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.