Jim Morrison began writing poetry as a young man, and though he later found mythical success as the lead singer for The Doors, poetry remained his passion. During his life, Morrison self-published two volumes: The Lords/Notes on Vision and The New Creatures. The two poems in this lot and the following lot were posthumously published in Wilderness: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison, Volume I. The poem in this lot titled The American Night appears in Wilderness, but in a much altered state. The published version includes an additional first verse and a different second verse to this poem, the second verse reading we were drawn down The distance of long cities riding home thru the open night alone launching fever + strange carnage from the back seat. And, while there is a poem on the recording An American Prayer titled American Night, it shares nothing more with this poem than a title. Finally, the second posthumously published book of Morrison's poetry was also titled The American Night: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison, Volume II. Morrison was intrigued by the idea of the American rebel and "America" is a recurring theme throughout much of his work, poetically and lyrically.

As Danny Sugarman wrote, ...Jim Morrison didn't want to be a god. Jim Morrison wanted to be a poet. Surely, no modern poet has written better of the alienation and feelings of isolation, dread, and disconnectedness than Jim Morrison. ...Jim was aware of this modern schism, this sense of dislocation, our angst, and in a self interview included in Wilderness as a prologue, Morrison himself said, If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it's to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel. Sugarman continues, Jim's dying wish was to be taken seriously as a poet. While he was alive, his behavior blinded many of us to his words. Today his life still fascinates and amazes us, and his work as a poet is finally gaining the recognition it deserves...