In about an hour or so, I will be heading up north to Swampscott to see a friend perform. Upon inviting me to his show, I informed him that he would be playing on the 50th anniversary of Jim Morrison's death. This intrigued him. We shall see if he sees fit to pay homage to the Lizard King.
There has always been a romantic allure about the Doors' front man's passing - being found dead naked in a bathtub in Paris hotel room at the age of 27 and buried at Pere Lachaise where people from all over the world come to pay their respects. While most people would rather live to 77 than 27 there are some people who aren't destined to live a long life regardless of their social condition. As Morrison himself put it, “People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over.”
My maternal grandfather, who work in a coal mine in Alberta's Crowsnest Pass for 43 years, shared much the same sentiments though I don't think he would thought much of The Doors' music. He lived to 84 and told me, "When you're dead you have nothing to worry about." Grandad also told me, "Don't get old."
I, on the other hand, worry about everything up to and including death. Perhaps it isn't a healthy way to live but I do want to live as long as I can for better or for worse. Of course, I'm sure most people won't remember me 10 minutes after I'm dead much less right now. The jury is out as to what I will leave the world when I'm gone.
Jim Morrison left a legacy of a deep sonorous singing beautiful yet dark lyrics that he wrote. Just last Sunday I was sitting in park in Harvard Square and there were a bunch of Doors tunes remixed, but Morrison's voice remained. The Doors don't open without Jim Morrison. It was true in 1971. It is true in 2021 and it will be true in 2071.
No comments:
Post a Comment