A Feast Of Friends

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.

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.

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"

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.

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

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

I've always loved this poem in particular and after listening to it many times, its obvious. Its about death in general (not a big surprise coming from Jim). The first half of the poem has references to war and dying.

"Dog-men and their mean women Pulling poor blankets over Our sailors"

The above is a reference to draping sheets over the dead, in particular "sailors," or men at sea fighting.

After Jim makes the above observation of death, it inspires him to evaluate his own life. As Schr4nz stated, he's "sick of dour faces staring at me from the TV tower." an obvious reference to his fame. He then returns to his original thoughts.

"Royal babies, rubies Must now replace aborted Strangers in the mud These mutants, blood-meal For the plant that's plowed"

The above is stating that the loss of soldiers is traded for monetary value or power. and "Blood meal for the plant thats plowed" is obviously a reference to these dead soldiers decomposing in the ground once burried.

He then speaks of death awaiting us. And despite the line that "death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as raven claws," its not a specific reference to any particular religion. Much of his poetry or lyrics have a spiritual theme to them, his own self-brewed spirituality.

And he ends it classically, stating he prefers a feast of friends to the giant family," similiar to a line from Paradise Lost, "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." Religion or Society is corrupt, why waste your time living by their laws, when you can become an Ubermensch and make your own while spending time with a few close friends?

Well. Firstly I think it's a personal statement "prefer a feast of friends to the giant family."

Secondly, I think it's a reflection on the human races tendency to glorify people after death no matter what they've done "death makes angels of us all."

And thirdly, it's a damn fine poem.

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.

anyone?