redue of 1st verse translation

"You know the day destroys the night,

Night divides the day.

Tried to run, Tried to hide.

Break On Through to The Other Side."

I feel this stanza is talking about the repetitiveness of every day life. Almost looking at each day as a cycle, just dividing itself and then destroying it. Tried to Run, Tried to Hide gives me the image of trying to escape this cycle. Trying to do whatever you can to be different, experience new things, and be happy, Breaking Through.

The refrain is the song title repeated several times. Forcing you really think about what he's saying, creating questions such as what does Breaking Through mean to you?

Final Summary: Break On Through (To The Other Side)

The Doors were an American rock n' roll band formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter/poet/director Jim Morrison and Pianist Ray Manzarek. The two attended UCLA Film School together and quickly developed a friendship. Later drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robbie Krieger would complete the quartet. 

One of their first songs written together, and the first single from the debut album was called Break On Through. It would change music forever.

The song begins with a guitar riff reminiscent of early blues music but with a darker, almost eery feel to it. Jim Speaks. 

"You know the day destroys the night, 

Night divides the day.

Tried to run, Tried to hide.

Break On Through to The Other Side."

I feel this stanza is talking about the repetitiveness of every day life. Almost looking at each day as a cycle, just dividing itself and then destroying it. Tried to Run, Tried to Hide gives me the image of trying to escape this cycle. Trying to do whatever you can to be different, experience new things, and be happy, Breaking Through.

The refrain is the song title repeated several times. Forcing you really think about what he's saying, creating questions such as what does Breaking Through mean to you?

The next stanza says:

"We chased our pleasures here,

Dug our Treasures There.

Can YOU still recall the time we cried,

Break on Through to the Other Side"

Jim came from a fairly wealthy family in Florida. His father was an admiral in the United States Navy. He dropped out of Florida State University and moved to California around the age of 20. Here is a pretty funny clip of him in a commercial promoting Florida State. Notice the short hair, and innocence he carried himself with-a far different view than what we picture him like today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1myP9FtKUg . I think Jim dug and left his old life (treasures) in Florida. Chasing his pleasure of writing and rock n' roll in California. I think the last two lines are Jim Morrison reminiscing about his old life,  his family, his schooling. Quickly pushing those ideas away though by repeating Break On Through to The Other Side. 

"I found an Island in your arms,

A Country in Your Eyes.

Arms That Chain Us,

Eyes that Lie,

Break on Through to The Other Side."

I picture this verse as references to Alchohol cosumption and heavy drug use, mostly LSD. Almost referring to the two as people, their effects showing us Islands and Countries, Breaking us free from Arms that chain us. Eyes that lie could mean that although he uses both these things he knows that the effects are not real, just Imagined.

I think this song is about letting go of yourself. Letting go so you can find something new, more exciting about yourself that you didn't know we had. We all have Doors in our life, things that hold us back, keeping us from truly expressing our feelings. Jim Morrison and The Doors encourage us to forget about them. Let Go. Break On Through To The Other Side.

Link For Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4FFF1NBiTs

The original "Break On Through" music video was filmed in 1967 and was simply a staged performance. It was in a dark room and given today's standard on entertainment  now seems quite primitive and "boring". Therefore I began searching youtube to find a more appropriate and interesting video. 

What I found was amazing. A video that includes shots from the original piece but also provides a great look into what life was like for Jim Morrison and The Doors. 

It begins by introducing the band. The tone is set very early as we see Jim Morrison getting arrested on stage with a big grin on his face. Then the lyrics begin. A close-eyed Jim belts out some of the darkest, most abstact writing the 60's had ever heard. As the video continues it shows the level of energy and chaos the band brought with them every where they went. Before the refrain begins they show Jim onstage at Wood Stock doing his signature "shamanistic" indian dance. Boom!. Staring directly into your eyes Jim screams to you Break On Through To The Other Side, almost demanding it. It's almost scary the level of intensity he says it with, definitely inspiring. 

Next "trippy" effects begin to take place on the video providing an interesting spin, representing the drug and hippie swagger the late 60's carried with them. As the second refrain ends and the solo's begin we get to see some pretty insane stuff. Riots on stage, fights with police officers, drunken Morrison getting arrested several times. The video begins to wrap itself up by showing more footage of the band together, always seeming to have a good time. There are several shots of Morrison walking around with video effects taking place. To me this is representing him Breaking Through his personal doors and definately feeling the effects of alchohol/drugs. 

