Not To Touch The Earth Lyrics
Not to see the sun.
Nothing left to do but
Run, run, run.
Let's run.
Let's run.
Moon is lying still.
Shadows of the trees
Witnessing the wild breeze.
Come on baby, run with me.
Let's run.
Run with me.
Run with me.
Let's run.
Rich are the rooms and the comforts there.
Red are the arms of luxuriant chairs.
And you won't know a thing till you get inside.
The engine runs on glue and tar.
Come on along, not going very far.
To the East, to meet the Czar.
Run with me.
Run with me.
Let's run.
The minister's daughter's in love with the snake
Who lives in a well by the side of the road
Wake up girl, we're almost home.
Yeah, come on!
We should be inside for evening.
Burn, burn, burn.
Soon, soon, soon.
Moon, moon, moon.
I will get you
Soon.
Soon.
Soon.
I can do anything.
All these interpretations are quite interesting, but I think Jim Morrison wasn't as haywire as some people are making out.
The man was quite educated! I think this song is based on a study of magic and Religion by a man called Sir James George Frazer, called "The Golden Bough". A lot of the themes brought forth in this work reflect the lyrics in the song, as it portrays parallels between rites and beliefs. Infact in chapter 60;"Between Heaven and Earth", the first sub chapter is entitled "Not to touch the Earth", and the second sub chapter is entitled "Not to see the sun".
Check it out sometime, it explains much more of this song, and shows how it is an abstract overview of the whole work, rather than just drugged up babble
Tara
I was looking to see if anyone was going to cite The Golden Bough, which as you pointed out, is a anthropological study of magic and religion (from the late 19th century). This is also one of the two main sources that T.S. Eliot references in his notes for The Waste Land (the other, 'From Ritual to Romance', is specific to the Grail motif). It is my contention that Morrison was using the mythological imagery (especially from the Between Heaven & Earth chapter) to paint a picture of the turbulent 60's.
I was looking to see if anyone was going to cite The Golden Bough, which as you pointed out, is a anthropological study of magic and religion (from the late 19th century). This is also one of the two main sources that T.S. Eliot references in his notes for The Waste Land (the other, 'From Ritual to Romance', is specific to the Grail motif). It is my contention that Morrison was using the mythological imagery (especially from the Between Heaven & Earth chapter) to paint a picture of the turbulent 60's.
And, btw, TGB is an incredibly interesting read...
And, btw, TGB is an incredibly interesting read and stands with the works of Joseph Campbell on the study of mythology.
just by looking at certain parts i think its a reference to Kennedy's presidency? "The mansion at the top of hte hill" meaning the white house and "you wont know a thing till u get inside" maybe refering to all the scandals around his administration. And then the "dead president's cvorpse in the drivers car". IT probably isnt really talking about this,i just thought it was a interesting interpretation.
"Dead president's corpse in the driver's car. The engine runs on glue and tar."
Kennedy's horse-drawn car with casket in it?!?! (Get it...horse...glue & tar.)
The presidential interpretation really could be a red herring. The next verse makes less sense in my mind so I have to say this song makes no sense. To me, a song written by Jim Morrison is as confounding as an album review out of Rolling Stone or a rant from Dennis Miller. Sometimes I wonder if they are a cross between the RS review and the Dennis Miller rant. The ending of the song is pretty cool, he definitely was the lizard king in terms that a lot of women played with his lizard. This song is one of Morrison's most trippy and it shows that the drugs are maybe affecting him.
"Not to Touch the Earth" and "Not to See the Sun" are two chapters in a book that Jim was apparently inspired by, and they're about how kings and leaders (a.k.a. czars) in ancient times were forbidden to step on the ground or look directly at the sun. So the JFK interpretation may have something to do with that. A lot of Jim's songs are half political rants and half love songs to me, which explains the whole "Run with me" part, but I can't really understand all of it. I think it is one of those songs you should just experience the intensity and darkness of, rather than picking it apart lyric by lyric.
I see this as jim feeling a strong detachment from life along with alot of craziness and confusion. Thats why the music sounds so insane during the verses, the when he get to the "run with me" part it sounds more resolute. So he's saying " everythings just out of control, let's just say fuck it and run." that whole thing about the book he was reading sounds like it's probably more accurate but this is just how i always felt the song was about
love this song... one of my favorite the doors songs... the live version of it is awesome
This is the song that gets it's lyrics from the Jim Morrison poem, "The Celebration of the Lizard". Very trippy.
This song means so much depending on how you view it. Jim Morrison is my idle but I gotta admitt for this song I'm guessing it didn't make much sence as a whole to him either. He probably wrote it while trippin and it's just a bunch of ideas out togehter as one. However, this is the best doors song ever and some of the lines in here are incredible
I would say you are wrong to dismiss it as random thoughts put together by some drugged out drunk. Something we do agree on is that he is too my idol. There is a reason why Jim Morrison is considered the greatest American (arguably international) poet of the 20th century. He was a genius! In his years at college there was a three row by at least 30 feet filled with philosophy books and you could pick out anyone, read a passage, and he could tell you who wrote it and what book. As far as the song goes, this...
I would say you are wrong to dismiss it as random thoughts put together by some drugged out drunk. Something we do agree on is that he is too my idol. There is a reason why Jim Morrison is considered the greatest American (arguably international) poet of the 20th century. He was a genius! In his years at college there was a three row by at least 30 feet filled with philosophy books and you could pick out anyone, read a passage, and he could tell you who wrote it and what book. As far as the song goes, this is clearly an anti-war song regarding Vietnam. As well he is looking at what happens when all that you believe in is taken away. "dead presidents corpse in the driver's car" and "some outlaws at the side of the lake, the ministers daughter in love with a snake". The first one is obviously talking about the assassination of JFK, who is the most beloved president of all time. What happened to him was devastating and many lost hope in their country. As well the ministers daughter being a attracted to a snake is an obvious reference to the bible with the snake representing the devil or in this case general evil. His point in this to show once again the lose of faith. The minister's daughter should be the most loyal to God, but what happens when she is attracted to the evils and sins in life. This song is about how when you take about faith boundaries it leads to pure choas
crazy wazy tripper song man