"Light My Fire" is a song by the American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

the Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart (in July 29, August 5 and August 12, 1967), and one week on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100, nearly a year after its recording. Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the song has come to be regarded a synonymous with the 60s psychedelic and sexual revolutions. A year later, it re-entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of

José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " F ...

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the song (which peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' chart), peaking at number 87. The song was principally written by the band's guitarist,

Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and ...

, but was credited to the entire band.

History

"Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by

, who said that he was inspired by the melody of "

Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is an American song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooti ...

" and the lyrics of

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

' " Play with Fire". On taking his initial composition to the band,

John Densmore John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, author and actor. He is best known as the drummer of the rock band the Doors, and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recordi ...

suggested that it should have more of a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

rhythm,

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...

wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"), while

Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. (né Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the Doors, co-founding the band with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison in 1965. Manzarek was induct ...

added the

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

-influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

hit.

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 Rhodes Piano Bass, while performing the main keyboard lines on a

Vox Continental The Vox Continental is a transistorised combo organ that was manufactured between 1962 and 1971 by the British musical equipment manufacturer Vox. It was designed for touring musicians and as an alternative to the heavy Hammond organ. It supp ...

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 Lawrence William Knechtel (August 4, 1940 – August 20, 2009) was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon ...

to overdub a Fender Precision Bass guitar to double the keyboard bass line. Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track. Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play, notably by Los Angeles DJ

Dave Diamond Sidney Ivan Davison Jr. (August 7, 1936 – May 5, 2014), known professionally as Dave Diamond, was an American radio DJ whose programs in the late 1960s and early 1970s helped popularise many psychedelic and acid rock bands. He was also an ac ...

, and Elektra Records owner

Jac Holzman Jac Holzman (born September 15, 1931) is an American music businessman, best known as the founder, chief executive officer and head of record label Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records. Holzman commercially helped launch the CD and home video form ...

asked that a shorter version be released as a single. Despite the band's reluctance, Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmis ...

''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 ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...

'' broadcast on September 17, 1967. The Doors were asked by producer Bob Precht,

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New Yor ...

'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". 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. 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." This performance was portrayed in Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic film, but with Morrison singing "higher" more emphatically and without his subsequent retort to Sullivan and the show's producer.

Buick TV commercial

Drummer John Densmore recalled that

Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...

offered $75,000 in October 1968 to adapt the song for use in a Buick TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire"). 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.

Musical structure

"Light My Fire" is notated in the key of

A Minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

. Ray Manzarek's keyboard playing descends from G to

D Major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

, then goes to F and

B-flat major B-flat major is a major scale based on B, with pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative minor is G minor and its parallel minor is B-flat minor. The B-flat major scale is: : Many transposing ins ...

; continuing onto the pitches of E-flat and

A-flat major A-flat major (or the key of A-flat) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has four flats. The A-flat major scale is: : Its relative minor is F minor. Its parallel minor, A-flat minor, ...

, before returning to the initial key of A Major. This alternation was based on Johann Bach's " Two and Three Part Inventions", but author Philip Clark has suggested that it may have been inspired by Dave Brubeck's compositions. The extended solo arrangement is performed throughout the keys of A Minor and

B Minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes need ...

, the same chord progression used by

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

on his cover version of " My Favorite Things". According to Manzarek, the instrumental sections were an homage to John Coltrane whom the band admired. Parts of the solos also contain

polyrhythm Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music ( cross-rhyt ...

vogue.

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 Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

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.

Release and legacy

A live version was released in 1983 on their live album ''

Alive, She Cried ''Alive, She Cried'' is the second official live album by the American rock band the Doors, released in October 1983 by Elektra. It was the second live album release following 1970's '' Absolutely Live'' and produced by Paul A. Rothchild. The a ...

'', 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 Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

''. The single was certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in September 1967 for exceeding one million units shipped. As of December 1971, it was the band's best-selling single with over 927,000 copies sold. It was also certified Platinum by the RIAA in September 2018 for reaching 1,000,000 digital units. '' Billboard'' described the single as a "top discotheque offering" with an "infectious beat" that "really grooves from start to finish." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called the single a "potent, pounding foot-stomper with unlimited potential." "Light My Fire" has been widely considered the Doors' finest song, and a quintessential work of the

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

genre. In 2004 and 2010, the song was ranked at number 35 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, then it was re-ranked at number 310 on the 2021 list. It was included in RIAA's

Songs of the Century The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and ...

list, at number 52. In 2014 ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' ranked the song 199th in its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Feliciano's cover won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, the same year he also won the Grammy for

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

. In 1998, the track was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

under the category Rock (single).

Personnel

The Doors *

– drums *

– electric guitar *

–

organ, Rhodes piano bass *

– vocals Additional musician *

– bass guitar

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts Certifications

José Feliciano cover

Puerto Rican vocalist and guitarist

enjoyed significant international success when he released his version of "Light My Fire" in 1968 as a single on the

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

label. It is perhaps the best known cover of this song, reaching number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts, 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. Feliciano's remake blended

influences, including a mixture of classic Spanish guitar, and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, with American pop. It contains "proto-

Latin rock Latin rock is a term to describe a subgenre blending traditional sounds and elements of Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean folk with rock music. However, it is widely used in the English-language media to refer any kind of rock music featurin ...

