The Soft Parade (song)
Encyclopedia
The Soft Parade is the ninth and final track on the fourth studio album
of the same name by the rock
band The Doors
. Many listeners believe that this and Shaman's Blues
are reminiscent to the old style of The Doors, as heard in the albums The Doors
and Strange Days
. This is mainly because the song contains both lyrical
and melodic
shifts. At the beginning of the song, Jim Morrison
starts out with spoken word
s reminiscent of a raving Christian preacher. This part of the song is referred to as the "Petition the Lord with Prayer" section. The song then goes into a harpsichord
driven semi-introductory piece mainly known as "Sanctuary", with lyrics such as, "Can you give me sanctuary, I must find a place to hide" referencing his then-current problems like the Miami and New Haven arrests. Afterwards, the beat picks up and the song progressively gets faster, and features a psychedelic pop
section, followed by an upbeat, soft section before going into a wild blues-rock
part that ends the song. The new, 2006 remastered album reinstates an intro before the 'Petition The Lord With Prayer' section where Morrison laments that he's "troubled immeasurably" by the "feather of your soft reply" of an unnamed subject.
and later included on other Doors compilation DVDs. Organist Ray Manzarek
later called the performance "A mother... all four Doors in perfect sympatico". The performance also features a rare filmed appearance of a bearded, yet still characteristically charismatic, Jim Morrison. (Morrison usually shaved off his beard for publicity shots and television appearances.)
The suite in its entirety was not performed often after the PBS taping, but the 'Petition The Lord With Prayer' monologue was recited at later shows.
as well as T. S. Eliot
's poem "Ash Wednesday
", much like many other selections of Morrison's poetry, which are heavily influenced by other poets and authors, notably "Break On Through
", "Not to Touch the Earth
", and numerous others.
The Soft Parade
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by The Doors, released in 1969.The album met with some controversy among fans and critics due to its inclusion of brass and string instrument arrangements, as opposed to the more stripped-down sound of their earlier recordings...
of the same name by the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
. Many listeners believe that this and Shaman's Blues
Shaman's Blues
"Shaman's Blues" is a song written by Jim Morrison and performed by The Doors on their 1969 album The Soft Parade. The song describes a shaman pleading with his ex-lover to return back to him. He states that he knows the woman's "moods and your mind" but doesn't seem to be able to sway her and...
are reminiscent to the old style of The Doors, as heard in the albums The Doors
The Doors (album)
The Doors is the debut album by the American rock band The Doors, recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967. It was originally released in significantly different stereo and mono mixes...
and Strange Days
Strange Days (album)
Strange Days is the second album released by American rock band The Doors. The album was a commercial success, earning a gold record and reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Despite this, the album's producer, Paul Rothchild, considered it a commercial failure, even if it was an...
. This is mainly because the song contains both lyrical
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and melodic
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
shifts. At the beginning of the song, Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
starts out with spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
s reminiscent of a raving Christian preacher. This part of the song is referred to as the "Petition the Lord with Prayer" section. The song then goes into a harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
driven semi-introductory piece mainly known as "Sanctuary", with lyrics such as, "Can you give me sanctuary, I must find a place to hide" referencing his then-current problems like the Miami and New Haven arrests. Afterwards, the beat picks up and the song progressively gets faster, and features a psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop is a psychedelic musical style inspired by the sounds of psychedelic folk and psychedelic rock, but applied to a pop music setting...
section, followed by an upbeat, soft section before going into a wild blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
part that ends the song. The new, 2006 remastered album reinstates an intro before the 'Petition The Lord With Prayer' section where Morrison laments that he's "troubled immeasurably" by the "feather of your soft reply" of an unnamed subject.
PBS performance
A notable, yet rare performance of the suite was filmed for a PBS Doors television documentaryTelevision documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
and later included on other Doors compilation DVDs. Organist Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
later called the performance "A mother... all four Doors in perfect sympatico". The performance also features a rare filmed appearance of a bearded, yet still characteristically charismatic, Jim Morrison. (Morrison usually shaved off his beard for publicity shots and television appearances.)
The suite in its entirety was not performed often after the PBS taping, but the 'Petition The Lord With Prayer' monologue was recited at later shows.
Influence from literature
The song draws comparison to William BlakeWilliam Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
as well as T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
's poem "Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday (poem)
"Ash Wednesday" is the first long poem written by T. S. Eliot after his 1927 conversion to Anglicanism. Published in 1930 , this poem deals with the struggle that ensues when one who has lacked faith in the past strives to move towards God.Sometimes referred to as Eliot's "conversion poem",...
", much like many other selections of Morrison's poetry, which are heavily influenced by other poets and authors, notably "Break On Through
Break on Through (To the Other Side)
"Break on Through " is a song by The Doors from their debut album, The Doors. It was the first single released by the band and was unsuccessful compared to later hits, reaching only #126 in the United States...
", "Not to Touch the Earth
Not to Touch the Earth
"Not to Touch the Earth" is a 1968 song by The Doors from their album Waiting for the Sun. It stems from Jim Morrison's poem, "Celebration of the Lizard". A recording of the complete poem was attempted at the sessions for the album, but only the musical passage Not to Touch the Earth was deemed fit...
", and numerous others.