Morrison and Nietzsche, When Mediums Intertwine
Jim Morrison was one of the 60s legendary icons in the world of rock n roll, along with his band members in "The Doors" including Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robbie Kreiger. Jim was born on December 8th, 1943 in Melbourne Florida to a family of five including his parents, brother, and sister with his siblings being the only surviving members. Throughout his childhood, Jim became interested in something that most kids his age wouldn’t appreciate: knowledge of one’s inner self. This interest may have spiked from an event that took place in his childhood. While traveling on a desert highway with his family, they passed a major accident leaving several people injured/dead. Jim is credited with saying that when he saw the calamity of all the persons involved and killed in the accident, an apparition of an older Native American tribesman entered his soul.
On The Doors' 1970 LP Morrison Hotel, the second track titled "Peace Frog" tells the story of of Jim’s experience on that desert highway. “Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding. Ghosts crowd the young child’s fragile eggshell mind.” This is to recap his experience and how it followed his whole life. Morrison called himself a Shaman while practicing rituals of absorbing as much knowledge about philosophy and psychology with the aid of the Shaman’s apparition.
This brings Frederich Nietzsche into this conversation. Morrison was obsessed with the works of the 20th-century philosophical writer and his work eerily reflected that of Nietzsche. His father, George Stephen Morrison, has even shared that Jim wasn’t infatuated with materialistic objects throughout his adolescence. Jim asked his father and mother for The Complete Works Of Friedrich Nietzsche for his high school graduation gift while his peers wanted cars and money.
It's crazy to think how these two visionaries were intertwined in an obvious but somehow ambiguous sense. The way that Jim absorbed Nietzsche’s teachings and applied them to his life experiences will always put me in awe. I could never stop loving The Doors with their inspiration from Jim. They are such a diverse group of people that came together and made some amazing records. Their personalities are probably what got them to do the work they needed, there were always ideas in their minds for a project with many outside musical influences. They managed to put together masterpieces and brought out cohesiveness in their respected communications. The Doors will be talked about for centuries, leading newcomers to explore the realm of this almost-unreal sounding band, leading future generations to never douse the flame and set their nights on fire.
