An American Prayer

about this album

"An American Prayer" is the ninth and final studio album by the American rock band the Doors. After the death of Jim Morrison and the band's breakup, the surviving members reunited to set several of Morrison's spoken word recordings to music. It is the only Doors album to be nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Spoken Word" category. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek described "An American Prayer" as being divided into five parts: the first part covers Morrison's childhood, the second his high school years, the third focuses on "the young poet, stoned on a rooftop with acid dreams," the fourth addresses his musical career, and the fifth serves as a final summation of Morrison's life and philosophy. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

why this is interesting

# An American Prayer This album represents a fascinating artistic experiment: bridging poetry and rock through posthumous collaboration. Rather than simply recreating the Doors' sound, the surviving members approached Morrison's spoken word recordings as a complete work demanding musical accompaniment. The result explores how a charismatic poet's voice might have evolved beyond rock stardom, tracing his intellectual and spiritual development across five thematic sections. The album's structural ambition—treating spoken word as primary rather than supplementary—challenged conventional rock practices and demonstrated that Morrison's influence extended far beyond his role as a frontman. For listeners interested in how artists transcend their most famous work, or in the intersection of literature and music, this stands as a genuinely invent

tracks

more from The Doors

The Doors

Strange Days

L.A. Woman

Morrison Hotel

Greatest Hits

Waiting for the Sun