NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE

That is the title of Jim Morrison biography. I read this book with much curiosity back in 1981. It is a haunting tale, the documents the genius and rebellious attitude that was Jim Morrison. When I read this book Jim was already dead, so the title was very ominous and I was curious as to where "HERE" was. And exactly who else was in there with him. Was it all the members of the doors? Was it all the members at the summit of rock 'n roll stardom? Neither of those two things made sense, because not all of those people had died. I assumed that he must've been speaking about people who shared similar personality and mind traits with him. And since I had tested at genius level ever since the sixth grade, and have been labeled a rebel all my life, this concerned me greatly. After studying this book as if it were a text, I discovered  that the missing element between myself and Mr. Morrison was our desire for fame. He had a great desire for it, and I on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with it.

William Shakespeare said:
"There is nothing more common than the desire to be remarkable." And in light of that, you can consider me as common as the next guy. But there's a big difference between wanting to be remarkable wanting to be famous. And Mr. Morrison is probably more famous now, than when he was alive. While the remaining members of the Doors are still alive and well and extremely productive, you would have to be a very diehard fan to recall the names of Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore.

Another rock legend who didn't make it out alive was James Marshall Hendrix, a.k.a. Jimi. He was a quiet shy unassuming individual who, it has been said about, learned to play guitar to meet girls. Jimi Hendrix fame in Europe and England far exceed anything he experienced here in America. One of the little-known or cared about facts of his band, the "Jimi Hendrix Experience" is that nobody made it out alive. All three, Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell have all gone to the other side.


It was quite a few years later when I came to the realization that space "no one here gets out alive" applies not only to rock stars and fame seekers. It applies to all of us. Every single one of us. Perhaps that is the reason we want to be remarkable. To be remarkable is to be remembered. Let me leave you with one of my favorite Jimi Hendrix songs, one that never made the pop charts, for reasons I don't understand.

DOLLY DAGGER

 

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