The Doors - People Are Strange

When You're a Stranger

1. The weirdos know things. They’re the best conversationalists, and like Jim Morrison in a drinking contest, it’s not close. The strange ones are fascinated by things that provoke thought and they literally stoke it. The weirdos ask outlandish questions out of genuine curiosity. The strange ones want to know your thoughts on multiverse theory, time travel, and your favorite French New Wave film. They’re well-versed in cults, how to make orchids thrive, and the best books to read about modern media. They’re the ones most likely in your friend group to climb Kilimanjaro. On the other side of the equation, the weird ones are frequently lonely, often neurodivergent, and still remain the most interesting people in the room. The weird ones, the strange ones, are my people because I am them. I spent most of my adolescence alone developing strange interests, and that comes with valuable lessons. I learned them well.

   People are strange
   When you're a stranger
   Faces look ugly
   When you're alone

2. Jim Morrison let go of psychedelia, if just for a few moments and said it plainly. “People are strange.” Full stop. Yeah. Yes, we are fucking strange. The Doors’ guitarist, Robby Krieger, said “Yeah… me too,” and added perfect musical punctuation with his six strings. Ray Manzarek comes in on piano/organ and he and Krieger handle a start/stop/start weirdness indicative of one of the weirdest bands in all of Rock stardom. People are strange, and so is this band, and so are we, so is all of this, and so is that fucking idea, and so are we when we really think about it. This song needed to be born for those whose faces come out of the rain precisely because we’re strange.

3. Listen to the entire Doors studio output in one sitting. Go from the lysergic pushings of Break on Through, the first song on their first album, through Riders on Storm, the last song on their last album, and you’ll find comfort and respite, especially if you’re a weirdo, especially if you're strange. Then, when you dig deep with the people you care for and love, you’ll realize we’re all strange. You’ll realize there is no high/low limit and we’re all mad here (Thanks Lewis). On this planet, in this time and place, we’re all strange. Then you’ll realize we’re not so strange at all, and then maybe, at long last, you’ll take a breath and realize you’re having a profoundly human experience.