Literary Soundtracks: Stephen King & The Doors

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Stephen King once famously noted ‘Write with The doors closed’. This got me thinking about The Doors themselves; not the boring B&Q kind but the psychedelic 70’s kind, fronted by 27 Club icon Jim Morrison, and why Stephen King and The Doors make a great combination.
While reading it can be easy to be distracted by music, and find that you pay more attention to the lyrics then the words on the page. In saying this, some authors and bands just go together perfectly.

The Doors and Stephen King explore similar dark subjects with lyrics such as ‘Cancel my subtraction to the resurrection’ parallel to that of the themes in Pet Cemetery.
The elements of fantasy and psychedelia within the doors lyrics are poetic and like no other band before or after them. Jim Morrison regularly discussing death, the meaning beyond this and other taboo subjects. Relating to the darker side of Stephen kings vast material.
The Stand also makes reference to Morrison, with him drunkenly filling up on gas in a characters petrol station, 4 years after his tragic death in Paris. There’s mystery and an element of holding back from listeners and readers within both King and Morrison’s work.
With books set at the same time period as The Doors – such as JoyLand – the music takes you back to this time period effortlessly.
Stephen King regularly focuses on those who are isolated suffering from mental health issues, substance abuse and wider issues, with books such as Carrie exploring what someone who has been bullied and tormented by her mother and her peers can do when given ‘powers’. This fits excellently alongside ‘People are Strange’ focusing again on how isolation makes people feel.
The storytelling nature of the doors works brilliantly when reading.
Both Stephen King and the doors are dark and melodic, making them the perfect companions for reading and listening to together.

 

Words by Kiah Freer

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