Soft Parade
The Doors Lyrics
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There was a person there
Who put forth the proposition
That you can petition the Lord with prayer
Petition the lord with prayer
Petition the lord with prayer
You cannot petition the lord with prayer
I must find a place to hide
A place for me to hide
Can you find me soft asylum
I can't make it anymore
The Man is at the door
Peppermint, miniskirts, chocolate candy
Champion sax and a girl named Sandy
There's only four ways to get unraveled
One is to sleep and the other is travel, da da
One is a bandit up in the hills
One is to love your neighbor 'till
His wife gets home
Catacombs
Nursery bones
Winter women
Growing stones
Carrying babies
To the river
Streets and shoes
Avenues
Leather riders
Selling news
The monk bought lunch
Ha ha, he bought a little
Yes, he did
Woo
This is the best part of the trip
This is the trip, the best part
I really like
What'd he say
Yeah
Yeah, right
Pretty good, huh
Huh
Yeah, I'm proud to be a part of this number
Successful hills are here to stay
Everything must be this way
Gentle streets where people play
Welcome to the Soft Parade
All our lives we sweat and save
Building for a shallow grave
Must be something else we say
Somehow to defend this place
Everything must be this way
Everything must be this way, yeah
The Soft Parade has now begun
Listen to the engines hum
People out to have some fun
A cobra on my left
Leopard on my right, yeah
The deer woman in a silk dress
Girls with beads around their necks
Kiss the hunter of the green vest
Who has wrestled before
With lions in the night
Out of sight
The lights are getting brighter
The radio is moaning
Calling to the dogs
There are still a few animals
Left out in the yard
But it's getting harder
To describe sailors
To the underfed
Tropic corridor
Tropic treasure
What got us this far
To this mild equator
We need someone or something new
Something else to get us through, yeah, c'mon
Callin' on the dogs
Callin' on the dogs
Oh, it's gettin' harder
Callin' on the dogs
Callin' in the dogs
Callin' all the dogs
Callin' on the gods
You gotta meet me (too late, baby)
Slay a few animals
At the crossroads (too late)
All in the yard
But it's gettin' harder
By the crossroads (you gotta meet me)
Oh, we're goin', we're goin' great
At the edge of town (tropic corridor, tropic treasure)
Havin' a good time (got to come along)
Outskirts of the city
(What got us this far to this mild equator)
You and I
We need someone new
Better bring your gun
Better bring your gun
We're gonna ride and have some fun
When all else fails
We can whip the horse's eyes
And make them sleep
And cry
The lyrics of The Doors' "The Soft Parade" are steeped in religious undertones and contain vivid imagery of animalistic violence and hedonistic pleasures. The opening lines suggest a conversation or argument that took place in a seminary school, where a person proposes that prayer can be used to petition God. However, the repetition of the phrase "Petition the Lord with prayer" is gradually undermined by the assertion that it is not possible to change God's will through prayer. The song then takes a dramatic turn, as the singer pleads for sanctuary and a place to hide from an unspecified threat.
As the song progresses, the lyrics evoke images of a surreal and chaotic world, where miniskirts, candy, and saxophones mingle with violence, death, and sexuality. The repeated refrain "Everything must be this way" suggests a fatalistic resignation to the way things are, yet the ending offers a glimmer of hope, as the singer urges a companion to join him in riding off into the sunset with guns and an adventurous spirit.
Overall, "The Soft Parade" is a musical journey that explores themes of religion, powerlessness, escapism, and the duality of human nature. The lyrics are open to interpretation and have been subject to various analyses and debates among fans and scholars alike.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was back there in seminary school
In the past, when I was studying to become a priest
There was a person there
I had a classmate
Who put forth the proposition
This person had an idea
That you can petition the Lord with prayer
They believed that asking God for help through prayer was effective
Petition the lord with prayer
Repeat the suggestion of the classmate
You cannot petition the lord with prayer
Reject the idea that prayer is a reliable solution to problems
Can you give me sanctuary
Can you provide me with a safe place to hide
I must find a place to hide
I am in danger and need somewhere to take shelter
A place for me to hide
I need a specific location where I can feel protected
Can you find me soft asylum
Can you help me find a quiet, peaceful, and safe place to stay
I can't make it anymore
I am overwhelmed and can no longer cope with my situation
The Man is at the door
I am at risk of being caught or harmed and must act quickly
Peppermint, miniskirts, chocolate candy
Describing tempting and enticing things
Champion sax and a girl named Sandy
Referring to a great jazz player and a girl with a common name
There's only four ways to get unraveled
There are only a few ways to solve problems
One is to sleep and the other is travel, da da
Two ways to escape or forget about problems are sleeping and traveling
One is a bandit up in the hills
Another way is to become a thief and hide in the mountains
One is to love your neighbor 'till
The third solution is to show kindness and compassion to others
His wife gets home
Even if it means risking someone's anger or jealousy
Catacombs
Underground tunnels for burying the dead
