The Doors: Tell All The People Meaning

Song Released: 1969

Tell All The People Lyrics

Tell all the people that you see
Follow me
Follow me down
Tell all the people that you see
Set them free
Follow me down

You tell them they don't have to run
We're gonna pick up everyone
Come out and take me by my hand
Gonna bury all...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Mar 8th 2009 !⃝

   Robbie Krieger wrote this song and does anyone else besides me see the connection between these lyrics and Moses and the Exodus out of Egypt???? “set them free”.... and... “You tell ‘em they don’t have to run” because the Pharaoh finally, willfully let them go and they didn’t have to run or “escape” out of Egypt.
   
   If you know the story of the Hebrews slaves in Egypt from the Bible and everything that happened and then apply the lyrics, you can see it....
   “Follow me down..." meaning they were heading out of Egypt SOUTH (down) into the desert. Look at the map and the Exodus out of Egypt... They went “down” out of Egypt... Follow me down...
   
   Then... “Can’t you see the wonder at your feet? Your life’s complete.”...
   meaning... not only the wooden staff, once thrown down at Pharaoh’s feet, turning into a snake, but also the creeping death that consumed the firstborn unbelieving Egyptians (just as Moses declared it would when Pharaoh’s words actually created his own son’s death by reversing the spoken curse) these prophecies happened at the feet. Along with the Nile turning red.
   Then...
   “Can’t you see me growing? Get your guns!” ... Here is where Moses actually persuades Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go, thus the possession of God’s power and Moses faith is “growing” and allowing the Hebrew slaves the “ammunition” (guns) to defend themselves.
   Then... “Gonna burry all our troubles in the sand”...
   meaning the Hebrew slaves were destined to Follow Moses down into the desert where they could put 400 years of bondage behind them and look forward to the land of Milk and Honey, as God promised them... Thus... “Where milky babies seem to be
   molded, flowing revelry, With the one that set them free ...”
   meaning... a new life... a new generation of people are being born to God and are taking delight, rejoicing, having a noisy party “revelry” in the land of milk and honey, which is generally thought to be in the area of Iraq...
   And... Moses was an extremely humble man, never boastful or gloating, and many times asking God “Why Me? I am not a good speaker... ”... This is where I see the interpretation of “It’s just me!”... Like “It’s ONLY humble little me, ”... but please follow me down... Into the land of freedom...
   Can anyone else see this?? AND please... don’t respond until you read the story of the Exodus!
2. anonymous

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   Apr 12th 2019 !⃝

   We're going to pick up everyone!
   Time has come!!
   Sounds to me like the rapture!!
3. anonymous

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   May 28th 2017 !⃝

   THIS SONG IS NOT ABOUT THE EXODUS!!!
   
   Way too many think this. The doors saw religion as a form of mind control. Religion is the number one killer, beating cancer and heart disease. One simple reason. POINTLESS WARS. Name a war that wasn't about religion. It's about drugs, LSD, hashish. Moses and that crap HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. WAKE UP ANONYMOUS!! Anyone named Anonymous that mentioned the exodus. Interested to hear your reply
4. Beestrand13

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   Apr 28th 2017 !⃝

   Why is everyone hiding behind "Anonymous"? Give me your feedback, since you're so certain it's about an institution obsessed with death that The Doors had absolutely nothing to do with. Prove me wrong please!! Or at least give me you're thoughts on my thoughts. If you're going to hide, at least have the courage to respond. You can always pray to your god for courage. That usually doesn't work though.
5. Beestrand13

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   Apr 28th 2017 !⃝

   This song has nothing at all to do with religion, Moses, or your Torah, Bible, or Quran. Robbie wrote this song. Yes he was born into a Jewish family. But he wasn't devout. Pretty sure they were anti religion, considering it merely barriers and systems of control and brainwashing. Which isn't that far off Religion is the #1 cause of death. Think that's B.S.? Virtually every war since the beginning of time. A lot of dead people in thousands of wars over 5000 to 10000 years. Name me a war that wasn't started because of religion? IDARE ANYONE!!!
6. anonymous

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   Mar 20th 2017 !⃝

   No, I think this song (written by Krieger) was about the various movements going on in the 1960's, especially those that advocated retreat from society (bury all our troubles in the sand), militant politics (can't you see me growing get your guns), sexual revolution (flowing revelry), self-actualization (your life's complete), liberation (with the one that set you free), getting in touch with your "inner child" (where milky babies seem to be), cults of personality (come out and take me by my hand),etc. I think Krieger is saying that all of these movements promise more than they deliver (follow me down, i.e., worse off than you were before). JMO
7. anonymous

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   Jul 16th 2013 !⃝

   Revelries might = happiness in Israel or their celebration with the golden calf in the desert... Bury all our troubles in the sand: sand=desert
   Milky babies could = land of milk and honey where they would have children and become a great nation.
   I'm pretty sure they went north though, not south as previous poster suggested, but "down" doesn't have to literally mean south. Also, many translations of exodus has god literally saying to Moses "tell all the people..." (Google it).
8. anonymous

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   Jul 16th 2013 !⃝

   I agree, always associated it with the story of exodus. "Follow me across the sea = Israelites following Moses across the Red Sea which Moses/god parted for them.
   God told Moses to tell the Israelites that he "saw" their struggles in slavery and instructed Moses to convince the pharaoh to "set them free." Seems pretty obvious to me!
9. anonymous

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   Mar 19th 2012 !⃝

   If anybody has ever done LSD (which I can assure you, the Doors have, they stole their name from Huxley's "The Doors of Perception," regarding the psychedelic experience...) it seems pretty clear that Morrison is talking about the religious and spiritual awakening that that experience can bring about. This song is a call to mankind that religious awakening can be attained and Morrison is trying to lead the way.
10. anonymous

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    Jan 7th 2011 !⃝

    I get this sense that they're rebelling against god and they're talking about going to hell to be set free from god's wrath.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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