# Jim Morrison..THE golden child **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457 "2013-02-06T04:46:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![H3Knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@H3Knuckles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H3Knuckles)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/41 "2013-02-07T07:30:41Z")
Beastly beat me to it, but [here’s what wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Irish) has to say about it. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/42 "2013-02-07T07:33:40Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Morrison was an admiral’s son with issues… For the past 40 years it has surprised me how very few people seem to be aware of this bit of trivia: Admiral George Stephen Morrison, nasty Jimbo’s father, was commander of the U.S. naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident of August 1964, which set off what is known as the Vietnam War. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/43 "2013-02-07T11:39:55Z")
One other aspect of Morrison’s personality that hasn’t been mentioned is that he insisted The Doors was a group and shared most of the songwriting credits equally (“The Soft Parade” album is different). Robbie Krieger has said that this worked out about the same for him since he wrote the two biggest hits “Light My Fire” and “Touch Me.” But John Densmore and Ray Manzarek have made a lot of money over the years because of this equal sharing which seldom happens in musical groups. A nice guy when sober but a mean drunk. Morrison loved to drink saying it was cheap, legal and being Irish he was supposed to (his description, not mine). He also had a strong contrarian personality, when other members hired people to keep him sober, he was more determined to drink. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/44 "2013-02-07T11:56:26Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > One other aspect of Morrison’s personality that hasn’t been mentioned is that he insisted The Doors was a group And that’s why I found the Oliver Stone movie disappointing. The title was a lie. It was not about The Doors, the band; it was The Jim Morrison Story. I wanted to see a film about the band. So much for that. I especially thought that with Kyle MacLaughlan playing Manzarek, there’d be some good scenes showing him and Morrison at odds with each other. Instead, he was portrayed as Morrison’s sidekick. (IIRC; I only saw it once.) ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/45 "2013-02-07T13:24:13Z")
Pfff…Englebert Humperdink would kick Jim Morrison’s ass. Only the young Englebert, though. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/46 "2013-02-07T16:11:21Z")
I think Morrison had a real death wish-the way he abused his body with alcohol and tobacco-just compare the guy when the Doors got started, with what he looked like when he croaked. Is there something about rock starts that leads them to self-destruction? Amy Winehouse comes to mind-her “Back to Black” video looks like a forecast of her own death. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/47 "2013-02-07T17:00:40Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Robbie Krieger has said that this worked out about the same for him since he wrote the two biggest hits “Light My Fire” and “Touch Me.” Nitpick: he wrote two of the Doors’ three biggest hits. Morrison’s “Hello, I Love You,” a #1 smash, easily outclasses “Touch Me” in popularity. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/48 "2013-02-08T05:52:54Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Nitpick: he wrote two of the Doors’ three biggest hits. Morrison’s “Hello, I Love You,” a #1 smash, easily outclasses “Touch Me” in popularity. Not “easily”. Touch Me spent 13 weeks on the charts, 12 in the top 40 and 8 in the top 10. Hello was on the charts for one week less, spent one less week in the top 40, but one more in the top 10. The first peaked at #3 for one week. The latter peaked two positions higher and lasted two weeks in that position. Given the competition at the time, they could almost be said to be equal. In 1966-68, over 700 singles reached the Top 100. Compare that to say 2007, when only 410 singles charted. I believe that many #1 singles today have double digit runs. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/49 "2013-02-08T07:46:11Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > One too many. Robby wrote “Tell All The People” > [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’ve never been one of those “OMG JIM MORRISON!1!!” people. When I hear his name, I just associate it with the Doors. I couldn’t tell you who wrote what. > But I do love The Doors (and Jim’s voice). Oh. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/50 "2013-02-08T15:14:02Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > I think he was very deep and felt things on a level many people don’t Oh yeah, that Indian he was following around in that movie that only he could see. And let’s not be silly. Robert Plant is _the_ golden god! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/51 "2013-02-08T16:54:54Z")
The Doors: carnival music fronted by a hack with absolutely no range in his voice whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/52 "2013-02-08T17:10:51Z")
I haven’t listened to a lot of Doors, but, now that you mention it: yeah, Jim Morrison doesn’t have much vocal range, does he? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/53 "2013-02-08T17:33:40Z")
He didnt have much of a singing voice, period. However, he made it work for rock and roll. Put me in the “way too fucking overrated” camp. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/54 "2013-02-08T20:58:32Z")
Is this a good time to repost Weird Al’s tribute to The Doors? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/y4sALru9IJk/maxresdefault.jpg ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Craigslist (Official 4K Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4sALru9IJk) (And yes, that’s actually Ray Manzarek you hear on the organ.) ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/55 "2013-02-09T11:25:28Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Is this a good time to repost Weird Al’s tribute to The Doors? I’ll top that, and give you [Jimmy Fallon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBRYsAfchkY) (singing the Reading Rainbow song, no less). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/56 "2013-02-09T22:19:07Z")
I recall reading/hearing that Jim _hated_ this song, initially refused to sing it and didn’t want his name on the credits. That song _is_ a stinker. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/57 "2013-02-10T15:16:39Z")
Well, MY favorite was The Alabama Song (by Kurt Weill, 1928?). This, plus the Doors, plus Jim Morrison = perfect nirvana for me. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457/58 "2013-02-18T16:29:35Z")
Morrison was an incredible talent, but also a flawed human being. Unfortunately the flaws often go with the talent. Really I think he thought he was deeper than he really was. But it still worked for me, and the music was amazing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-morrison-the-golden-child/649457.md?page=2)