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Rating: "This is the end, beautiful friend. This is the end my only friend..."
Born as a farewell song to a beloved girl, "The End," written by Jim Morrison, was one of the tracks that the Doors in 1966, still at the beginning of their career, played in clubs around Los Angeles. The Californian band started playing at the Whisky A Go Go in May 1966, a newly opened venue led by Elmer Valentine, a great businessman. During the summer of that year, the Doors grew musically thanks to their regular performances: they played twice a night, attracting young people in search of innovative music. The group's fame was initially due mainly to Ray Manzarek's skillful keyboard playing: Jim Morrison at first sang with his back to the audience, as he was shy and introverted, but over time he would learn to impose himself theatrically on stage. Morrison's vulgarity irritated the club owner, but as long as the cash register kept ringing, he could overlook it. The Doors drew more and more people, and the Whisky A Go Go gained fame. They played alongside more renowned and mature groups such as Van Morrison's Them and Love: this further helped build the reputation of Jim & company. Jim Morrison was the new sex symbol of the Sunset Strip, the neighborhood where the Whisky was located; everyone in the scene was saying that the Doors were the new great revelation. Everyone was talking about them, but they were without a contract. They continued to work at the Whisky, waiting for a decent offer to come. When Jim started being interviewed by newspapers a few months after the summer of 1966, he already expressed nostalgia for the period of regular performances at the Whisky, especially for the creative impulse that had come from it for the band. August 1966: Jac Holzman, president of Elektra Records, attended the Doors' performances. At first, he was dissatisfied and found nothing special in the Californian band, but when he heard "Alabama Song," he was so impressed that he offered the Doors a contract of $5,000 guaranteed for three albums, a 5% royalty, and 25% of Elektra's music publishing: many called Holzman crazy, but time would prove otherwise. After months of long reflection, the band would finally sign with Elektra in November 1966.
Jim Morrison looked up "Elektra" in a mythology book loaned to him by a friend and became aware of the "Electra complex" and, after further research, the "Oedipus complex." He was so fascinated by it that he began working on a hypothetical song inspired by it. "The End" is a masterpiece of extreme artistry, it has magnificent, orgasmic musicality, flawless psychedelia, no flaws, no imperfections, the best psychedelic track ever according to me, followed by "Interstellar Overdrive" by Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd. When Robby Krieger starts with that Spanish-accented guitar riff and mysterious atmosphere, my brain is entranced by the notes. But when Jim's voice comes in, my brain is completely tuned to the song. Eleven minutes of ecstasy, with the omnipresent keyboards of the virtuoso Ray Manzarek, a musical talent beyond imitation.
"The End" is an epic, a masterpiece of art in its purest form, a succession of orgasms, sensuality, and harshness. The Oedipal section is crazy, extremely out there, something that makes me swoon. When the track closes with Jim's whispered and weary "This is the end," and Densmore on drums moves to the cymbal, the ecstasy gradually fades away.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Roadhouse Blues (05:24)
Yeah!
Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
yeah, we're goin' to the roadhouse
we're gonna have a real
good time
Yeah, back at the roadhouse I got someone to love
yeah, back at the roadhouse I got someone to love
dance for the people
like to go down slow
Let it roll, baby, roll
let it roll, baby, roll
let it roll, baby, roll
let it roll, all night long
Do it, Robby, do it
Yau gotta roll, roll, roll
yau gotta thrill my soul, all right
roll, roll, roll, roll
thrill my soul tonight
passion lady, passion lady
give up your vows, give up your vows
save our city, save our city
right now
Well, i woke up this morning, i got myself a beer
well, i woke up this morning, and i got myself a beer
the future's uncertain, and the end is always near
Let it roll, baby, roll
let it roll, baby, roll
let it roll, baby, roll
let it roll, all night long
03 Close to You (04:02)
(I want to get)
Close to you like black on white,
Close to you like the coldest of ice,
Close to you like a siamese twin,
Close to you like I'm feeling all right.
(I want to get)
Close to you baby, X3
I don't know what to say or do.
(I want to get)
Close to you like the sight of your eye?
Close to you like the heat is to fire,
Close to you baby as close as I can get,
Close to you like water is wet.
(I want to get)
Close to you till I'm feeling all right,
Close to you--gonna love you all night,
Close to you in New York City,
I love you so much you know it's a pity.
Closer and closer baby.
Closer and closer baby.
06 You Make Me Real (03:09)
I really want you
Really do
Really need you baby
God knows I do
'Cause I'm not real enough without you
Oh what can I do?
You make me real
You make me feel
Like lovers feel
You make me throw away mistaken misery
Make me feel love
Make me free
Oh c'mon
I really want you
Really do
Really need you baby
Really do
Well I'm not real enough to love you
Oh what can I do?
You make me real
Only you baby
Have that appeal
So let me slide into your tender sunken sea
Make me free love
Make me free
Oh yeah
You make me real
All right
You make me feel
Like lovers feel
You make me throw away mistaken misery
Make me free love
Make me free
Make me free
You make me free
09 The End (15:47)
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need of some stranger's hand
In a desperate land
Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the king's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby
Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake
The ancient lake, baby
The snake he's long, seven miles
Ride the snake
He's old
And his skin is cold
The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest
The blue bus is callin' us
The blue bus is callin' us
Driver, where you takin' us?
The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived and then he
Paid a visit to his brother and then he
He walked on down the hall and
And he came to a door
And he looked inside
"Father?" "Yes, son?" "I want to kill you"
"Mother? I want to... fuck you"
Come on, yeah
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us and
Meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin' a blue rock, on a blue bus
Doin' a blue rock, come on, yeah
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end
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