The 10 best songs by Jim Morrison
In the 1960s, each track recorded by The Doors transcended the realm of simple rock and roll. Right from the start, Jim Morrison aimed to defy the typical mould of a rock singer. Much of the band’s evolution stemmed from Morrison’s unconventional perception of reality, influencing the direction and delivery of their songs. While music formed the core element, poetry played an equally significant role in their creative process.
Central to their allure was Morrison, an enigmatic poet whose ethereal persona heightened his talent, solidifying his status as a pivotal figure in the countercultural movement. In both life and death, Morrison has been heralded as a near-deity — a living symbol of youthful rebellion and liberation of sexuality.
Prior to Morrison’s deep dive into rock and roll, his initial aspiration was to immerse himself in the concurrent beat poetry movement sweeping America. Discussing Morrison’s early influences, keyboardist Ray Manzarek mentioned in an interview with Classic Albums, “Jim was influenced by the beat poets, certainly [people like] Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure.”
Thus, among the captivating facets of Morrison’s life, beneath his enigmatic exterior lies his essence as a poet. Beyond everything else, it was his skilful use of words and contemplative writings that drew people to his artistry, elevating him to an unreachable status. Throughout his career, he penned numerous songs that unveiled the multifaceted and, at times, conflicting facets of his authentic self.
With that, let’s delve into ten of Morrison’s best tracks, each displaying his aptitude and prowess as a seasoned wordsmith.
The 10 best songs by Jim Morrison:
10. ‘Peace Frog’
‘Peace Frog’ stands as one of The Doors’ most rhythmically dynamic and flexible compositions. Many tracks on Morrison Hotel capture the concerns prevalent in 1960s America, an era defined by warfare, civil rights struggles, and emerging countercultural movements.
‘Peace Frog’ exemplifies this narrative. Morrison recurrently starts nearly every line with the word “blood”, emphasising the pervasive destruction and societal upheaval characterising the decade’s transformative fight for societal change. The lively musical arrangement promptly juxtaposes Morrison’s grim lyrics, alluding to deceased Native Americans and riots. This serves as a stark reminder to the listener, revealing the harsh truths underlying the veneer of optimism within the 1960s hippie culture in America.
9. ‘Spanish Caravan’
Robby Krieger, The Doors’ guitarist, drew inspiration for ‘Spanish Caravan’ from Spanish folk traditions and flamenco music. The song’s intricate guitar work highlights Krieger’s talent, incorporating flamenco-style strumming patterns and melodies. The track uniquely blends Western rock and flamenco elements, creating a captivating and exotic sonic landscape.
Lyrically, ‘Spanish Caravan’ evokes imagery of a romanticized journey through Spain, filled with picturesque scenes and mystical storytelling. Morrison’s poetic lyrics and mystical imagery vividly depict this captivating voyage, adding to the song’s allure. Even when the track’s dynamic shifts from the delicate acoustic guitar passages to the more intense and rhythmic sections, its powerful atmospheric and evocative nature remains intact.
8. ‘The End’
At the dawn of their career on the Sunset Strip, controversy and The Doors became effortlessly intertwined. Morrison’s dark interpretation of rock and roll added an incisive edge to the landscape, injecting a glimmer of intensity into a movement that had previously dwelled in the shadows of the industry’s darkest corners. Amid Morrison’s poetic reflections on stage, the band’s decision to elongate ‘The End’ crafted one of their most emotionally charged compositions.
Originally conceived as a simple breakup song, intended as a melancholic farewell from Morrison to his girlfriend, ‘The End’ took on a different dimension during live performances. Stretching over ten minutes, the song transformed as Morrison spontaneously improvised lyrics, drawing inspiration from the poetic fragments swirling within his creative mind.
During the band’s initial performance of the song, Manzarek recalled Morrison debuting the improvisation at the Whiskey A-Go-Go, mentioning: “It’s packed, and Jim had lured the audience into a bit of a daze. Time was frozen. It felt like nothing was going on except the music. And he said, ‘the killer awoke before dawn’. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god, what is he gonna do?’”
7. ‘Roadhouse Blues’
In November 1969, The Doors convened at Elektra’s Los Angeles studio for the initial recording sessions that would eventually shape Morrison Hotel. Morrison, as was customary, was intoxicated and vehemently discussing commercialism. Repeatedly emphasising the phrase “money beats soul”, Morrison struggled to maintain composure, resulting in the sessions dissolving into an indistinct blues jam without significant progress.