" stylings, and a slower tempo than the Doors original version. 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' "California Dreamin'" is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in 1 ...

" was the original

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

of the single. The single helped to spur the worldwide success of its album, ''

Feliciano! ''Feliciano!'' is a 1968 album by Puerto Rican guitarist José Feliciano. All of the tracks are acoustic cover versions of songs popularized by other artists, including The Mamas & the Papas, The Doors, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Beatles, Jo ...

'', which was nominated for multiple

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s in 1969. Feliciano's arrangement of "Light My Fire" has influenced several subsequent versions, including that by

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Idol ...

. 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." Feliciano revisited the song, performing a duet with

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single " Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use ...

on her 1979 album '' Minnie''.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Amii Stewart version

In 1979,

Amii Stewart Amy Paulette "Amii" Stewart (born January 29, 1956) is an American disco and soul singer and dancer who found prominence with her 1979 U.S. Billboard number 1 hit cover of Eddie Floyd's song " Knock on Wood", often considered a classic of the ...

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, and a mild hit in West Germany, peaking at No. 26. In the U.S., the song peaked at No. 69 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 36 on the ''Billboard''

Hot Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart. It reached the top 10 in the UK a second time in 1985, in

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

ed form together with " Knock on Wood/Ash 48". This release peaked at No. 7.

Track listing

* 1979 12" # "Light My Fire" / "137 Disco Heaven"8:22 # "Bring It on Back to Me"3:58 * 1985 UK 12" # "Knock on Wood" / "Ash 48"7:45 # "Light My Fire" / "137 Disco Heaven"7:35

Charts

Will Young cover

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and par ...

series 1 The IBM Series/1 is a 16-bit minicomputer, introduced in 1976, that in many respects competed with other minicomputers of the time, such as the PDP-11 from Digital Equipment Corporation and similar offerings from Data General and HP. The Seri ...

winner

covered "Light My Fire" in 2002. 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. It was later released as his second single. It went straight to the number one spot in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, selling 177,000 copies in its first week of release. The single stayed at number one for two weeks. The cover version was recorded in the style of José Feliciano's version. Young also performed the song on ''

World Idol ''World Idol'' (Germany: ''SuperStar Weltweit'', Arab World: ''SuperStar El Alaam'') is a one-off international version of the singing competition television show ''Pop Idol'', featuring winners of the various national ''Idol'' shows around t ...

'', where he came in fifth place.

Track listings

UK CD single # "Light My Fire" # "

Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album '' Just As I Am,'' produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arran ...

" # " Beyond the Sea" (featuring the Big Blue) UK cassette single and European CD single # "Light My Fire" – 3:33 # "Ain't No Sunshine" – 2:36

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the ''

From Now On From Now On may refer to: Film * ''From Now On'' (1920 film), an American film of 1920 * ''From Now On'' (film), a 2007 Portuguese film directed by Catarina Ruivo Music Albums * ''From Now On'' (Jaki Graham album) or the title song, 1989 * ''Fro ...

'' album booklet. Studios * Produced at

Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a renowned British independent commercial recording studio based in Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendr ...

(London, England) * Mastered at

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

(London, England) Personnel *

– writing *

Milton McDonald Mike "Milton" McDonald is a session guitarist. He has played with Patricia Kaas, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Spice Girls, S Club 7, Ray Davies, Take That, Robert Palmer, M People, Louise, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Atomic Kitten, Hear'Sa ...

– guitars * Karlos Edwards – percussion *

Nick Ingman Nicholas Ingman (born 29 April 1948) is an English arranger, composer and conductor in the commercial music field. His collaborators include Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Björk, and the British X-factor. Born and educated in London, Ingman moved ...

– string arrangement, conducting * Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader * Isobel Griffiths Ltd. – orchestra contracting * Absolute – all other instruments, production * Steve Fitzmaurice – mixing * Philippe Rose – mixing assistant * Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

Ray Manzarek of The Doors
an interview on ''

Fresh Air ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to ...

''
Light My Fire
from ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'', 2000 interviews about the song with the surviving members of the Doors * * {{authority control 1966 songs 1967 singles 1968 singles 1979 singles 1999 singles 2002 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles The Doors songs Amii Stewart songs José Feliciano songs Songs written by John Densmore Songs written by Robby Krieger Songs written by Ray Manzarek Songs written by Jim Morrison Irish Singles Chart number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in Scotland UK Singles Chart number-one singles Will Young songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Song recordings produced by Paul A. Rothchild Elektra Records singles RCA Victor singles Blue Note Records singles EMI Records singles 19 Recordings singles Syco Music singles Bertelsmann Music Group singles Hansa Records singles Atlantic Records singles Ariola Records singles Obscenity controversies in music

History

''The Ed Sullivan Show''

Buick TV commercial

Musical structure

Speed discrepancy

Release and legacy

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

José Feliciano cover

Chart history

Weekly charts

Amii Stewart version

Track listing

Charts

Will Young cover

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

Further reading

External links