The video ends by Showing Morrison the way he was when he died, overweight and with a beard. He was tired of being looked at as a pop-icon rather than a writer so he moved to Paris and lived a very low-key life. He wrote a book "An American Prayer" and began to make movies again. The last shot shows Jim walking out of empty stadium alone. 

Ending Analysis

"Made the scene
Week to week
Day to day
Hour to hour
The gate is straight
Deep and wide
Break on through to the other side"

These are the last lines to Break On Through. I feel Jim is speaking on the normality and repetitiveness of everyday life. He is saying that we are only part of a "scene", following the footsteps of others. Every week, day and hour are all the same and that society has become accustomed to the system we are born into / and eventually will die into. Although he is saying there is an escape, we can make our own scene if we just open our eyes. He claims that the gate to "the other side" is straight, deep and wide. Maybe saying that it's right in front if we could only just let it in. Once again I feel this is promoting individuality and self-discovery, encouraging us to look beyond the norm., escape the everyday, and break through to a new , more fulfilling life.

response to Jodie Miller

Thankyou for the comment!, I am glad to see this blog caught your interest and you voiced your opinion.

However Aldous Huxley's book "The Doors of Perception" came out after William Blake's book titled "The Marriage of Heaven & Hell". Aldous Huxley named his book after a quote in William Blake's novel.

"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite."

Jim references this is several interviews you can find online and also in the 1991 Oliver Stone film "The Doors".
Thanks for the commnent though!

This blog is a student run project to delve into "Break On Through" written by Jim Morrison and performed by The Doors. The posts that follow will contain a textual and contextual analysis of the lyrics, the writer’s word choice, how the music emphasizes certain lyrics, and how those lyrics function in the world.

I am particularly interested in seeing what responses, memories and feelings these lyrics evoke in myself as I continue to peel back the layers of meaning. And less interested in interviews given by the artist on the lyrics, although I may include some of those later on in my project.

Later, this blog will also feature an analysis of the official music video associated with the song.

Analysis of First Stanza

"You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah"

It's hard saying the definite meaning of day destroying the night and night dividing the day. I think he is talking about how the night time is when people truly begin to start going out and being themselves. I think he's saying that the day could be boring, destroying the outgoing, social atmosphere of the night. And that the night divides the day and gives us something to look forward to. When i here the next part I think of the writer (Jim Morrison), experiencing the onset of an LSD trip or hallucination. I picture him being nervous, sick-feeling, confused and slightly scared. I think when he says "Tried to run, Tried to Hide" he is talking about about fear, and fear of not knowing what is going to happen to him next. Fear and doubt of whether he is wanting to go on the trip in the first place. However he follows these lines with "Break on through to the other side" repeated 3 times. By repeating this phrase right after he is telling us that the trip is going to happen nomatter what, we must embrace, take it on without fear, so that it can take us to the the other side. yeah.

"God, he's big, he's moving, devouring consciousness, digesting power. Monster of energy. It's a monster. We're going to kiss the snake on the tongue. Kiss the serpent. But if it senses fear, it'll eat us instantly. But if we kiss it without fear, it'll take us through the garden, through the gate, to the other side. Ride the snake... until the end of time."

responses to d.malone & ashlyn childs

Thanks for the comments!
I'm glad you guys found the blog interesting. The song title relates directly to the stanza meaning that the 'person' or 'drug' he is referring to has opened his eyes to a whole new world of experiences, breaking him through the doors of perception.
I don't think the song is just about his relationship with drugs. I think it's nearly impossible to really know what Jim Morrison meant when writing this song. Poetry can mean a thousand things to a thousand people. I think the song is more about breaking through whatever is holding you back from achieving personal happiness. Jim just happened to use LSD as a means to break through.
Whether or not Jim Morrison ever broke it off with the drug is hard to say. Whether he wanted to or not is even harder to say. Jim died July 3rd, 1971 in Paris due to liver failure caused by heavy drinking.

Breaking'

"We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side"

In this, the second verse of Break On Through I believe Jim Morrison is speaking about adventure, danger and hope. I think in the other verses he is more so talking about drug hallucinogens, death and a lover. In this verse I think he is referring to breaking through the barriers life/society sets for you and starting a new.

Jim grew up in a fairly well to do family. His father was an admiral in the United States Army and he went to Florida State University at the age of 18. These were Jim's treasures. However they weren't enough, Jim needed more-needed to do something more important-needed to experience more of what this world has to offer. Jim dug his treasures in Florida, buried them, and never looked back.

