The Unknown Soldier
1968 · Elektra EK-45628 · New York City, New York
- Artist
- The Doors
- Title
- The Unknown Soldier
- Release
- The Unknown Soldier / We Could Be So Good Together
- Year
- 1968
- Label
- Elektra # EK-45628
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- New York City, New York, USA
- Songwriter
- Jim Morrison/John Densmore/Ray Manzarek/Robby Krieger
- Genre
- Rock · Psychedelic Rock
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
Psychedelic rock group, formed in July 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA, featuring Robby Krieger (guitar), John Densmore (drums), Ray Manzarek (keyboards, bass pedals, vocals), and Jim Morrison (vocals, 1965-71). Note that the group released the song "Peace Frog" on their 1970 album Morrison Hotel, which contained a minor reference to the 1968 Chicago demonstrations. See: . While the Doors 1968 song "Unknown Soldier" (Elektra Records # EK-45628) could apply to any war - as seen with those vast graveyards from the First, and Second World War, where crosses stood with no names - there is a clear reference to Vietnam, the "television war", with the line "breakfast where the news is read, television children fed" - a reflection on both the media portrayal of the war, and the delivery of war images directly into the homes of Americans in the 1960s. At the end of the song Jim Morrison cried out: "it's all over, the war is over" - similar to the Phil Ochs song The War Is Over (below), imaging a future where the Vietnam conflict had ended. The Doors released a 16mm publicity film for this single, which included a shot of Jim Morrison tied to a cross. The song featured in Billboard's…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
formed in July 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA, featuring Robby Krieger (guitar), John Densmore (drums), Ray Manzarek (keyboards, bass pedals, vocals), and Jim Morrison (vocals, 1965-71).
Themes
In collections
Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs · 1968 Chicago Seven / Eight Songs