This Is the End

This is The End

“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.” (2 “Jim”). Is a quote to some spoken by the most popular and influential singer in rock history, and to others a misguided fool with an illusion of artistic ability. This man or rock legend was the vocalist from the psychedelic band The Doors, his name Jim Morrison or better known as the Lizard King. Jim Morrison was a genius of his time, but with a misunderstood vision. The dark-edged eroticism of Morrison's baritone voice and pseudo-poetic lyrics helped make the band one of rock's most potent, controversial, and theatrical acts (Britannica “Morrison”) but created a bad reputation with his drinking, drug use, and outrageous stage and private behavior.

Jim Morrison pushed the boundaries and changed a conservative society, along with many other psychedelic bands of the sixties, through his art and controversial lyrics. He was a visionary with a profound and mystical feeling that there is something “more”, something “beyond”, and something that his poetry and music allowed us to touch, if only for a brief moment (7 “Jim”). “Real poetry doesn’t say anything it just ticks off possibilities… It opens all doors and you can walk through anyone that suits you. If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it’s to deliver people from the limited way in which they see and feel.” (Everything2 “American Poet.”). That was Jim’s vision, escaping reality and to show everyone the real meaning of being free and seeing the world through a different view, beyond the norm. He thought the results of our actions as thoughtless, irresponsible human beings, unwilling to be present even in our own lives (Laciefae “Poet”). He would refer sometimes to his audience, authority figures and even friends as slaves because of “degeneration of human values and destruction of the environment.” (Laciefae “Poet”). People not knowing Jim’s outlook or reasons for doing things created controversy between his private and professional life.

The name The Doors came from an Aldous Huxley book, The Doors of Perception, in turn borrowed from a line of poetry by William Blake: "When the doors of perception are cleansed/Things will appear as they are, Infinite". A door can be seen as a transition between two worlds; you don't know what's going on in the other world until you cross that transition. As Morrison himself put it, "There are things known and things unknown, and in between are the doors." (Encyclopedia “Jim Morrison”). The Doors added a jazz, blues, rock feel that was never heard before and with that made them the most popular rock band ever. Jim’s sensual baritone voice took over the song while the rest of the band showed off their talent which created The Doors uniqueness. Jim’s lyrics exploring themes of sex, mysticism, drugs, murder, madness and death (3 “Jim”), made his legendary performances a reality. Jim had the power to turn on the audience sexually and intellectually which is very powerful. Many understood his vision that went beyond peace and love.

An Article written in “Waiting for the sun” by someone named Ms. Mojo described her very own Doors concert. She mentioned Jim’s presence as, “formidable, sexual and thrilling beyond words, while the rest of the group seemed out of focus for me in comparison.” (Ms. Mojo “The Doors concert”). She explains how Jim teases the crowd, bumming cigarettes from the audience, and seems to not give two cents to what people think about him. This made the audience even more mesmerized, besides by just the mere presence of him. “Jim continued to summon them to come forward. We were all trying to “Break on Through” in our own way, some physically lunging to the stage, while others were raptly taken in by the music and the moment” (Ms. Mojo “The Doors concert”). Jim is connecting to the audience by opening the doors of perception. Connecting with them on a wave link of drugs, alcohol, art, poetry and death which is what makes some confused of Jim’s vision and understanding.

A lot of people opposed Jim Morrison because of his excessive drug use and drinking problems. Coming on stage too drunk to hold the microphone or go to the recording studio drunk and throw tantrums if things were not going his way (3 “Jim”). Jim said, “Let's just say I was testing the bounds of reality. I was curious to see what would happen. That's all it was: just curiosity.” (Everything2 “American Poet.”). Quotes like that stated from Jim