In this article, I intend to pay homage to all those divas who have influenced me greatly through the course of my life. We all have them, people who we look up to, and occasionally try to model ourselves upon; |2-My Idols |1-OR |1-Divas I have known... Excluding all the obvious stuff like parents, friends, et cetera, which would, no doubt, bore you, the poor unfortunate Word reader, to DEATH! I have decided that the first influence I shall write about (or is it TYPE about?) is Jim Morrison. ^20^^500 The Doors were, without contention, THE single best Rock band in the history of the world EVER, and Jim Morrison was a poet, lyricist, philosopher, and pissed-up bastard. His singing voice was exceptional and his lyrics were inspiring. If the only contact you have had with him is not through his music but through that film that was made a couple of years ago with Val Kilmer, then you will not fully appreciate what I am trying to put across here. Those who have actually enjoyed the music of the Doors will perhaps better understand this part of the article. Jim Morrison is in fact, currently, possibly my greatest influence. Some of you may have thought, with a scene name like Aladdin Sane, that David Bowie held that (rather dubious) honour. However, I chose Aladdin Sane simply because there were fewer suitable Doors-related names; The Changeling, Crawling King Snake, The Lizard King, Mr Mojo Risin, all lack a certain Je ne sais quoi, besides, Aladdin Sane seems to befit my personality and humour better... ...you said it BUB!... ...see what I mean? To give you a taste of some of Jim Morrison's lesser- known talents, I have a copy of a poem/performance that Jim wrote which I will recount to you in full... (By the way, I know Freak insists on complete originality, but this is intended to give you a taste of Jim Morrison's acute perception) |2-The Celebration |1-of the |2-Lizard |1-By Jim Morrison Lions in the street and roaming Dogs in heat, rabid, foaming A beast caged in the heart of a city The body of his mother Rotting in the summer ground. He fled the town. He went down south and crossed the border Left the chaos and disorder Back there over his shoulder. One morning he awoke in a green hotel With a strange creature groaning beside him. Sweat oozed from its shiny skin. Is everybody in? The Ceremony is about to begin. Wake up! You can't remember where it was. Had this dream stopped? The snake was pale gold Glazed and shrunken. We were afraid to touch it. The sheets were hot dead prisons. Now, run to the mirror in the bathroom, Look! I can't live thru each slow century of her moving. I let my cheek slide down The cool smooth tile Feel the good cold stinging blood The smooth hissing snakes of rain... Once I had a little game I liked to crawl back into my brain I think you know the game I mean I mean the game called 'go insane' Now you should try this little game Just close your eyes forget your name Forget the world, forget the people And we'll erect a different steeple. This little game is fun to do. Just close your eyes, no way to lose. And I'm right there, I'm going too. Release control, we're breaking through. Way back deep into the brain Back where there's never any pain. And the rain falls gently on the town. And in the labyrinth of streams Beneath, the quiet unearthly presence of Nervous hill dwellers in the gentle hills around, Reptiles abounding Fossils, caves, cool air heights. Each house repeats a mold Windows rolled Beast car locked in against morning. All now sleeping Rugs silent, mirrors vacant, Dust blind under the beds of lawful couples Wound in sheets. And daughters, smug With semen eyes in their nipples Wait There`s been a slaughter here. (Don`t stop to speak or look around Your gloves and fan are on the ground We`re getting out of town We`re going on the run And you`re the one I want to come) Not to touch the earth Not to see the sun Nothing left to do, but Run, run, run Let`s run House upon the hill Moon is lying still Shadows of the trees Witnessing the wild breeze C`mon baby run with me Let`s run The mansion is warm, at the top of the hill Rich are the rooms and the comforts there Red are the arms of luxuriant chairs And you won`t know a thing till you get inside Dead president`s corpse in the driver`s car The engine runs on glue and tar C`mon along, not going very far To the East to meet the Czar. Some outlaws lived by the sideof a lake The minister`s daughter`s in love with the snake Who lives in a well by the side of the road Wake up, girl! We`re almost home Sun, sun, sun Burn, burn, burn Soon, soon, soon Moon, moon, moon, I will get you Soon! Soon! Soon! Let the carnival bells ring Let the serpent sing Let everything We came down The rivers & highways We came down from Forests & falls We came down from Carson & Springfield We came down from Pheonix enthralled & I can tell you The names of the Kingdom I can tell you The things that you know Listening for a fistful of silence Climbing valleys into the shade `I am the Lizard King I can do anything I can make the earth stop in its tracks I made the blue cars go away For seven years I dwelt In the loose palace of exile, Playing strange games With the girls of the island. Now I have come again To the land of the fair, & the strong, & the wise. Brothers & sisters of the pale forest O children of the night Who among you will run with the hunt? Now night arrives with her purple legion. Retire now to your tents & to your dreams. Tomorrow we enter the town of my birth. I want to be ready.` I think that probably says more about Jim Morrison than I ever could. In another ish, if I remember and can be bothered, I will move on to some of my other influences, such as David Bowie and Johnny Rotten. As for now, Tara-a-bit Aladdin Sane (1974 - 199?)