Every year towards the end of May, there is a certain excitement that fills the air of American culture. We know it as... the end of school for the summer. It is highlighted by the Memorial Day weekend. (Never mind it's not what the weekend is about, but we'll get to that in another post, on Monday)
Even in the face of this newly rediscovered annual freedom festival, there were always a few unlucky or foolish souls who made piss poor decisions that cost them their lives. I knew of a few people in my younger days that fit this bill. Just I am sure others know of some more recently.
In the grand scope of things, let's just say there will always be those select few who will feel invincible. This song called, Then Came The Last Days Of May tells the story of three such folly-laden young men:
Invincibility is overrated, immortality in this world is non-existent. The graveyards hold many who miscalculated and the world has many among us today, who skated a visit from the Grim Reaper.
If nothing else we can use both kinds of people as examples, bad and good. The rock world is no exception and is full of late musicians and singers who failed to recognize the folly of walking a tight rope without a balance beam.
I sense that Morrison might have sensed his own mortality in this all-time classic:
Be careful out there this weekend. Be Safe.
Relax and celebrate with passion. But please do it responsibly.
2 comments:
I'm so naive I never thought of the meaning of RIDERS ON THE STORM as you've portrayed it but I see your point. While living in Paris, there were two graves I knew I particularly wanted to see...Chopin and Morrison. Morrison's been very badly vandalized (I guess it's more about wanting a piece of him than wanting the grave site to look bad)..Chopin ALWAYS has fresh flowers people still bring..
that has to be one of the best intros of any song...always wonderful keyboard from the DOORS..LIGHT MY FIRE's is dynamite, isn't it? In my band, I had to play that and I always felt deficient, though I usually got the notes.
Memorial Day isn't only about soldiers, is it......memories are memories and too many kids in our memories lost their lives to drugs...
Thanks, LA.
//that has to be one of the best intros of any song...always wonderful keyboard from the DOORS..LIGHT MY FIRE's is dynamite, isn't it?//
As a fan of music, I have always thought so too. It's nice to hear someone in the business validate what I have always felt to be true.
The song always had an eerie feel to it, probably because I first heard it after his death. But I will say that if anyone had the opportunity and ability to fake his own death, it would have been him.
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