“It may have been in bits and pieces but I gave you the best of me.” Jim Morrison, iconic lead singer of the legendary 1960’s rock band The Doors. A spiritual poet and writer, a misunderstood film student, and of course the Lizard King who could do anything. Morrison was undeniably talented, a genius within his work and words. Fond of literature and theatre arts, Morrison excelled at an early age. Analyzing the works of Nietzsche, William Blake, Arthur Rimbaud, Allen Ginsberg, and Aldous Haley, influencing his love for poetry and lyrical writing. His respect for Native American culture was an essential influence on his writing as well, emphasizing Spirituality and Shamanism.

Morrison was a man of philosophy. Complex yes, but over time his ideals and lyrics cultivated the minds of millions. Though tainted by alcoholism and media, he was a beautiful individual, living by his own means. In 1960, he published two volumes of his poetry, one titled The Lords/ Notes On Vision and the second The New Creatures, which were combined into a single volume labeled, The Lords and The New Creatures. His work has been perceived as “surreal” and the use of “vividly evocative words” appealed to what some may call the “subconscious mind.”

His days of drugs, sex, and rock and roll were just a small fragment of what he really was. His bizarre, extravagant stage presence is what drew many to love him. Unpredictable with sensual, vulgar lyrics, Morrison lead a revolution. People craved his chaotic behavior and rebellious speeches.

“I like any reaction I can get with my music. Just anything to get people to think. I mean if you can get a whole room full of drunk, stoned people to actually wake up and think, you’re doing something.”

Morrison’s lyrics reflected much of the culture in the 60’s and 70’s when war, sex, and drugs were prevalent. He was a man without limitations. “Lets just say I was testing the bounds of reality,  I was curious to see what would happen. That’s all it was, curiosity.” his non conformist ideals and sardonic remarks about authority gave him the spotlight.

“When you make your peace with authority, you become authority”

Unfortunately, Morrison died at the age of 27 in his Paris home of unknown causes after retiring from music to focus on his poetry with his beloved Pam Courson. He died a legend of course, but had so much more to give to the world. Many believe he was just at the peak of his career, letting go of the pressures of performing to do what he loved most…poetry.

“Listen, real poetry doesn’t say anything; it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through anyone that suits you.”

“Does the creator of any work of art have to die tragically in order to become famous or to have any kind of lasting impact?” This seems to be a well known pattern when it comes to honoring those who have passed away unexpectedly. In Morrison’s case we like to believe that he never truly had the chance to evolve his work and his true potential, yet he is still loved and praised for the small portion that was given. Morrison was unique, using music as a way to “channel his poetry.” His use of dark imagery and recurring themes such as death, sex, love, and cinema are meant to be interpreted differently, his words had diversity, designed to change and expand perspective.                             

“If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it’s to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel.”

A few of Morrison’s poems and quotes are presented below:

Awake

Shake dreams from your hair

My pretty child, my sweet one.

Choose the day and

choose the sign of your day

The day’s divinity

First thing you see.

A vast radiant beach

in a cool jeweled moon

Couples naked race down by it’s quiet side

And we laugh like soft, mad children

Smug in the woolly cotton brains of infancy

The music and voices are all around us.

Choose, they croon, the Ancient Ones

The time has come again

Choose now, they croon,

Beneath the moon

Beside an ancient lake

Enter again the sweet forest

Enter the hot dream

Come with us

Everything is broken up and dances.

The Hitchhiker

Thoughts in time and out of season

The Hitchhiker stood by the side of the road

And leveled his thumb

In the calm calculus of reason.

Hi. How you doin’?

I just got back into town,

L.A.

I was out in the desert for awhile

“Riders on the storm”

Yeah. In the middle of it

“Riders on the storm”

Right…

“Into this world we’re born”

Hey, listen, man, I really got a problem

“Into this world we’re thrown”

When I was out on the desert, ya know

“Like a dog without a bone

An actor out on loan”

I don’t know how to tell you

“Riders on the storm”

but, ah, I killed somebody

“There’s a killer on the road”

No…

“His brain is squirming like a toad”

It’s no big deal, ya know

I don’t think anybody will find out about it, but…

“take a long holiday”

just, ah…

“Let your children play”

this guy gave me a ride, and ah…

“If you give this man a ride”

started giving me a lot of trouble

“Sweet family will die”

and I just couldn’t take it, ya know

“Killer on the road”

And I wasted him

Yeah.

open

The night is young

& full of rest

I can’t describe the

way she’s dress’d

She’ll pander to some strange

requests

Anything that you suggest

Anything to please her guest

Miami

What can I read her

What can I read her

on a Sunday Morning

What can I do that will

somehow reach her

on a Sunday Morning

I’ll read her the news of

The Indian Wars

Full of criss-cavalry, blood

& gore

Stories to tame & charm

& more

On a Sunday Morning

~~~

Some wild fires

Searchout

a dry quiet kiss on leaving

~~~

Like our ancestors

The Indians

We share a fear of sex

excessive lamentation for the dead

& an abiding interest in dreams & visions

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level. It’s got to happen inside first.”
― Jim Morrison

“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.”

― Jim Morrison, Wilderness: The Lost Writings, Vol. 1

“I believe in a long, prolonged, derangement of the senses in order to obtain the unknown.”

― Jim Morrison

“I am interested in anything about revolt, disorder, chaos-especially activity that seems to have no meaning. It seems to me to be the road toward freedom… Rather than starting inside, I start outside and reach the mental through the physical.”

― Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison once compared himself to a shooting star, something rare, beautiful but short lived, and always remembered. A true surrealist, his work lives on and his words continue to inspire.

“I see myself as a huge fiery comet, a shooting star. Everyone stops, points up and gasps “Oh look at that!” Then- whoosh, and I’m gone…and they’ll never see anything like it ever again… and they won’t be able to forget me- ever.”

― Jim Morrison

https://www.feelingsuccess.com/jim-morrison-12-quotes/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrison

http://hellopoetry.com/james-douglas-jim-morrison/

http://www.litkicks.com/JamesDouglasMorrison

https://allpoetry.com/James-Douglas-Morrison

http://www.returnofkings.com/21445/the-verse-of-the-lizard-king-an-analysis-of-jim-morrisons-work