When The Music's Over

The Doors · Perception [2008]

When the music's over

When the music's over, yeah

Turn out the lights

Turn out the lights

For the music is your special friend

Dance on fire as it intends

Music is your only friend

Until the end



When the music's over

When the music's over

Turn out the lights

Turn out the lights

Turn out the lights

For the music is your special friend

Dance on fire as it intends

Music is your only friend

Until the end



Cancel my subscription to the resurrection

Send my credentials to the house of detention

I got some friends inside

The face in the mirror won't stop

The girl in the window won't drop

A feast of friends alive she cried

Waiting for me

Outside



Before I sink into the big sleep

I want to hear

The scream of the butterfly



Come back baby

Back into my arms

We're getting tired of hanging around

Waitin' around with our heads to the ground

I hear a very gentle sound

Very near yet very far

Very soft yet very clear

Come today



What have they done to the earth

What have they done to our fair sister

Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her

Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn

And tied her with fences and dragged her down

I hear a very gentle sound

With your ear down to the ground

We want the world and we want it

Now

Now?

NOW!!

Persian night

See the light

Save us Jesus



So when the music's over

Turn out the lights

The music is your special friend

Dance on fire as it intends

Music is your only friend

Until the end

When The Music's Over

When The Music's Over stands as a defining epic in The Doors' expansive catalogue, showcasing the band's mastery of extended psychedelic rock structures. Featured on the 2008 compilation Perception, the track captures the group's signature blend of poetic lyricism and experimental soundscapes. Jim Morrison's commanding vocal delivery anchors the composition, which moves through distinct musical movements ranging from intimate acoustic passages to thunderous, organ-driven crescendos. The recording highlights the band's ability to sustain tension and release over a lengthy duration, a hallmark of their live performances and studio innovations during the late 1960s. This work remains a testament to their enduring influence on rock music, demonstrating a sophisticated approach to songwriting that transcends standard pop formats.