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The Doors - The Unknown Soldier

“The Unknown Soldier” was the first single from The Doors’ 1968 album Waiting for the Sun, and was also the subject of one of the band’s few music videos.

The song was Jim Morrison’s reaction to the Vietnam War and the way that conflict was portrayed in American media at the time. Lines such as, “Breakfast where the news is read/Television children fed/ unborn living, living dead/bullets strike the helmet’s head”, concern the way news of the war was being presented in the living rooms of ordinary people.

In the beginning, as well as after the middle of the song, the mysterious sounds of the organ is heard, depicting the mystery of the “Unknown Soldier”. In the middle of the song, the Doors produce the sounds of what appears to be an execution; It begins with military drums, plus the sound of the Sergeant counting off in 4s, (HUP, HUP, HUP 2 3 4), until he says “READY? HALT, PRESENT ARMS, being followed by the sounds of loading rifles, and a long military drum roll, a pause, and then the rifleshots; in live performances Robby Krieger would point his guitar towards Morrison like a rifle, drummer John Densmore would emulate a gunshot by producing a loud rimshot, by hitting the edge of the snare drum, therefore, breaking the sticks to the drum set,Manzarek would raise his hand and drop it as if to release the signal, and Morrison would fall screaming to the ground. After this middle section, the verses return and the song ends with Morrison’s ecstatic celebration of a war being over. In the studio version of the song, the sounds of crowds cheering and bells tolling can be heard.

Wait until the war is over
And we’re both a little older
The unknown soldier

Breakfast where the news is read
Television children fed
Unborn living, living, dead
Bullet strikes the helmet’s head

And it’s all over
For the unknown soldier
It’s all over
For the unknown soldier

Hut
Hut
Hut ho hee up
Hut
Hut
Hut ho hee up
Hut
Hut
Hut ho hee up
Comp’nee
Halt
Preeee-zent!
Arms!

Make a grave for the unknown soldier
Nestled in your hollow shoulder
The unknown soldier

Breakfast where the news is read
Television children fed
Bullet strikes the helmet’s head

And, it’s all over
The war is over
It’s all over
The war is over
Well, all over, baby
All over, baby
Oh, over, yeah
All over, baby
Wooooo, hah-hah
All over
All over, baby
Oh, woa-yeah
All over
All over
Heeeeyyyy

The Doors (Unknown Soldier Live at the Hollywood Bowl)

The Doors-The Unknown Soldier

(via johnnychallenge)