PEOPLE ARE STRANGE // THE DOORS



A BRIEF SUMMARY|THE DOORS

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore.They were unique and among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison's lyrics and charismatic but unpredictable stage persona. The Doors are still a very popular well known rock band. With documentaries and books about their successful career in the music industry, the doors are still listened to by plenty of the older generations and younger generations. I have chosen to work with one of their songs as I enjoy their music and feel that the lyrics included in their songs are intellectual and interesting.

CHOSEN TRACK

 

I have decided that I will use the song People Are Strange by the Doors as the music for my music video. I have analysed the lyrics of the song to inspire my initial ideas even further. By analysing and interpreting the lyrics in a certain way this will help me decipher the type of video that I will produce, whether it will be narrative or performance based or mixed.

The Doors // People Are Strange.

People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain

When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange X3
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange X3
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange X3

Analysis

The song refers to being an outcast to society, 'People are strange when your a stranger', conveys the sense of isolation when you are strange or an outcast. This means you're a stranger to everyone, and because people won't let you in, they seem strange to you. "When you're strange no one remembers your name" means that no one even knows your name because they don't want to give you a change because you're weird or different to everyone else. Being "strange" refers to being depressed while you look around you and see that everyone else seems to be happy. When you are strange you seem different and un normal to the rest of society. An outcast to society does not conform to the norms and values that 'normal' members of society would conform to, 'women seem wicked when your unwanted', suggests that normal members of society do not understand those who do not adhere to societies norms and values disapprove and are 'wicked', towards social rejects.
'Streets are uneven wen you're down', implies how life is hard and difficult when you are strange, in this case, 'down' may imply that strange means depressed, feeling down and low. Most people who suffer from depression do not feel as if they can be helped, 'streets are uneven', conveys a sense of confusion and struggle to pull through life. However the song then changes tone and may imply feeling a sense of detachment whilst being on drugs, 'When you're strange faces come out of the rain', this may relate to hallucination, 'faces come out of the rain', could possibly suggest an image of imaginary friends. The lyrics of the song are very repetitive, the repetition of 'strange', emphasises the meaning on the song.
After analysing the lyrics of my chosen track I feel that a narrative video style would work well as the song tells a story of a social reject including a direct conversational tone. The definition attached to 'strange', with in the track in vague and unjustified. I am able to interpret the word strange and what it means to me. I am therefor going to be researching the different aspects of strange, and why we have social rejects with in society today. I feel that I am at an advantage as I am currently studying A level sociology, and have gained a wider understanding of contemporary norms and values that we as a society consume. In my video I would like to include and focus on one protagonist, to make the video more personal and interesting. I will choose and mould a case study and form a character, from brain storming whilst also asking my target audience what they believe would make my video interesting and appealing.
In terms of the sound of the track, the quirky western American sound does subvert against the brief of my video as I will be setting the music video in my local area, the suburbs of London. I feel that this could be a positive attribute as my audience is most likely to be from the UK/suburbs, therefor this will create a sense of familiarity and reality to the video, rather than an unrealistic setting. The western bluesy track will also work well when contrasting with the video. The song is all about being an outcast to society, and feeling alone and unusual to others, the genre of the song reflects the protagonists sense of isolation and solitude.