This story originally aired on Sept. 1, 2021.
Fifty years ago, on July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison — lead singer of the rock group The Doors — died in Paris. It was the first year of NPR and Mike Walters, an early host of All Things Considered, worked his way up to that news by reciting a few relevant lyrics from "An American Prayer," a song written by Morrison: "We live, we die, and death not ends it / Journey we more into the nightmare / Cling to life our passioned flower."
9(MDA5NjA1MTgyMDEzMzk3ODE2ODgwOGQyMQ004))
9(MDA4MTg5NDMyMDEzMTY1NDQwNzMwYjM3Nw004))
9(MDA4MTg5NDMyMDEzMTY1NDQwNzMwYjM3Nw004))
9(MDA4NDQ4MTQ1MDEzMjA3OTQ1MTBiZDI1Nw004))
9(MDA4MzM1ODU4MDEzMTg5NjcxOTBkZGJhOA004))
9(MDAzMTgwNjM4MDEyMzY2MTg2ODAxMmIzNA004))
9(MDAwODM4NDIzMDEzMjM4NzEyMDkwNThkNQ004))
9(MDA0NjU0OTYzMDEyNjQwMTMxMDAxMDc1ZA004))
9(MDEwNzk4NjQwMDEzNTkxNDE0MTg3ZGYxMA004))
9(MDEwODU1OTg0MDEzNjAxMDAzNTk2NTIwYw004))
9(MDA1MTc5MDExMDEyNzMxODExMDFmYmZhNA004))
9(MDAwODM4NDIzMDEzMjM4NzEyMDkwNThkNQ004))
9(MDAyMTQyNzY5MDEyNzEzNTYyNDliZTBiOA004))
9(MDEwODU1OTg0MDEzNjAxMDAzNTk2NTIwYw004))
9(MDAyMTQyNzY5MDEyNzEzNTYyNDliZTBiOA004))
9(MDA4MTExMzYxMDEzMTU0MTU2MDdlYjM2Nw004))
9(MDAxODM0MzkwMDEyMTY4NDg0NTBmYjQyZQ004))
9(MDEwNzk4NjQwMDEzNTkxNDE0MTg3ZGYxMA004))
9(MDEzMzczNTM0MDEzOTQ3MjIwOTg5ZGIyMg001))
9(MDE4OTQ3Nzk1MDE0Mjk4MjIxNThjMGJhOQ001))
9(MDEzNzUzNzYwMDEzOTk2NjA5Njg3OTA3OQ001))
9(MDAxNTAxMzAyMDEyOTc4NzE3ODJmZjE0OQ004))
9(MDA5NjA1MTgyMDEzMzk3ODE2ODgwOGQyMQ004))
9(MDE4MTU5NjIzMDE0MjI5OTY0NTBhODcxOA001))
9(MDA4MjIzNjkwMDEzMTcwNjcxNzNmYmMzMA004))
9(MDA4NDQ1MjMzMDEzMjA3NzExMTA5OTU5Yw004))
9(MDEwNzk2ODM0MDEzNTkxMjU2MDA2YzI0Nw004))