
despair
We
got our final vision
By
clap
Columbus'
groin got
Filled
with green death
(I
touched her thigh
And
death smiled)
We
have assembled inside this ancient
And
insane theatre
To
propagate our lust for life
And
flee the swarming wisdom
Of
the streets
The
barns are stormed
The
windows kept
And
only one of all the rest
To
dance and save us
With
the divine mockery
Of
words
Music
inflames temperament
(When
the true King's murderers
Are
allowed to roam free
A
1000 Magicians arise
In
the land)
Where
are the feasts
We
were promised
Where
is the wine
The
New Wine
(Dying
on the vine)
Resident
mockery
Give
us an hour for magic
We
of the purple glove
We
of the starling flight
And
velvet hour
We
of pleasure's breed
We
of sundome & the night
Give
us a creed
To
believe
A
night of Lust
Give
us trust in
The
Night
Give
of color
Hundred
hues
A
rich Mandala
Ffor
me & you
And
for your silky
Pillowed
house
A
head, wisdom
And
a bed
Troubled
decree
Resident
mockery
Has
claimed thee
We
used to believe
In
the good old days
We
still receive
In
little ways
The
Things of Kindness
And
unsporting brow
Forget
and allow
Did
you know freedom exists
In
a school book
Did
you know madmen are
Running
our prison
Within
a jail, within a gaol
Within
a white free protestant
Maelstrom
We're
perched headlong
On
the edge of boredom
We're
reaching for death
On
the end of a candle
We're
trying for something
That's
already found us
We
can invent Kingdoms of our own
Grand
purple thrones, those chairs of lust
And
love we must, in beds of rust
Steel
doors lock in prisoner's screams
And
muzak, AM, rocks their dreams
No
black men's pride to hoist the beams
While
mocking angels sift what seems
To
be a collage of magazine dust
Scratched
on foreheads of walls of trust
This
is just jail for those who must
Get
up in the morning & fight for such
Unusable
standards
While
weeping maidens
Show-off
penury and pout
Ravings
for a mad
Staff
Wow,
I'm sick of doubt
Live
in the light of certain
South
Cruel
bindings
The
servants have the power
Dog-men
& their mean women
Pulling
poor blankets over
Our
sailors
(And
where were you in our
Lean
hour)
Milking
your moustache?
Or
grinding a flower?
I'm
sick of dour faces
Staring
at me from the T.V.
Tower.
I
want roses in
My
garden bower; dig?
Royal
babies, rubies
Must
now replace aborted
Strangers
in the mud
These
mutants, blood-meal
For
the plant that's plowed
They
are waiting to take us into
The
severed garden
Do
you know how pale & wanton thrillful
Comes
death on a strange hour
Unannounced,
unplanned for
Like
a scaring over-friendly guest you've
Brought
to bed
Death
makes angels of us all
And
gives us wings
Where
we had shoulders
Smooth
as raven's
claws
No
more money, no more fancy dress
This
other Kingdom seems by far the best
Until
its other jaw reveals incest
And
loose obedience to a vegetable law
I
will not go
Prefer
a
Feast
of friends
To
the Giant family
Great
screaming Christ
Upsy-daisy
Lazy
Mary will you get up
Upon
a Sunday morning
"The
movie will begin in 5 moments"
The
mindless Voice announced
"All
those unseated, will await
The
next show"
We
filed slowly, languidly
Into
the hall. The auditorium
Was
vast, & silent.
As
we seated & were darkened
The
Voice continued:
"The
program for this evening
Is
not new. You have seen
This
entertainment thru & thru.
You've
seen your birth, your
Life
& death; you might recall
All
of the rest (did you
Have
a good world when you
Died
- enough to base
A
movie on? )
An
iron chuckle rapped our
Minds
like a fist.
I'm
getting out of here
Where're
you going?
To
the other side of morning
Please
don't chase the clouds
Pagodas,
temples
Her
cunt gripped him
Like
a warm friendly
Hand.
"It's
all right.
All
your friends are here."
When
can I meet them?
"After
you've eaten"
I'm
not hungry
"O,
we meant beaten"
Silver
stream, silvery scream,
Impossible
concentration
Here
come the comedians
Look
at them smile
Watch
them dance
An
indian mile
Look
at them gesture
How
aplomb
So
to gesture everyone
Words
dissemble
Words
be quick
Words
resemble walking sticks
Plant
them
They
will grow
Watch
them waver so
I'll
always be a word-man
Better
than a birdman
But
I'll charge
Won't
get away
Without
lodging a dollar
Shall
I say it again
Aoud,
you get the point
No
food without fuel's gain
I'll
be, the irish loud
Unleashed
my beak
At
peak of powers
O
girl, unleash
Your
worried comb
O
worried mind
Sin
in the fallen
Backwoods
by the blind
She
smells debt
Omy
new collar
Arrogant
prose
Tied
in a network of fast quest
Hence
the obsession
Its
quick to admit
Fast
borrowed rhythm
Woman
came between them
Women
of the world unite
Make
the world safe
For
a scandalous life
Hee
Heee
Cut
your throat
Life
is a joke
Your
wife's in a moat
The
same boat
Here
comes the goat
Blood
Blood Blood Blood
They're
making a joke
Of
our universe
Matchbox
Are you more real than me
I'll burn you, & set you free
Wept bitter tears
Excessive courtesy
I won't forget
A hot sick lava flowed up,
Rustling & bubbling.
The paper face.
Mirror-mask, I love you mirror.
He had been brainwashed for 4hrs.
The LT. puzzled in again "
Ready to talk"
"No sir"- was all he'd say.
Go back to the gym.
Very peaceful
Meditation
Air base in the desert
Looking out venetian blinds
A plane
A desert flower
Cool cartoon
The rest of the
World
Is reckless and dangerous
Look at the
Brothels
Stag films
Exploration
A ship leaves port
I mean horse of another thicket
Wishbone of desire
Decry the metal fox.
I
Am Troubled Immeasurably...
I am troubled
Immeasurably
By your eyes
I am struck
By the feather
Of your soft
Reply
The sound of glass
Speaks quick
Disdain
And conceals
What your eyes fight
To explain.
Moonlight Drive
Let's
swim to the moon,
Let's
climb through the tide
Penetrate
the evenin' that the
City
sleeps to hide
Let's
swim out tonight, love
It's
our turn to try
Parked
beside the ocean
On
our moonlight drive
Let's
swim to the moon, uh huh
Let's
climb through the tide
Surrender
to the waiting worlds
That
lap against our side
Nothin'
left open
And
no time to decide
We've
stepped into a river
On
our moonlight drive
Let's
swim to the moon
Let's
climb through the tide
You
reach your hand to hold me
But
I can't be your guide
Easy,
I love you
As
I watch you glide
Falling
through wet forests
On
our moonlight drive, baby
Moonlight
drive
Come
on, baby, gonna take a little ride
Down,
down by the ocean side
Gonna
get real close
Get
real tight
Baby
gonna drown tonight
Goin'
down, down, down.