"Not to Touch the Earth" is a 1968 song by The Doors

The Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...

 from their album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 Waiting for the Sun

Waiting for the Sun

Waiting for the Sun is the third studio album by the American rock band The Doors. It was released in 1968 and became the band's first and only number one album and spawned their second US number one single, "Hello, I Love You". It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it peaked...

. It stems from Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison

James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...

's poem, "Celebration of the Lizard

Celebration of the Lizard

"Celebration of the Lizard" is an epic performance piece written by Jim Morrison, frontman of The Doors. Composed as a series of poems, they include musical sections, spoken verse, and passages of allegorical storytelling.-Poems:*Lions in the Street...

". A recording of the complete poem was attempted at the sessions for the album, but only the musical passage Not to Touch the Earth was deemed fit for release. The poem was released on the album sleeve in written form. The complete poem was released in 2003 on the Legacy: The Absolute Best

Legacy: the Absolute Best

Legacy: The Absolute Best is a two-disc compilation album by The Doors released in 2003. This compilation includes the uncensored versions of both "Break on Through " and "The End"...

compilation, and the re-issue of Waiting for the Sun

Waiting for the Sun

Waiting for the Sun is the third studio album by the American rock band The Doors. It was released in 1968 and became the band's first and only number one album and spawned their second US number one single, "Hello, I Love You". It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it peaked...

.

Lyrical meaning

The song begins, "Not to touch the earth, not to see the sun..." These are subchapters of the 60th chapter of The Golden Bough

The Golden Bough

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer . It first was published in two volumes in 1890; the third edition, published 1906–15, comprised twelve volumes...

by James Frazer

James Frazer

Sir James George Frazer , was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion...

. The chapter is called "Between Heaven and Earth", with subchapter 1, "Not to Touch the Earth", and subchapter 2, "Not to See the Sun". These subchapters detail taboos against certain people (generally royalty or priests) walking upon the ground or having the sun shine directly upon them. Frazer had noted that these superstitions were recurring throughout many primitive cultures, and appeared to be related to traditions and taboos concerning menarche

Menarche

Menarche is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female human beings. From both social and medical perspectives it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility....

 and the thereby following female initiation rites. Frazer's work was an influence on Morrison, according to the biography No One Here Gets Out Alive

No One Here Gets Out Alive

No One Here Gets Out Alive was the first biography of Jim Morrison, lead singer and lyricist of the L.A. rock band The Doors, written after his death by journalist Jerry Hopkins, with later "insider" information added by Danny Sugerman. The book is largely credited with revitalizing the popularity...

.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by Deceased

Deceased (band)

Deceased is a death/thrash metal band from Virginia, that has attained a dedicated, though cult following throughout a lengthy recording and live career. Founded in 1984, by drummer and vocalist King Fowley, the first band to sign Relapse Records, they released four full albums through the label,...

, Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...

, Bile

Bile (band)

Bile is an industrial metal project based in the New York City, USA area. Although there has been many different members throughout the bands career, Krztoff is the songwriting, recording and conceptual leader...

, Nicole Atkins

Nicole Atkins

Nicole Atkins is an American singer-songwriter. She has been compared to Roy Orbison and singers from the Brill Building era.-Early life:...

 and Otep

Otep

Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...

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