"Been Down So Long" 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 Wale ...

band

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

. It appears on '' L.A. Woman'', the last studio album that lead singer

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

recorded with the group. It has been called, notably by critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

, as a "take-off" on the album. A live version recorded on May 8, 1970, at

Cobo Arena Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Washi ...

in Detroit, appears on the 2000 compilation album '' The Bright Midnight Sampler''.

Lyrics

The song's lyrics were written by lead singer and frontman Jim Morrison, though the performance rights organization

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

, along with the actual album liner notes, has given the songwriting credit to all members of the group evenly. Morrison's lyrics draws upon themes of depression, liberation, and sexuality, referring to his imprisonments during live performances. The title makes reference to

Richard Fariña Richard George Fariña (; March 8, 1937 – April 30, 1966) was an American Folk music, folksinger, songwriter, poet and novelist. Early years and education Fariña was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, the son of an Irish mother, Ther ...

's book ''

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me Been may refer to: * To be * Have been * Been (surname) * Beens, an ethnic group of Bangladesh *Pungi The pungi, also known as bīn or Murli, is a musical instrument that originates from the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a r ...

'', and was influenced by the lyrics of

Furry Lewis Walter E. "Furry" Lewis (March 6, 1893 or 1899 – September 14, 1981) was an American country blues guitarist and songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of the earliest of the blues musicians active in the 1920s to be brought out of ...

's 1928 song, "

I Will Turn Your Money Green "I Will Turn Your Money Green" (sometimes credited as "Turn Your Money Green") is an American blues song first recorded in 1928 by the author, Memphis bluesman Furry Lewis. It was a standard for Lewis' performances, and has been recorded by bands in ...

": "I been down so long/It seem like up to me." It is also considered to be Morrison at his most "mock tough", and his disapproval of the

judicial system The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

in the US.

Music and contributions

Session musician

Jerry Scheff Jerry Obern Scheff (born January 31, 1941) is an American bassist, best known for his work with Elvis Presley from 1969 to 1977 as a member of his TCB Band and on the Doors' '' L.A. Woman''. Biography Scheff grew up in Vallejo, California. After ...

contributed on bass guitar, while the rhythm guitars were played by

Marc Benno Marc Benno (born July 1, 1947 in Dallas, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Benno teamed with Leon Russell to form the Asylum Choir in the late 1960s. He launched a solo career in the early 1970s, with the 1972 album ''Amb ...

and keyboardist

Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. ( Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

. Musically, "Been Down So Long" is a conventional blues song, with rambunctious aggression, and having the "old Doors, slow blues" style. It features a distinct

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

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 " ...

, a rough sound, and a stomping beat. In response to Morrison's bluesy interpretation in an interview with ''

L.A. Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

'',

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

president

Jac Holzman Jac Holzman (born September 15, 1931) is an American record executive. He is the founder of the record labels Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records. Holzman helped commercially launch the CD and home video formats, as well as the pilot program wh ...

said about Morrison's general enthusiasm for the blues during that time:

Critical response

In his music reference book '' Rock Albums of the '70s: A Critical Guide'', published in 1981,

considered ''L.A. Woman'' to be the Doors' greatest effort; however he also deemed "Been Down So Long" along with "L'America" as one of the few "disappointing" tracks of the album.

Will Hermes Will Hermes (born December 27, 1960, in Jamaica, Queens, New York City) is an American author, broadcaster, journalist and critic who has written extensively about popular music. He is a longtime contributor to ''Rolling Stone'' and to National P ...

of ''

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

'' rating ''L.A. Woman'' with four-and-a-half stars out five, he characterized the song as a "garage-style classic". ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' critic Nathan Wisnicki wrote in his review that with "Been Down So Long" the Doors "overestimated their jamming abilities", adding that the song "could've been tightened-up without losing any fire". Music journalist James Perone declared it one of the "must-hear blues songs" of the band.

Personnel

The Doors *

– vocals *

– rhythm guitar *

–

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

– drums, tambourine Additional musicians *

– bass guitar *

– rhythm guitar

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{authority control 1971 songs The Doors songs Song recordings produced by Bruce Botnick