anonymous May 16th, 2006 07:29PM  

This song is usually considered a quissential "us against them" anthem of the 60s/70s time period.

The point is that young people may not have the individual power the older generation does, but together they outnumber the "suits" and the Man, and they can make a difference and bring about vast (usually implied to be social) change.

anonymous July 22nd, 2007 08:13AM  

First and fore most Jim is a genius. And it's not hard to see that he is talking about fighting oppression. "May take a week And it may take longer. They got the guns But we got the numbers Gonna win, yeah Were takin over Come on!"

anonymous October 16th, 2007 09:59PM  

The "5:1" ratio generally associated with Vietnam was the ratio of Vietcong to US soldiers, which makes more sense than the ratio of drafted soldiers by race. However, that's still not what the song is about. Morrison never actually said what it was about, but, if it means anything, he was cledarly drunk when singing it.

anonymous December 30th, 2007 05:10PM  

Just to clear it up, 5:1 was the ratio of the young generation in the 60's to the older generation because of the 'baby boom'. To put it in basic form, the song is about how they [young people then] could take over, because there were so many of them.

Jag528cbr December 30th, 2008 02:02AM  

I read somewhere that 5 to 1 was the ratio of Vietcong to US soldiers in Vietnam. The line "no one gets out alive" would make no sense if the song weren't about war. Also the line "They got the guns, but we got the numbers" would add to this interpretation because America had the superior weapons, but Vietcong had numbers, and in my opinion, that line wouldn't make sense in other interpretations.

anon123 January 22nd, 2009 02:59PM  

in the book, No One Here Gets Out Alive, Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman mentioned that in L.A. during this time the ratio of people smokin marijuana was 5:1 or one of every five. Jim never did mention the meaning. I think he left it up for us to decide, or if we didn't get it, he wouldn't let us know. Jim was a brilliant. The better interpretation would probaly be the the ratio of the young to old though. It was a revolution, thigns we're going change. That change is still needed today. "Get together one more time."

TylerG August 17th, 2009 08:32PM  

I read somewhere that the ratio 5:1 was the ratio of Vietnamese Soldiers to American Soldiers. 5:1 was also about the ratio of whites to blacks, non drug users to drug users and young people to old. But it could be just random words. Jim was obviously drunk when recording. You can even hear before Jim starts singing the first verse someone in the studio says "One More" (meaning one more of the bass riff) before Jim was to start.

anonymous October 17th, 2009 04:29PM  

It is also worth mentioning that the "number" may also just be a joint.....the grown generation got the guns, but fuck them, we've got marijuana....

scc123 October 25th, 2009 02:12AM  

Go on home and wait for me baby, I'll be there in a little while. I got to go out in this car with these people and get F$#%%ed up. Reaching a higher level of consciousness.
God Bless you forever and always. And all the ways you made me live and die!