The Soft Parade
The Doors Lyrics


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When I was back there in seminary school
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
Can you give me sanctuary
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

Overall Meaning

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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