Celebration of the Lizard

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"Celebration of the Lizard"
Composition by the Doors
from the album Absolutely Live
Published1970
Released
  • 1970 (live version)
  • 2003 (studio version)
Genre
Length
  • 14:25 (live version)
  • 17:09 (studio version)
LabelElektra
Composer(s)The Doors
Lyricist(s)Jim Morrison
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild

"Celebration of the Lizard" is a performance piece by American rock band the Doors, featuring lyrics written by lead singer Jim Morrison and music by the Doors. Composed as a series of poems, the piece includes both spoken verse and sung lyrics, musical sections and passages of allegorical storytelling.[1]

"Celebration of the Lizard" was performed in its entirety at several Doors concerts, with a complete live performance of the piece appearing on the band's 1970 live album Absolutely Live (and, subsequently, on the 1991 live compilation album In Concert). A complete studio-recorded version later appeared on the compilation album Legacy: The Absolute Best in 2003.

Background[]

The entire piece was originally intended to be recorded and released as one full side of the band's third studio album, Waiting for the Sun, in 1968. However, record producer Paul A. Rothchild and the other members[who?] of the band thought that the extended poetic sections and overall length of the piece made a complete recording impossible.[2] The band did attempt to record the full piece several times but abandoned the idea, as they were dissatisfied with the results.

The musical passage, "Not to Touch the Earth", was recorded separately and released on the Waiting for the Sun album, while the lyrics for the rest of the piece were published inside the gatefold jacket of the original vinyl LP, with the footnote, "Lyrics to a theatre composition by The Doors."[3] Morrison quoted in a Rolling Stone magazine interview upon the song's failure to include on the album: "It was pieced together on different occasions out of already existing elements rather than having any generative core from which it grew. I still think there's hope for it."[4]

Sections[]

  1. "Lions in the Street"
  2. "Wake Up!"
  3. "A Little Game”
  4. "The Hill Dwellers"
  5. "Not to Touch the Earth"
  6. "Names of the Kingdom"
  7. "The Palace of Exile"

References[]

  1. ^ Goldstein, Richard (August 5, 1968). "The Shaman as Superstar". New York Magazine. New York.
  2. ^ The Doors (2009). When You're Strange (film). Eagle Rock Entertainment.
  3. ^ Waiting for the Sun (Liner notes). The Doors. Elektra. July 3, 1968.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ Hopkins, Jerry (July 26, 1969). "The Rolling Stone Interview: Jim Morrison". Rolling Stone. New York City: Wenner Media. Retrieved March 9, 2021.

External links[]

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