THE DOORS’ "WHEN THE MUSIC'S OVER" AND RELIGION IN 1960s MUSIC

 

The Christian religion was an important reference point for American society in the 1960s.

The relationship between Pop-Rock and Rock, on the one hand, and the Christian faith, on the other, was antagonistic for most of the decade.

Indeed, the transgressive messages of many musicians were condemned by most adults, with religious people in the front row.

The Doors were no exception, becoming a target of the disapproval that the more religious segment of Americans reserved for the best artists of that generation.

On their second album, "Strange Days" (September 1967), Jim Morrison poetically mentions Christian religion in "When The Music's Over", a superlative song placed at the end of the LP.

"Cancel my subscription to the resurrection" Morrison sings at min. 4.11 of this magnificent track; than he screams "Save us! Jesus! Save us!" (at min. 8:43).

The verses we are referring to were written in a polemical and irreverent vein toward the severe social habits and values promoted by religious institutions.

Morrison’s target was not spirituality itself.

These lyrics’ fragments capture the polemical and desperate anger of a generation that saw an historical cultural change slowed down by the attitudes of political, social, and religious power centers.

Morrison's attitude toward the Christian religion is immortalized by an encounter he had with a Protestant pastor before (or after) a concert in 1968. As you can see, he was not disrespectful, but interested in confrontation and dialogue.

In addition to The Doors of "Strange Days", other Rock or Pop-Rock groups of the same era also addressed religion through their lyrics.

One example is given by The Strawbs, an English band that included "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus", written by bandleader Dave Cousins, on their debut album ("Strawbs", 1969).

It’s a beautiful Pop-Rock song that recounts the return of Christ in the society of '69 through reflective and ironic episodes. Note the melodies of the verse and chorus, both of good quality, supported in an engaging way by the drums.

Another and more famous example is "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds, released both as a single (#1 in the U.S.) and on the band's second LP ("Turn! Turn! Turn!", December 1965).

This Folk-Rock cover of a 1962 Pete Seger Folk song is notable for the sparkling guitar interplay of Roger McGuinn and David Crosby and the fascinating melody depicted by the harmony vocals.

The lyrics of this composition are almost entirely taken from the Book of Numbers, one of the Old Testament books of the Christian Bible.

We have thus examined three examples of how religion was perceived and expressed in 1960s Rock and Pop-Rock music.

They took us from The Doors' criticism wrapped in poetry (with "When The Music's Over") to the Byrds' lyrics taken directly from the Bible.

The Strawbs', on the other hand, gave us an ironic reflection built upon the stark contradictions between the everyday world and the original Gospel message in those years of great social change.