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I wanna tell you 'bout Texas Radio and the Big Beat
Comes out of the Virginia swamps
Cool and slow with plenty of precision
With a back beat narrow and hard to master
Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance
Others, mean and ruthful of the Western dream
I love the friends I have gathered together on this thin raft
We have constructed pyramids in honor of our escaping
This is the land where the Pharaoh died
The Negroes in the forest brightly feathered
They are saying, "Forget the night.
Live with us in forests of azure.
Out here on the perimeter there are no stars
Out here we is stoned - immaculate."
Listen to this, and I'll tell you 'bout the heartache
I'll tell you 'bout the heartache and the lose of God
I'll tell you 'bout the hopeless night
The meager food for souls forgot
I'll tell you 'bout the maiden with raw iron soul
I'll tell you this
No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn
I'll tell you 'bout Texas Radio and the Big Beat
Soft drivin', slow and mad, like some new language
Now, listen to this, and I'll tell you 'bout the Texas
I'll tell you 'bout the Texas Radio
I'll tell you 'bout the hopeless night
Wandering the Western dream
Tell you 'bout the maiden with raw iron soul
| "Texas Radio" refers to high power Mexican radio stations that blasted into Texas in the 1950's. Not restricted by American regulations these stations, whose call letters started with X, could have up to 150,000 watts. Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek both heard Wolfman Jack on one. |
| This is a spoken word piece of Morrison's poetry accompanied by John Densmore's synthesized drums. |
| Morrison wrote the lyrics years before this was recorded. |
| In 1968, the lyrics were published in a Doors souvenir book. |
| Morrison's vocal was double-tracked to make it stand out. |
| A line from this, "Stoned Immaculate," became the title for a 2000 Doors tribute album featuring the surviving members as well as Aerosmith, The Cult, Chrissie Hynde, and others. |
