THE DOORS’ “I LOOKED AT YOU”: A SWIRLING AND UNDERRATED ROCK SONG

 

The second track on the B-side of The Doors' first LP is "I Looked At You", certainly one of the lesser-known songs by the Californian group.

Let's try to dig beneath the surface to uncover the beauty of this rock song, which deserves not only attention to its details, but an overall reassessment of its musical characteristics.

Beginning with lyrics written in poetic form by singer Jim Morrison, the song takes shape with the direct and immediate arrangement built by drums (Densmore), electric guitar (Robby Krieger), electric organ (Ray Manzarek), Fender Rhodes piano bass (Manzarek) and electric bass (Larry Knechtel).

The song structure is fairly regular, developing through repetition, without instrumental solos, of verse, chorus and post-chorus.

This last part can be traced during the words "'Cause it's too late, too late, too late", which are placed exactly after each of the choruses.

The alternation of these three parts (verse-chorus-post-chorus) is partially interrupted by a short instrumental transition led by the electric organ (from min. 1.01 to min. 1.12), which, however, does not change the overall linearity of the composition.

Within The Doors’ first album, "I Looked At You" plays the role of highlighting Morrison's voice, an element that consequently emerges as central to the song's musical structure.

Throughout the tune there are two vocal lines, recorded separately (after a couple of attempts) and deliberately paired without a constant synchronization between them.

In this way, the screams and vocal explosions that the singer inserts in each of the two parts he sings overlap, conveying emotions that would be otherwise impossible to reproduce with a single recorded voice.

Morrison's voice is at once angry and decadent in its expressiveness, has a great sound impact and seductive charisma: it's perfectly suited to the genre of rock he interprets here.

The words of the song (by Morrison) are ambivalent and suggest two different interpretations.

In the most popular understanding, the lyrics tell of regret over a love affair that began under the best of circumstances, but then ended. The separation between the two is now irreparable and it is too late for a rapprochement.

In this case, the lyrics would certainly not be innovative, as this theme has been dealt with in numerous compositions of various genres (such as The Beatles famous pop-rock song "Yesterday", written by Paul McCartney and included on the LP "Help!" of 1965).

In the case of "I Looked At You", however, this usually sad and bitter sentiment is presented in a more energetic and vehement manner, as if to represent the elusive passage of time that indifferently sweeps over the painful events of life.

The second interpretation of the lyrics, on the other hand, is less considered, but the words used by Morrison himself fully justify it as well. In this other interpretation the singer would talk about the road with no return taken by two lovers who are bound together by their own irresistible feelings and who will continue on the path they have chosen together, in spite of every obstacle.

Three other musical features distinguish this composition.

The first is the bass line formed by the same notes played by session man Lerry Knechtel's electric bass and by the small keyboard played by Manzarek's with his left hand (the Fender Rhodes piano bass).

The second feature is the swirling sensation that carries the listener along the tune, like a rapid current formed by the enthralling progression of the electric guitar and the electric organ.

Towards the end of the composition (at min. 1:50) The Doors insert a false finale, created specifically to surprise the listener: after two seconds of silence, the song starts again with a last chorus and a post-chorus, to reach its definitive end.

With "I Looked At You", The Doors deliver a sweeping rock that is fascinating in its immediacy and simplicity, perfectly suited to the thriving artistic-musical climate of the late summer of 1966 (when it was recorded).