Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger - Light My Fire (The Doors) | The Story Behind The Song

Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger from The Doors tell the story of 'Light My Fire'. A short documentary by Top 2000 a gogo (Dutch Public TV) from 2013.

[@yabbadabba1975]

Ray Manzarek kept the Doors alive for 50 years after Jim passed on. RIP Ray. Thanks for the music.

[@MrRichulan]

Ray Manzarek was not only a great musician, but a great story-teller too. On KZbin you can find a lot of examples to prove it.

[@robertcraane7910]

And such a sweet guy... An icon on his own!

[@mikentx57]

I agree. I always felt he was our American Pete Townshend. That is, he is the one that can explain what it all means. We lost a lot when he passed.

[@guyincognito5706]

mikentx57 Oh. I thought you meant he kept child pornography on his computer.

[@willywilliams5272]

Absolutely !

[@ToadeRTroniX]

I like when he told the story behind Riders of the Storm on Behind the Music.

[@PeterMayer]

I remember hearing this in 67 when I was 8 years old and thought this was definitely different. This song, White Rabbit, Strawberry Fields. I knew that music was changing

[@brianshaffneraclc]

I was born in 66, and my parents listened to all three of the bands whose songs you mention, as well as the Moody Blues, Stones, and others. In my earliest musical recollections, vaguely 69 - 71, that stuff *was* music. It was what was played at home. My own tastes have been predicated on it for a lifetime.

[@williamwilson6499]

I was 8 also. 52 years later and I love the song as much as then.

[@johnscanlan9335]

I too was 8 in 1967 and was completely obsessed with LMF. I've often thought about why a young kid would be so fascinated by it. Do you have any definite ideas?

[@Thelooneylink]

We grew up on the best music of all time. I was born in "57 and had siblings 6 and 7 years older than me.

[@adrianekelly2966]

Peter Mayer , hi there. I was born in '57, and Incense and Peppermints was one of my absolute favorites. Still is. ✌️🎶

[@lionheartroar3104]

RIP Ray Manzarek

[@macski6924]

He was frickin' great.

[@josemiguelcarrizo7373]

Everybody talks about Jim and forget the other 3. They were all tanlented artists and they all deserve recognition.

[@johnnyjabsco1999]

Jose Miguel Carrizo - The Doors were nothing without Jim Morrison and Jim Morrison was nothing without The Doors. His words, his voice and their music together were magical. Nothing else comes anywhere near.

[@jamesbarrick3403]

You are not wrong... BUT they really are no better than countless musicians who remain nameless doing studio session work or relentlessly gig and never have massive success. What separates the really big acts (stars) is something extraordinary. Jim Morrison had that and that was undeniable. Jim is the only reason you ever heard of Ray manzerack

[@horrortackleharry]

Jim could be a monumental asshole at times- but he was ALWAYS publicly respectful of his fellow Doors and their musical contributions. Indeed, he often criticised other bands precisely because they relied too much on 'feeling' and weren't musically talented enough....

[@stubs1227]

@@johnnyjabsco1999 you are correct after Jim died there was no doors. People need to Jim Morrison to the hilt. Rest in peace Jim mom and admiral Morrison. Best regards to your brother and sister.

[@mickavellian]

WHO IS EVERYBODY?? GOD how i fucking hate these wide sweeping " he is so underrated., noone talks.. blah blah. I KNOW immediately that anyone who KNOWS MUSIC will NOT say the George Harrison was underrated ,or Ringo was underrated. It is your FUCK lack of knowledge in the matter that is sorely lacking.

[@janetwilhelm4435]

My older sister was the "beautiful Breck Girl" of 1967 and met the Doors in San Francisco. Jim talked to her,with conviction and unbound fury. She enjoyed his company,but with reluctance she walked away...and we still have the photos...

[@tubularbill]

I met Ray back around 2001. Really nice guy.

[@morrisonreed1]

yep he was always positive every time i saw him ;he is missed by many

[@jeffreydurrance5400]

Genius song..its over 50yrs old & I can still listen to it every day

1:14 Oooooooooh, wow, really no comments about that video edit? Amazing :)

[@montythepython7614]

Ray... perhaps the nicest person that has ever lived.. loved.... Thanks for the post.

[@womanofsubstance8735]

Actual talent: composing, lyrics, vocals, and no auto-tune.

[@sabrinan4792]

A woman I worked with in 1985 told stories of seeing The Doors play at Venice High School before they were famous. Another friend knew Ray, having played tennis with him for 20 years. I was sad for my friend for his loss.

[@MrKaywyn]

As a fan I miss Ray dearly.

[@chrisn7259]

Shows how much old fashioned craftsmanship went into songs that--at the time--many people just assumed were lucky drug-fueled accidents.

