Well, the clock says it's time to close now
I guess I'd better go now
I'd really like to stay here all night
The cars crawl past all stuffed with eyes
Street lights share their hollow glow
Your brain seems bruised with numb surprise
Still one place to go
Still one place to go

Let me sleep all night in your soul kitchen
Warm my mind near your gentle stove
Turn me out and I'll wander, baby
Stumblin' in the neon groves

Well, your fingers weave quick minarets
Speak in secret alphabets
I light another cigarette
Learn to forget, learn to forget
Learn to forget, learn to forget

Let me sleep all night in your soul kitchen
Warm my mind near your gentle stove
Turn me out and I'll wander, baby
Stumblin' in the neon groves (yeah)

Well, the clock says it's time to close now
I know I have to go now
I really wanna stay here
All night, all night, all night


Lyrics submitted by kevin

Soul Kitchen Lyrics as written by Robby Krieger James Morrison

Lyrics © Doors Music Company

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Soul Kitchen song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • +6
    General Comment

    This song is talking about how he doesn't want to leave this state of mind he is in. He wants to stay where he feels good and doesn;t want to return from the metaphysical world. "Learn to forget" is talking about how people need to forget everything they have been brainwashed by society so they can see the true world, not the agreed upon illusion we all live in.

    dynabol17on June 11, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    All I can say is that this song is awesome!

    "Let me sleep all night in your soul kitchen"

    How cool is that? I wonder what the soul kitchen really is? It would be interesting to find out what this song is really about.

    u2elevationon March 23, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    The Soul Kitchen was an all night soul food restaurant that Jim & friends stayed at during the college years.

    AngelDust20on April 10, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    The "Soul Kitchen" is actually referring to a restaraunt where the band used to go when they were still in their early stages... It was Jim's favorite place to eat. You can read it in John Densmore's book called "Riders On The Storm". A must read for any true Doors fan!

    vipergt196on September 07, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    all of the meanings you can think of are correct. it's hardly possible to read too much into poetry. in fact' that's why jim's such a genius: his lyirics can be read in so many ways and mean something different to each listener. if this song had only one meaning (e.g. a dinner),it wouldn't be nothing more than the ramblings of a raveling drunk.

    by the way, patti smith covers this song, highly recomendable

    gomdie1on March 21, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    great song...

    greendaygirl908on February 06, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    hmmm....... for some reason i always thought this song was about sex.... the "soul kitchen" could represent... female parts, the soul is cooked into being in the "kitchen" of the female... weird, but ive always thought it for some reason. jim morrison is god!

    LaughingInTheDark13on May 08, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    well , man spending time with a woman , i believe he just feeling very good being with her he feels nice warm , compares her presense to soul kitchen , think kitchen , kitchen is the place where you can smell all flavour , its nice and warm there , in the house I use to love to go to the kitchen sitting there while mum was cooking , talking to her , watching her creating lovely food , smell nice flavours, yes we have nice feelings thinking 'kitchen' , but tehre is also other thought if jim was a junkie then it might b a 'kitchen' where was prepered drug , warming up spoon so on...prefer first interpretaion first is good;)

    jolaon January 25, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Whatever the symbolism behind this song, I dig it.

    Karatepopon April 21, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    It's about this cafe he used to go to at Venice Beach in California. I looooooveee this song. It's great to listen to while closing the restaurant I work at... But man...Who hasn't ever felt like these lines...

    "I light another cigarette Learn to forget, learn to forget Learn to forget, learn to forget"

    FantomeFleuron May 12, 2007   Link

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