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 made people believe he was very selfish and put his needs and curiosity first before even thinking about the band or his loved ones.

The most controversial situation Jim Morrison got himself into was the concert in Miami where Jim exposed himself to 10,000 strong audiences (Everything2 "American Poet."). He was arrested and was charged with indecent exposure, open profanity, and public drunkenness. He never played down this image, but nor did he pander to it, he just stated himself as he was, and made it clear that no one could change him. However with an appeal pending, not so glowing reviews of the bands last album and a total submission to alcohol, he was falling apart at the seams (Everything2 "American Poet."). That was when he took a break from the spotlight and gave the people who despise Jim Morrison or The Doors a break.

To some Jim is a poetic genius and a legend in time but to many others he is just a overrated pop star that hurts everyone and everything in his way. "He really made people pay for the great gift of being in the company of Genius," described by Al Barger's review "A Jim Morrison Skeptics' top 10 Doors picks," at Blogcritics.org. Not understanding Jim's vision made people believe his lyrics and poetry ridiculous and dreaded hearing about his "dumb daddy problems," (Barger "Jim Morrison skeptics'"). Many tired hearing about Jim's "romanticized slow suicide," (Barger "Jim Morrison skeptics'"), and how death is his only friend. Most thought he was deceiving himself by believing he had any artistic or poetic ability at all. The Article written By Al Barger has many weak points being that their was only at least one song that mentioned his father and