Nursery bones
Children's remains in a cemetery
Winter women
Women who are cold and frigid
Growing stones
Rocks or minerals that are still developing
Carrying babies
Women who are pregnant
To the river
A place for cleansing and purification
Streets and shoes
City life and transportation
Avenues
Promenades or boulevards
Leather riders
People who ride motorcycles
Selling news
Journalism and propaganda
The monk bought lunch
Even spiritual leaders need to eat
Ha ha, he bought a little
Making a small joke about the monk's modest meal
Yes, he did
Confirming the fact that the monk bought lunch
Woo
Expressing happiness or excitement
This is the best part of the trip
Enjoying a positive experience
This is the trip, the best part
Repeating that this is the highlight of the journey
I really like
Expressing approval or admiration
What'd he say
Asking what someone else just said
Yeah
Agreeing with someone
Yeah, right
Being sarcastic or doubting someone
Pretty good, huh
Asking for an opinion and expressing satisfaction
Huh
Showing confusion or asking for clarification
Yeah, I'm proud to be a part of this number
Feeling honored and happy to be included in this group
Successful hills are here to stay
Things that work well will remain unchanged
Everything must be this way
Things need to stay as they are, without change
Gentle streets where people play
Peaceful and enjoyable places where people gather
Welcome to the Soft Parade
Introducing an event or gathering of people
All our lives we sweat and save
Working hard to earn and accumulate wealth or status
Building for a shallow grave
Investing in something that has no real value or purpose in the long term
Must be something else we say
We need to find something more meaningful or satisfying
Somehow to defend this place
Protecting something that we value or care about
The Soft Parade has now begun
The event or gathering has officially started
Listen to the engines hum
Hearing the sounds of transportation or machinery
People out to have some fun
People enjoying themselves and having a good time
A cobra on my left
A dangerous animal or situation nearby
Leopard on my right, yeah
Another wild animal or danger approaching
The deer woman in a silk dress
A beautiful and mysterious woman
Girls with beads around their necks
Fashionable and attractive young women
Kiss the hunter of the green vest
Showing affection to someone who hunts or explores nature
Who has wrestled before
Someone who has challenged and overcome obstacles in the past
With lions in the night
Surviving dangerous and challenging situations
Out of sight
Disappearing or going unnoticed
The lights are getting brighter
The atmosphere is becoming more intense or exciting
The radio is moaning
Hearing distressing news or sounds
Calling to the dogs
Appealing or asking for help
There are still a few animals
Others who are like us or who are in need
Left out in the yard
Abandoned or left behind by society
But it's getting harder
Challenges and difficulties are increasing
To describe sailors
To understand or explain something unknown or different
To the underfed
To people who are hungry or deprived
Tropic corridor
A pathway through a tropical area
Tropic treasure
Valuable resources or opportunities in a tropical region
What got us this far
The reasons or factors that brought us to this current point
To this mild equator
To a place where things are comfortable and predictable
We need someone or something new
We require innovation or change to advance or overcome challenges
Something else to get us through, yeah, c'mon
Expressing the need for a challenge or adventure
Callin' on the dogs
Asking for help
Oh, it's gettin' harder
Challenges and obstacles are increasing
Callin' in the dogs
Requesting help from trusted companions
Callin' all the dogs
Asking for help from everyone available
Callin' on the gods
Asking for supernatural or divine intervention to overcome challenges
You gotta meet me (too late, baby)
Asking someone to join or follow, although it may be too late
Slay a few animals
Taking extreme measures to survive or overcome obstacles
At the crossroads (too late)
After reaching an important decision point, when it is already too late to change direction
All in the yard
Everyone or everything in one place or situation
But it's gettin' harder
Difficulties and challenges are increasing
By the crossroads (you gotta meet me)
At an important decision point, asking someone to meet and join
Oh, we're goin', we're goin' great
Moving forward with confidence and enthusiasm
At the edge of town (tropic corridor, tropic treasure)
Nearby a place with valuable opportunities and resources
Havin' a good time (got to come along)
Expressing a desire to experience pleasure and adventure
Outskirts of the city
Near the border or edge of an urban area
You and I
Referring to others and self
We need someone new
We require someone innovative, reliable, or trustworthy
Better bring your gun
The situation may require someone to defend themselves
We're gonna ride and have some fun
We are going to explore and enjoy ourselves
When all else fails
After trying other solutions
We can whip the horse's eyes
A violent solution to something that can be inflicted upon innocent beings
And make them sleep
Suppressing an animal's natural instincts and causing them to go into an unnatural and harmful rest
And cry
Causing pain and suffering to innocent beings as a last resort
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Jim Morrison, John Paul Densmore, Raymond Manzarek, Robert A Krieger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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