Despite his inebriation and unrestrained state, Morrison’s uninhibited channelling of blues legends led to the creation of one of his most remarkable lead vocal performances in ‘Roadhouse Blues’. He maintained his spontaneous style, improvising throughout the track and even urging Krieger to infuse his solo with added intensity through impromptu encouragement. Ultimately, after cutting and mixing, ‘Roadhouse Blues’ showcased The Doors at their finest, delivering a captivating blues-infused composition.
6. ‘Love Street’
David Bowie championed ‘Love Street’ as one of his favourite songs of all time, and he’s far from the only musician to recognise the song’s brilliant knack for conjuring quirky chords to twist a waltzing pop hit into decidedly European. With a Prokofiev feel, Morrison takes Laurel Canyon for a strange trip that dabbles in the realm of The Master & Margarita to ensnare you with curious wonder.
Despite the title, the song also subverts the usual standards of love as it sees Morrison not head over heels but open to “see what happens” and aware that his suitor may have other gentleman callers. While he is often considered Byronic when it comes to the topic, it is refreshing to see him tread carefully into the ifs and buts of romance, creating an entirely unique track from top to bottom.
5. ‘People Are Strange’
This song has naturally become a staple of cultish music and cinema. Having featured in hit movies like The Lost Boys, ‘People Are Strange’ has come to be one of the defining The Doors songs. Written by Morrison and Krieger, the song explores feelings of alienation and societal detachment, capturing a sense of estrangement and portraying a world where people are perceived as odd or peculiar due to their differences or outsider status.
The track is emblematic of The Doors’ ability to craft evocative and introspective music. The haunting yet catchy melody combined with Morrison’s introspective lyrics resonated with audiences, making it a popular song that continues to endure in popular culture.
4. ‘The Ghost Song’
Morrison enters his most verbose and impassioned when it comes to the ethereal morning of ‘The Ghost Song’. It takes guts to be that daring, but the shirtless frontman was always fine with courting the criticism that he was pretentious. In being so bold, he was able to introduce a touch of high art to counterculture rock and roll.
“Awake,” he half-sings. “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.” That’s one hell of a way to start a song. Paired with a mirage of instrumentation, the track conjures up that one mystic morning you might be lucky enough to have every four months when the world just seems that little more vibrant and poetic. From thereon, the frontman urges you to seize the groovy present.
3. ‘Hyacinth House’
There is no doubt that L.A. Woman is a masterpiece. The album sees The Doors as their most polished and considered, and the rather sweet side-note of ‘Hyacinth House’ is a perfect counterpoint moment. The song is often forgotten in the band’s discography by virtue of the fact that it doesn’t roar with the same potency that typifies a lot of their most famous efforts. However, by taking a softer approach, this rhythmic beauty proves utterly intoxicating.
Morrison enters crooning mode and hums the song’s mystic tale with such command that you’re left wrapped up in the enigma, wondering, ‘Well, what were they doing in the Hyacinth House?’ There’s no knowing, but with a melody this smooth, you hardly care when it finally lets you out of its grasp. So, while it might lack the initial pizzazz of many Morrison-penned hits, the subtlety gives it supreme staying power.
2. ‘Break On Through’
You don’t just casually champion a song to be your debut single in the same way that you do with everything that follows. More so than anything else you will ever release as an artist, your debut is a statement. ‘Break on Through’ was not just a statement; it was an urgent outcry and a thrilling one at that.
In 1966, Jim Morrison said in an interview, “I like ideas about breaking away or overthrowing of established order. I am interested in anything about revolt, disorder, chaos, especially activity that seems to have no meaning.”
In many ways, this was a mantra for The Doors, who arrived in the sanguine peace and love scene of the era swinging with discontent and a healthy dose of darkness. Music rarely came out in such an adrenalised sonic maelstrom in that era, and it still rattles like the seismic epicentre of mid-to-late 1960s rock ‘n’ roll to this day.
1. ‘Riders On The Storm’
Morrison’s final act with The Doors, before dying at the tragically young age of 27, was, at least chronologically, ‘Riders on the Storm’, and it epitomised both his iconoclastic mantra, The Doors’ unique rock mysticism and the frontman’s standing as some sort of AI-generated archetype of a true rock star. With the evocative image of a road-weary traveller, the band crafted an atmospheric masterpiece that housed more imagery than the Museum of Modern Art.
Ostensibly, the track muses upon the murderous spree of the serial killer, Billy Cook. However, he is merely a touchstone for a wider view of the brutality of America. And yet, you can also happily coast on the surface of the track’s rolling tapestry of images. In fact, the song, like Morrison’s persona, has more atmosphere and surface than just about any other rock ‘n’ roll track ever written, so much so that it can mask the bottomless depth that lies beneath it.
Both song and singer hold nothing back and yet do it in such an idiomatic way that they remain an enigma.