An American Prayer
Jim Morrison Lyrics


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Do you know the warm progress under the stars?
Do you know we exist?
Have you forgotten the keys to the kingdom?
Have you been born yet and are you alive?

Let's reinvent the Gods, all the myths of the ages
Celebrate symbols from deep elder forests
Have you forgotten the lessons of the ancient war?
We need great golden copulations

Fathers are cackling in trees of the forest
Our mother is dead in the sea
Do you know we are being led to slaughters by placid admirals
And the fats slow generals are getting obscene on young blood

Do you know we are ruled by TV?
The moon is dry blood beast
Guerrilla bands are rolling numbers
In the next block of green vine
Amassing for warfare on
Innocent herdsman who are just dying

Oh, great creator of being grant us one more hour
To perform our art and perfect our lives
Moths and atheists are doubly divine and dying
We live, we die, and death not ends it

Journey we more into the nightmare
Cling to life, our passioned flower
Cling to cunts and cocks of despair
We got our final vision by clap
Columbus's groin got filled with green death
I touched her thigh and death smiled

We have assembled inside this ancient and insane theatre
To propagate our lust for life
And flee the swarming wisdom of the streets
The barns are stormed
The windows kept and only one of all the rest
To dance and save us with the divine mockery of words
Music inflames temperament

When the true King's murderers are allowed to roam free
A thousand magicians arise in the land

Where are the feasts were promised?




Where is the wine?
The new wine, dying on the vine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of An American Prayer are a commentary on the condition of American society in the late 1960s, delivered with the poetry and intensity that defined Jim Morrison’s work. The opening lines of the song draw the listener in with existential questions about human existence and the universe. The lines “Let’s reinvent the gods, all the myths of the ages / Celebrate symbols from deep elder forests” suggest a desire to create new cultural and spiritual myths to guide human behavior. The line “We need great golden copulations” is a call for humans to engage in passionate relationships and appreciate the beauty of sexuality.


The lyrics take a darker turn with the lines “Do you know we are being led to slaughters by placid admirals and fat slow generals? / Getting obscene on young blood?” This is a critique of the Vietnam War and the leaders who were sending young Americans off to fight and die. The line “Do you know we are ruled by T.V.?” is a statement on the influence of television on American culture and politics. Morrison seems to be suggesting that people are being influenced by the media instead of thinking for themselves.


The closing lines of the song express a desire for more time to create and appreciate art and beauty. The lines “We live, we die and death not ends it / Journey we more into the Nightmare / Cling to life Our passion’d flower / Cling to Cunts and cocks of despair” suggest a longing for life and passion, even in the midst of darkness and despair. The final lines of the song are a mournful plea for something more, echoing the disillusionment of a generation: “Where are the feasts we are promised / Where is the wine The New Wine / Dying on the vine.”


Line by Line Meaning

Do you know the warm progress under the stars?
Are you aware of the tranquil nature of the universe under the shine of the stars?


Do you know we exist?
Are you mindful that we are present and alive right now?


Have you forgotten the keys to the kingdom
Have you lost sight of the fundamental principles of existence?


Have you been borne yet and are you alive?
Have you been born and are you in the state of living?


Let's reinvent the gods, all the myths of the ages
Let's create anew some mystical beings and preserve the myths of the past


Celebrate symbols from deep elder forests
Admire and enjoy the ancient symbols from far-off forests


Have you forgotten the lessons of the ancient war
Have you overlooked the teachings of history's wars?


We need great golden copulations
We desire immense and powerful sexual encounters


The fathers are cackling in trees of the forest
The influential dads are laughing in the forest's trees


Our mother is dead in the sea
Our mother, the nurturing part of us, is gone in the deep oceans


Do you know we are being led to slaughters by placid admirals and fats slow generals are Getting obscene on young blood?
Are you aware that calm admirals and sluggish generals are leading us to violent killing, while indulging in young blood?


Do you know we are ruled by T.V.?
Do you grasp that television controls our thoughts?


The moon is dry blood beast
The moon resembles a animal made of dry blood


Guerrilla bands are rolling numbers in the next block of green vine
The rebel groups are planning their offensive nearby in secrecy


Amassing for warfare on innocent herdsman who are just dying
Preparing to fight against defenseless peasants who are already dying


O great creator of being grant us one more hour
Please grant us more time, o mighty creator


To perform our art and perfect our lives
So that we can create and lead flawless lives


The moths and atheists are doubly divine and dying
The non-believers and those in despair are special and passing on


We live, we die and death not ends it
We are born, we die and death is not the end


Journey we more into the Nightmare
Let's venture further into the scary world we already exist in


Cling to life Our passion'd flower
Hold onto life, our beloved and zealously protected flower


Cling to Cunts and cocks of despair
Hold onto the miserable and shameful parts of ourselves


We got our final vision by clap
Our ultimate epiphany occurred through a sudden act


Columbus groin got filled with green death
What Columbus sought was ultimately poison


I touched her thigh and death smiled
When I caressed her leg, death seemed to relish the moment


We have assembled inside this ancient and insane theatre
We are gathered within this old and crazy auditorium


To propagate our lust for life and flee the swarming wisdom of the streets
In order to promote our strong desire to live and avoid the abundant adversity in the outside world


The barns are stormed, the windows kept and only one of all the rest To dance and save us with the divine mockery of words
The buildings are under attack, the windows secured, and only one of us is capable of chanting and freeing us through clever humor


Music inflames temperament
Musical melodies stir people's moods


When the true King's murderers are allowed to roam Free a 1000 Magicians arise in the land
When the actual murderers of the monarchy are set free, a thousand Magicians arise in the country to correct the wrongs


Where are the feasts we are promised
What happened to the wonderful festivities we were told we would get


Where is the wine The New Wine Dying on the vine
What happened to the exciting and fresh wine that was supposed to be plentiful, it is dying like the grapes on the vine




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Jim Morrison, John Paul Densmore, Raymond D Manzarek, Robert A Krieger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

김니키

The amount of views on this, especially for how long it's been up, breaks my heart. His poetry is SO underrated. Everyone knows "light my fire" and "break on through" but I don't personally know one person who knows his actual poetry. "Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as ravens claws" is my favorite line of all time, since I was ten years old. I've never heard a more beautiful line. I only wish I could have been alive in this Era and been able to appreciate bands like the Doors and Zeppelin in person, in their prime. They don't make music like that, anymore.

Meet Patel

No more money, no more fancy dress.

Luis Herrera

Don’t worry, he’ll never die.

Dave Scheer

Death makes angel quote one of my favorite since 7th grade as well

Candice Simionescu

"... but I don't personally know one person who knows his actual poetry." ... Now you know one ..... 'cause i know almost all his poems.

MrBanderas39

Very cool guys n I apologized for my ridiculous ways thatht anger thank you if it wasn't for the music the poems thank heaven

4 More Replies...

Wendy Cooke

This right here is what makes me sad Jim didn't live. He had much more to say and give. If he took his time off the right way, from the whole rock star thing he was no longer wanting, he had the ability to get his poetry out because of his fame...he could have done both...do the music when it was time to and his poetry, he had so many years to do so many things.. but we will never know what could have been...anyway thanks Jim and the doors for what you did give

Matthew Douglas Pinard - CATHOLIC MYSTIC

Jim is alive

Randall White

It is what it is.

Matthew Douglas Pinard - CATHOLIC MYSTIC

Jim is alive and well

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