Rock- -Roll Surrogate
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Arts Entertainment -> subcategory Music.
Title: Rock-&-Roll SurrogateSummary:
Some people pursue a lifestyle that's both daring and reckless. While such a path can lead to early demise, is there a silver lining for the rest of us? Perhaps.
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Years ago, when I first arrived in Paris, there was one destination I couldn't wait to visit: Père Lachaise Cemetery.
It's the final resting place of luminaries like Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Sarah Bernhardt, and Chopin. If I'd arrived during daylight, I would have paid my respects properly. However, it was around 1:00 a.m., and my visit was more of a pilgrimage to what is now a shrine?"Jim Morrison's grave.
While icons like James Dean, Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe, Mama Cass, and Keith Moon met tragic ends, Jim Morrison lived hard so we didn't have to.
I believe there are people who live on the edge to relay their experiences to the rest of us. They don’t consciously choose this path; rather, their existence draws them in. They combine talent, freedom, credibility, and a platform?"and from this mix, fate forges legends.
This doesn’t always lead to an early grave. Consider Lou Reed. Lauded by Andy Warhol, he could be called the godfather of punk?"a genre still influencing music today. Known for his economy of words, Reed survived, despite his notorious lifestyle. The nihilistic creator of "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat" managed to endure, likely to his own surprise.
Morrison, however, seemed indifferent to his fate.
Driven by a mystical dimension alongside reality, Morrison’s life is well-documented in Danny Sugarman's "No One Here Gets Out Alive" and Oliver Stone’s film "The Doors." Morrison’s anthem "Break on Through to the Other Side" reflected his persona as The Lizard King. His lyrics and lifestyle ignited both admiration and controversy. The Doors crafted his visions into music that defined an era, seamlessly transitioning from easy listening to intense experiences. When Morrison sang, "I woke up this morning and got myself a beer," you knew he lived his lyrics.
It's no wonder rumors circulated about French authorities wanting to remove him from such a prestigious cemetery. However, a vigilant gendarme informed me that his grave was purchased in perpetuity. As such, security patrols keep watch over Morrison’s midnight visitors.
Even at that late hour, I joined about a dozen others around Morrison's headstone. A portable stereo played Doors classics, candles and flashlights added to the ambiance, and a whiff of the 60s hovered in the air. The gendarmes maintained their distance as long as the visitors were discreet. The crowd constantly shifted as people arrived and departed with little interaction. Conversations flowed freely, focusing on Morrison’s attempt to elevate consciousness. Lyrics were analyzed, and musical passages celebrated?"all in hushed tones, to keep the stereo’s soundtrack the focal point.
I stayed for two hours. There were no introductions or arguments, just a shared intensity in the reflections. The discussions felt thoughtful and therapeutic, framing Morrison’s life and works as extensions of our own, enriching us in some personal way.
That night, it struck me that Jim Morrison might have preferred being the focal point for our introspective discussions rather than a raucous concert crowd.
If so, perhaps he finally achieved what he wanted. In a way, we did too.
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