Wow, I'm sick of doubt
Live in the light of certain
South cruel bindings
The servants have the power
Dog-men and their mean women
Pulling poor blankets over our sailors
I'm sick of dour faces
Staring at me from the TV tower

I want roses in my garden bower, dig?
Royal babies, rubies
Must now replace aborted strangers in the mud
These mutants, blood-meal for the plant that's plowed

They are waiting to take us into the severed garden
Do you know how pale and wanton
Thrillful comes death on a strange hour?
Unannounced, unplanned for
Like a scaring, over-friendly guest you've brought to bed
Death makes angels of us all
And gives us wings where we had shoulders
Smooth as raven's claws

No more money, no more fancy dress
This other kingdom seems by far the best
Until its other jaw reveals incest
And lose obedience to a vegetable law
I will not go
Prefer a feast of friends to the giant family


Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira

A Feast of Friends Lyrics as written by John Paul Densmore Jim Morrison

Lyrics © Doors Music Company

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A Feast Of Friends song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    I believe the poem is about society/authority (cruel bindings) and the extrinsic negative hierarchical influences it places on us, which eventually leads to the eradication of our individuality. The negative influence that is created feeds on itself, making room for new "plants" to continue the never-ending cycle.

    They are waiting to take us into the severed garden refers to the overwhelming influence society/authority has on us and, what occurs, the death/abolishment of independent thought/individualism. It's unwelcome and may seem unnatural at first, but makes us "normal" conformists, just like everyone else.

    Although we are fooled to think that this life is far the best, we realize that the truth is the opposite. Conformity makes us angels in the eyes of society/authority, but its evil corruption eventually becomes evident.

    Jim is saying that he will not conform, he prefers a feast with other nonconformists than to the "giant family" society/everyone else that has conformed and is no longer a free/independent, open-thinking individual.

    BreakOnThroughon April 16, 2015   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    A Feast of Friends to me is obviously about death. It refer literaly to death and maybe to the death of the "icon" Jim Morrison. In is late life, he retired from the doors and went to Paris. Jim decide not to die physicaly now, but retire from the crowd and the crazy life of a rock star. The nihilist explanation is also good the me.

    QuebecGuy777on February 20, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i don't know how to live in light of certain death witches blind the mans seamen and he is under its spell dark clouds make me ill old ties to slave magic obedient men with angry women pull woolen over eyes of seamen the watch tower man looks down on me

    sanctuary with woman little red gems take the place of lost children unrecognizable people gather in the shit for the drugs so willing to share sacred spaces

    They are waiting to share secret spaces it is wonderful to taste the clouds

    death comes at a late hour just when we are ready to live after moments of sharing a healing

    and every sinner is new when he is gone

    heaven looks so good till the heard of animals i deny this rather i eat the living then to dine with ghost


    Its past my bed time so this is all the play time i got. just watch the movie its all the same stuff.

    emangroon April 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    anyone?

    psychobainon October 09, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is an excerpt from Morrison's epic poem "An American Prayer." It was released on the album of the same name. As for its meaning, I believe he took the secrets of all his poetry to the grave. His writing is so abstract, so surreal, it's hard to make any sense of it. But I love how he speaks of Death. "A scaring, over-friendly guest you've brought to bed."

    LordDionysiuson June 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    No more money, no more fancy dress This other Kingdom seems by far the best Until its other jaw reveals incest And loose obedience to a vegetable law ---death brings an end to all the hardships of life, but also an end to all the great things life has to offer...which goes with the next line

    I will not go Prefer a Feast of Friends To the Giant family ---He wants to live his life with what he has, and the people he holds close rather than spend eternity with the countless others who have died and moved on to the next "kingdom"

    mattduczon May 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    If this isn't the most beautiful song about the duality between death and life... Matt ducz got it: He referes to stay alive with his friends than to die a be with a bunch of people he didn'tknow. This was recorded just before he went to Paris, at a time when he was slowing down on his abuses. The damage was done and he died there.

    rkcon December 31, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm surprised that many people who claim to be the "biggest" Morrison fans have little to no knowledge about the people and ideologies that influenced his works. This poem is 100% Nietzschean philosophy - - Jim speaks as what Nietzsche referred to as the "Overman". To get a basic understanding (if you're not familiar with Nietzsche's works) read this by cutting and pasting the link into your browser:

    stanford.edu/~pj97/Nietzsche.htm

    "No more money, no more fancy dress This other Kingdom seems by far the best Until its other jaw reveals incest And loose obedience to a vegetable law"

    In other words, instead of living for this world, we place such a high value on and strive toward the afterlife or "kingdom of god" when in reality (ie, "its other jaw") our religious institutions are corrupt(i.e., "incest") and hypocrytical (i.e., "loose obedience to a vegetable law"). Nietzsche had no use for religion ("God is Dead"). It was this life that concerned him.

    mdmdaon April 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Beatiful,beatiful song...Morrison's lyrics simply rock "Prefer a Feast of Friends To the Giant family": obviously he's mocking people who believe in heaven and hell and ofcourse religions(epecially
    christianity).It' my favourite line and as for the whole song's meaning,I agree with mdmda,Morrison was really into Nietzche

    eliza13on March 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Did anyone fail to realize that the title of the song is a line from 'When the Music's Over'?

    o.noiron April 30, 2008   Link

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