He then chased his pleasures by reportedly hitch-hiking to California, Las Angeles to be specific. He enrolled in UCLA's film school but soon dropped out, not before meeting future band-mate Ray Manzarak and forming what was to be one America's most influential rock n' roll bands.

This never would have happened to Jim however without taking a risk within himself. Exploring ones own self and truly being who you want to be. In this verse Jim encourages us to leave it behind, embrace your feelings and make your own footsteps. Essentially. Break on Through.

“That's what real love amounts to- letting a person be what he really is. Most people love you for who you pretend to be. To keep their love, you keep pretending- performing. You get to love your pretence. It's true, we're locked in an image, an act-” - Jim Morrison

Breaking On Through

"I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chain us
Eyes that lie
Break on through to the other side"

This is the third and final verse to the song Break On Through. I believe Jim Morrison is speaking on the effects of LSD and also death. Jim was an avid drug user who claimed he used to expand his mind, rather than escape pain. When he is saying an "I found an island in your arms" and "country in your eyes" I believe he is almost communicating to the drug as if it were a human being. Showing him new things and revealing more than any one "person" could do with actual arms and eyes. Morrison was obsessed with the unknown, the dark, and the mysterious. I think drugs were his outlet to this new world and his saying “I believe in a long, prolonged derangement of the senses to attain the unknown. Our pale reasoning hides the infinite from us.” explains it perfectly.
The second half of this verse I believe is about death. Jim Morrison claimed not to be afraid of death, saying "Life hurts a lot more." Jim saw death as a new beginning, rather than an end. When he says "arms that chain us" and "eyes that lie" he refers to the bounds of society. How we are held back by those around us and how we essentially hold ourselves back. "Chain us" is a metaphor, nothing is literally chaining us, but rather limiting our freedom and self expression, and filling us with "Eyes that lie". Morrison lived his life to the fullest. He experienced all the things a Rock N' Roll star can. I think he viewed death as the one thing he hadn't done, the Door he hadn't yet opened. He often said he didn't want to die in his sleep or of old age, but rather in a fiery plane crash so that he could hear, smell, taste and feel death, claiming "Death is only going to happen to you once; I don't want to miss it.”
The other side could be many things to many people. To Jim it was the unknown. Whether that was death, an acid peak, or a personal revelation we'll never know. What we do know is that Jim broke on through, and wants us to as well. He wants us to set ourselves free, releasing our fears of the earthly world. He used very complex metaphors and imagery in his writings. To some this could seem confusing, stupid or just gibberish from a hippie. To others his words live on, and shape our lives every day.
"We're going to kiss the snake on the tongue. Kiss the serpent. But if it senses fear, it'll eat us instantly. But if we kiss it without fear, it'll take us through the garden, through the gate, to the other side. Ride the snake... until the end of time."

Analysis of Break On Through

This blog is a student run project to delve into Break on Through written by Jim Morrison and performed by The Doors. The posts that follow will contain a textual and contextual analysis of the lyrics, the writer’s word choice, how the music emphasizes certain lyrics, and how those lyrics function in the world.

The Doors were formed in 1966 in Las Angeles, California. Lead by controversial frontman Jim Morrison The Doors broke into the American rock scene in the summer of 1967 with their self entitled album. It would instantly become a classic, chaning the face of rock n' roll forever. The album is haunted by Jim Morrison's dark poetry focusing around subjects such as death, war, revolt and revolution. One of the first singles on their album was "Break On Through", a heavily guitar / drum based song with lyrics about breaking through the doors in your life.
The band is named after a qoute by poet / writer William Blake. "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite", Blake said. This means that man must "break through" the doors of his mind so that he can truly live his life as it were intended. Everyone could have their own set of doors, different things that limit them or keep them from being happy or sincerely living their life to the fullest. Since their are different doors for each of us, we each have our own ways or means to break through. Jim Morrison was a regular drug user and heavy drinker. To him breaking through could have been a revalation obtained through the use of hallucinogens, or an overcoming of the feeling of pain he constantly said he had.
To me the song essentially is about letting go. Letting go of yourself so that you can be free, and eventually get back more of yourself than you knew you had. Finding something deeper about yourself, your beliefs, and the ones you love. Break On Through.

Break On Through

You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
yeah
We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Yeah!
C'mon, yeah
Everybody loves my baby
Everybody loves my baby
She gets high
She gets highs
She gets high
She get high
I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chain us
Eyes that lie
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through, oww!
Oh, yeah!
Made the scene
Week to week
Day to day
Hour to hour
The gate is straight
Deep and wide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through
Break on through
Break on through
Break on through
Yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah