"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. Although it was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger,[7] songwriting was credited to the entire band. Recognized as one of the earliest examples of psychedelic rock,[8] it was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the track has come to be regarded as synonymous with the 1960s psychedelic and sexual revolutions.[9]
Jim had been writing all the songs and then one day we realized we didn't have enough tunes, so he said, "Hey, why don't you guys try and write songs?" I wrote "Light My Fire" that night and brought it to the next rehearsal... It's always kind of bugged me that so many people don't know I was the composer.
"Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by Robby Krieger,[13] who said that he was inspired by the melody of "Hey Joe" and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire".[14] On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"),[15] while Ray Manzarek added the Bach-influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single snare drum hit.[14]
The Vox Continental organ was played by Ray Manzarek for the song's recording
The band started playing the song in performances in April 1966, and extended it with a jazzy improvisation. When the Doors performed the song at live concerts, Manzarek played the song's bass line with his left hand on a Fender RhodesPiano Bass, while performing the main keyboard lines on a Vox Continental using his right hand. When they came to record the song later in the year, producer Paul A. Rothchild brought in session musician Larry Knechtel to overdub a Fender Precision Bass guitar to double the keyboard bass line.[14][16][17][18] Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track.[14]
Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play,[7] notably by Los Angeles DJ Dave Diamond, and Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman asked that a shorter version be released as a single.[14] Despite the band's reluctance,[19] Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio.[13]
The Ed Sullivan Show
The band appeared on various TV shows, such as American Bandstand, miming to a playback of the single. "Light My Fire" was also performed live by the Doors on The Ed Sullivan Show broadcast on September 17, 1967. The Doors were asked by producer Bob Precht, Ed Sullivan's son-in-law, to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher", as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the possible reference to drugs. However, the meaning of the line was confirmed to be literal, as in "high in the sky".[20][21] The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics, "girl, we couldn't get much better". However, during the live performance, lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original, unaltered lyrics.[20] Sullivan did not shake Morrison's hand as he left the stage. The band had been negotiating a multi-episode deal with the producers; however, after violating the agreement not to perform the offending line, they were informed they would never perform on the show again. Morrison's response was "Hey man. We just did the Sullivan show."[22]
This performance was portrayed in Oliver Stone's1991 biopic film, but with Morrison singing "higher" more emphatically and without his subsequent retort to Sullivan and the show's producer.[23]
Buick TV commercial
Drummer John Densmore recalled that Buick offered $75,000 in October 1968 to adapt the song for use in a Buick TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire").[24][25] Morrison, however, was still in London after a European tour had just ended on September 20, and could not be contacted by the other band members, who agreed to the deal in his absence. As the band had agreed in 1965 to both equal splits and everyone having veto power in decisions, Morrison consequently called Buick and threatened to personally smash a Buick with a sledgehammer on television, should the commercial be aired.[26]
Musical structure
"Light My Fire" is notated in the key of A Minor.[27] Ray Manzarek's keyboard playing descends from G to D Major, then goes to F and B-flat major; continuing onto the pitches of E-flat and A-flat major, before returning to the initial key of A Major.[28] This alternation was based on Johann Bach's "Two and Three Part Inventions",[29] but author Philip Clark has suggested that it may have been inspired by Dave Brubeck's compositions.[30] The extended solo arrangement is performed throughout the keys of A Minor and B Minor, the same chord progression used by John Coltrane on his cover version of "My Favorite Things".[31][32] According to Manzarek, the instrumental sections were an homage to John Coltrane whom the band admired.[33] Parts of the solos are polyrhythmic.[34]
Speed discrepancy
The 40th Anniversary mix of the debut album presents a stereo version of "Light My Fire" in speed-corrected form for the first time. The speed discrepancy (being about 3.5% slow) was brought to Bruce Botnick's attention by Brigham Young University professor Michael Hicks, who noted that all video and audio live performances of the Doors performing the song, the sheet music, and statements of band members show the song in a key almost a half step higher (key of A) than the stereo LP release (key of A♭/G♯). Until the 2006 remasters, only the original 45 RPM singles ("Light My Fire" and "Break On Through") were produced at the correct speed.[35]
A live version was released in 1983 on their live album Alive, She Cried,[36] the first of several live albums released in subsequent decades to include the song. "Light My Fire" achieved modest success in Australia, where it peaked at number 22 on the ARIA chart. The single originally reached number 49 in the UK in 1967, but experienced belated success in that country in 1991, when a reissue peaked at number seven. This reissue was more successful in Ireland, peaking atop the IRMA chart for two weeks in June. The reissue occurred due to revived interest in the band following Oliver Stone's film biopic The Doors.
The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in September 1967 for exceeding one million units shipped.[37] As of December 1971, it was the band's best-selling single with over 927,000 copies sold.[38]
It was also certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA in November 2024 for reaching 2,000,000 digital units.[37]Billboard described the single as a "top discotheque offering" with an "infectious beat" that "really grooves from start to finish."[39]Cash Box called the single a "potent, pounding foot-stomper with unlimited potential."[40]
The Puerto Rican vocalist and guitarist José Feliciano enjoyed significant international success when he released his version of "Light My Fire" in 1968 as a single on the RCA Victor label. It is perhaps the best known cover of this song, peaking at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts for the three consecutive weeks of August 31 and September 7 and 14,[74][75] only a year after the original had been a number-one hit on the same chart. His version became the bigger hit in Australia and also in Canada, where it reached number one.[76]
Feliciano's remake blended Latin influences, including a mixture of classic Spanish guitar, and soul, with American pop.[71] It contains "proto-Latin rock" stylings,[77] and a slower tempo than the Doors original version.[51] In a 1969 interview, Feliciano said that he liked the song when he first heard it, but felt that he should wait a year before releasing the song. He also said that "California Dreamin'" was the original A-side of the single.[51]
The single helped to spur the worldwide success of its album, Feliciano!, which was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards in 1969. Feliciano's arrangement of "Light My Fire" has influenced several subsequent versions, including that by Will Young. Songwriter Robby Krieger said in an interview about the cover: "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."[78]
In 1979, Amii Stewart released a disco version of "Light My Fire", together with a medley titled "137 Disco Heaven". It was a big hit in the UK, where it reached No. 5,[93] and a mild hit in West Germany, peaking at No. 26.[94] In the U.S., the song peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100[95] and No. 36 on the BillboardHot Soul Singles chart.[96]
It reached the top 10 in the UK a second time in 1985, in remixed form together with "Knock on Wood/Ash 48". This release peaked at No. 7.[97]
English singer and Pop Idolseries 1 winner Will Young covered "Light My Fire" in 2002.[107] He originally performed a piano version of the song in the final 50 of Pop Idol, and again, with a backing track, in the final 10. A studio version, recorded in the style of Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano's version, was later released as his second single. The song went straight to the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart, selling 177,000 copies in its first week of release, while staying at number one for two weeks. Young also performed the song on World Idol, where he came in fifth place.[108]
^Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (March 23, 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN978-0-7893-2074-2.
^Greenman, Ben (January 1, 1998). "Jose Feliciano". In Knopper, Steve (ed.). MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 167.
^Molanphy, Chris (December 18, 2021). "Chestnut Roasters Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
^Light My Fire (UK cassette single sleeve). Will Young. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2002. 74321 943004.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Light My Fire (European CD single liner notes). Will Young. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2002. 82876 52541 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^From Now On (UK CD album booklet). Will Young. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2002. 74321 969592.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
