The Doors "Light My Fire"

*****Number One, July, 1967*****

Here's the problem with poetry.

That sentence was, technically, a poem.

So, yeah, let's talk about this song.

If there's not a cover band with this name yet, well, I'm starting one.

"Light My Fire" has officially been in the public's consciousness now for over fifty years.  It has likely been played tens of thousands of times across nearly all genres of radio.  If you're of a certain age, it is probable that you can identify the tune from just the opening few notes.  But, what of the words?  Are they truly worthy of such a longevity of fame?

In looking over the lyrics, it is easy to be a bit underwhelmed.  There are only eight stanzas. That said, it's a short song.  After removing the excruciating, endless organ noodling that takes place on the album version, the radio cut came in at just under three minutes.  So, in that sense, the quantity of chatter isn't insufficient.

The quality?  Well, let's utilize some duplication reduction techniques to figure out how much useful original chatter there is.  Here's the layout, with restated segments crossed out:

Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus

Eh, yup, there are three unique stanzas in the whole flippin' song.  That's it.  Three.  Apparently, fire lighting involves a significant amount of repetition.  But, as they say, it's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the leather-clad hips.  Er, yeah.

Anywho, with such a dearth of poetry, I'm sure the lyrics will hit hard and earn top marks.  Let's find out!

No I'm not looking for the nickels I dropped, I'm being moody!

Unique Stanza #1
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.

From the start, we're putting out some presumptions here, Mr lizard guy.  You're assuming the girl knows things she may OR may not in actuality know.  I once assumed a girl would enjoy watching Fight Club with me.  Uh huh.  We all *think* we understand the lady to our side.  The lesson is, of course, we are all idiots.

Oh, and if I referred to said lady as "Girl", I think I'd be on fire.

However, jokes aside, I think that it is a pretty good beginning of a song.  There's no build-up of the relationship with the women he's talking with, as it just starts straight away with his dialogue to her.  That's an interesting way to dive in.  Many songs seem to dawdle on at the outset, taking a meandering road to the core of the story.  This one begins on point.  Simple but engaging, I think it's a great way to bring the listener in.  Solid execution.

Unique Stanza #1 score - 3.75 stars

Pretty much anything you do in leather pants will look sexy.  Anything!

Unique Stanza #2
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire.

A little demanding of said lady, no?

So, the chorus.  Sigh.  From a purely wordsmithy type point-of-view, this is...ugh.  I mean, I get it.  Sex.  We know what you mean.  And lyrically, the chorus is not a place something too clever should be inserted.  I remember some musician, Ben Folds I think, remarking about not putting the punchline in the chorus since it will quickly lose its impact due to it being repeated multiple times. 

But, still there's more complex ways to get this message across guys.  I mean, it's barely a single entendre.

Although, kudos on rhyming "fire" with "fire".  That must have taken hours to figure out.

Unique Stanza #2 score - 1.25 stars

Wow, Rolling Stone.  I believe this is called "burying the lede."

Unique Stanza #3
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

The credited songwriters for this tune, per Wikipedia, are all four members of the band themselves.  I'm going to make an assumption here.  One of the guys was the "serious" one.  He cared about war and humanity and puppies and pot laws (especially pot laws) and was very quick to say to anyone he perceived to have slightly less empathy than himself that "You just don't understand, MAN."  And he said it a LOT.  He cared.  And you needed to know that.

The first three lines were his call to action.  I can see him, whichever him it is, sitting at some ramshackle desk, left hand balled in a fit of rage, penning this trio.  People would listen to this and feel compelled to change the world.  They would have to!  He would make them, goddammit!

And then leather pants stuck 'em in a tune about boning.

Ah well.

Honestly, the first three lines aren't bad at all.  Yes, they sound like the standard hollow gobbledygook that passes for inspirational these days.  But, for back then, it's alright.  I think they get a pass for creativity.

Oh, what of the fourth line?  Sorry, I don't review sentences with the word "pyre" in it.  I have standards.

Unique Stanza #3 score - 3.00 stars

It's a door, ya see...

FINAL SCORE  - 8.00 stars
FINAL GRADE - F (53%)

FINAL THOUGHTS
No, I didn't give a tune named on the list of the greatest rock songs of all time a failing grade.  I just gave the lyrics a failing grade.  There's a big difference.  When pulled apart, some great things just look awful inside.  And in this case, on their own, the words of "Light My Fire" don't deserve a pass.  They're basic and random and just not poetic.  Or, maybe they are.  What is poetry, anyway?

Well, not a pyre.  I can tell you that much.