incendiary single during the summer of love. Guitarist Robbie Krieger brought 'Light My Fire' to the rest of the band and they added to his unfinished song. Krieger says: "The one about the 'funeral pyre'...Yeah, that verse is Jim's...Ray wrote the introduction." He adds: "It's really a great feeling to have written a classic. I think I owe a big debt to Jose Feliciano because he is actually the one, when he did it, everybody started doing it. He did a whole different arrangement on it. It was a much more accessible arrangement as far as different types of musicians doing it. Nobody had covered it up until that time. Once he did it, everybody started doing it. Even though I really didn't like his version at first, like I say it was a lot more accessible. The very fact that that song was the key element in the career of both the Doors and Jose Feliciano, in two total different arrangements of the song shows how strong that song is."
Jim Morrison sang lead vocals; Robby Krieger played a Gibson SG guitar; Ray Manzarek used a Vox Continental, Keyboard bass, and added backing vocals; and John Densmore handled drums. Manzarek not only wrote the keyboard intro but also added an extended solo. He considers: "It’s all different ways of seeking the one, which is what The Doors tried to do in their music – seeking the one, that oneness, that energy, the power of creation, the power of playing Robbie’s song, 'Light My Fire'. The power of playing 'Light My Fire'. After I came up with that organ part – and that was the last thing left to do – we were at the beach house in Venice and I told John, Robbie and Jim 'Hey, go out to the beach and let me think about this for a second. You guys just go.' And they walked out to the beach or walked out to the ocean because we were on the beach and I went (hums melody) and it just sort of fell into place as the introduction, the last thing needed for 'Light My Fire'. I said to the guys, 'C’mon back in. I got it.' And putting all of that together, Robbie’s brilliant creation, A minor to F sharp minor, 'Light My Fire', the solo section, that opening passage, that opening introduction, Jim’s second verse, John’s drumming, all of that coming together into this creation. See how good it is for brethren to dwell together in harmony, in oneness. The creation of you, all of us and our fellows together, we could take what we did as four guys and we could create the new American society. What a fucking goal, man! That’s the goal of my life. And I’m just waiting for the young guys to come along. Let’s do it. C’mon, guys. And now the girls can join us too. C’mon, let’s change this whole society."
Paul Rothchild had produced the sessions for their eponymous debut. Elektra founder Jaz Holzman remembers: "We had that huge problem with the time length - seven-and-a-half minutes. Nobody could figure out how to cut it. Finally I said to Rothchild, Nobody can cut it but you. When he cut out the solo, there were screams. Except from Jim. Jim said, 'Imagine a kid in Minneapolis hearing even the cut version over the radio, it's going to turn his head around.' So they said, 'Go ahead, release it.' We released it with the full version on the other side." 'Light My Fire' went to twenty-seven in the Netherlands; sixteen in Australia; seven in New Zealand and the UK; two in Canada; and number one in France and the US.
On September 17, 1967 the band performed the song on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. They were asked by the producers to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher" because sponsors were leery of any reference to drugs. They changed it in rehearsals; but during the live performance Morrison sang the offending lyric. The band was told that they would never do the Sullivan Show again; to which Morrison replied: "We just 'did' Sullivan."
http://www.thedoors.com/
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
The Story of 'Light My Fire' by The Doors
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