THE DOORS’ “I’M TROUBLED”: THE LOST INTRO OF “THE SOFT PARADE” SUITE

The title track of The Doors' fourth LP, "The Soft Parade" (released in July 1969), is well-known among fans of the Californian group.

Consisting of several different sections tied together, it is a suite that lasts about eight minutes and closes the album.

During the song's recording sessions in early 1969, the intro was deliberately omitted.

Consequently, the official version of the tune begins with Jim Morrison reciting some verses from one of his poems ("When I was back there in seminary school...").

Originally, however, the suite's introduction was different. The original intro was included as a bonus track in the 2019 edition of the album but was not reinstated in its original position at the beginning of the suite.

Entitled "I'm Troubled" (here's the link) this short introduction is a significant addition to the material produced for the album "The Soft Parade” and is a piece of music and poetry that can deeply move listeners and evoke great charm.

"I'm Troubled" adds just thirty-nine seconds to the original song. Jim Morrison's voice sounds bitter and tender at the same time, flowing over the delicate carpet of sound depicted by Manzarek's electric organ.

The poem, as interpreted by The Doors' lead singer, is of remarkable beauty; surely one of the most moving love lyrics he ever wrote and recorded.

Sitting in front of his beloved, he uses subtle metaphors and poetic imagery to describe her gestures and words. As the title suggests, he intends to draw attention to the effect her behavior has on him.

The final section of the text, where the sound of a toast conceals what the beloved's eyes are fighting to express, is particularly brilliant.

This concise poem needs to be read and listened to several times in order to grasp the nuances of meaning implied by each line. The verses flow into one another with a gentle rhythm, creating a musical atmosphere that is simultaneously absorbing and saddening.

The letter 'S' is pronounced with an ethereal echo. The singer softly delivers the rest of the words, laying them on the subdued despair conveyed by the poem's poignant interpretation.

Manzarek's electric organ accompanies the voice with a floating, dreamy sound, obtained using a distortion effect built into his Gibson G-101 keyboard.

While acting as a backdrop to the reciting voice, the sound extracted by Manzarek remains in perfect balance between the sentimental desolation felt by the poem's protagonist and the sweetness that finds its way through his pain.

“I'm Troubled”, the initial segment of the “The Soft Parade” suite, was presumably omitted because Morrison's voice alone (“When I was back there in seminary school...”) was considered a more incisive and penetrating beginning.

While we must acknowledge the rightfulness of the decision made by producer Rothchild and the band, it is a pity that this brief yet magnificent poetic and musical gem was excluded from the final version of the song.

This confirms that Morrison was not only a great musician, but also a poet of depth, extremely skilled at combining these two arts to create a result that is as heartbreaking as it is suave.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”