[@patientmental875]

Some definitely are though

[@morrisonreed1]

@@patientmental875 yes for people who know how to play

[@rjjcms1]

14 chords - and my recommendations just sent me here directly from the one about the making of Wild Thing by the Troggs!

[@Vpmatt]

You can't luck your way into a song as good as Light My Fire, no matter how many drugs you take. There's a reason this song sounds as good now as it did in '67. It's because it's GENIUS.

[@SirG145]

So accurately put!

[@raygrange7312]

For years The Doors influenced my life.

[@utoobia]

Ray reminds me of Stewart Copeland in the way he speaks. They both LOVE to speak. 😉

[@hermanhelmich]

utoobia So true, great remark

[@johna.4334]

I was 11 years young when I first heard 'Light My Fire' and from that day on I was a diehard Doors fan. The first album was their best; the ones that followed were good but none topped their first.

[@airsofttrooper08]

I'm 24 now, wish I was alive back then. But I heard light my fire for the first time in high school and I've been a die hard fan since. My first experience with the door though was in 2003 when I was a little kid riders on the storm was featured in a car racing video game called "need 4 speed". I really liked it but I didn't become a fan until high school when I heard Light my fire.

[@johna.4334]

@@airsofttrooper08 Trivia note: When LMF first aired it was offered in the long version format. DJs complained about the length of the song so it was shorted and soon became a number one hit.

[@airsofttrooper08]

john a. Yes I actually knew this and I’ve heard both versions and I hate the short version. I actually prefer the 13 minute version that the doors did in 1970 at the Isle it wight festival. Both the guitar solo and keyboard solos were doubled in length.

[@Vpmatt]

LA Woman is pretty close. My 2 fave Doors albums - the first and the last. A perfect circle.

[@Gumshrud1]

at 16 crusin' and walkin' the crowded Sunset Strip--was a trip--in late '66. The Doors played at the Whisky a Go Go, I was too young to enter.

[@craigh8602]

My favorite song/album as a kid---and it doesn't sound like it has 14 chords. Ray's keyboards were the band's bass...unusual and impressive.

[@cjay2]

There are about 7 in the verse/chorus of the song itself. There are 7 additional in the circle-of-fifths intro, used three times in the song. Total of about 14 chords.

[@airsofttrooper08]

I'm 24 now, wish I was alive back then. But I heard light my fire for the first time in high school and I've been a die hard fan since. My first experience with the door though was in 2003 when I was a little kid riders on the storm was featured in a car racing video game called "need 4 speed". I really liked it but I didn't become a fan until high school when I heard Light my fire, I wish todays music had soul like 50's and 60's music. I was definitely born in the wrong time ;(

[@ihbarddx]

Has there ever been a song with such an eclectic array of hooks? You get Bebop, Latin, Rock, and Bach all working together! And that last chord sounds like it's coming from E. Power Biggs' pipe organ. Love it!

[@adrianekelly2966]

I LOVE THIS SERIES. Absolutely wonderful. So enjoyable. I want to see them all. Born in '57. I can't go long without immersing myself in the great music of this time. I can feel my inner soul vehicle getting up to speed on an open road of vibration and cellular memory, burning the fuel residue from the carburetor. The floods of electrical energy and goosebumps are intense, nearly painful. Almost orgasmic building of human response to what these artists brought through into this dimension, from who knows where. How fortunate we were to be imprinted with this music in our early years. There never has been anything like its particular power, probably never will be. Thank you so very much. 🙏✌️🎶💕🖖

[@Top2000agogo]

Thank you!

[@dennistoadvine9672]

And a hit was born. Make way for The Doors!

[@weloveyouaqua]

I remember when this first came out it was one those songs if had a band back then you had to play it.

[@hebneh]

One reason this song made such an impression when it was released was that it, along with some other songs then, suddenly broke away from the rigid time limit that had been imposed on American popular music by how much music could fit onto a single recording. That had started around 1900 and was strictly adhered to till "Light My Fire", "Time (Has Come Today), and a few others changed it in the late 1960s. We were all kind of astounded when this occurred, and some AM rock radio stations were kooky enough to play the full-length versions sometimes at night.

[@npg68]

Hey Jude?

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

@@npg68 - I grew up in a town outside New York City, and the radio station I mostly listened to was the ABC station. I can still remember hearing edited versions of "Hey Jude" and "Light My Fire," and even the longer songs like "Smoke On the Water" and "Stairway To Heaven." I didn't hear a lot of albums, and didn't know until later that Stevie Wonder didn't write "We Can Work It Out!" Soon after that, I picked up the guitar, and part of the "homework" was to listen to the older recordings, the influences. And I grew to like the older artists, and I would listen to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. I also listened to jazz and classical music. I still prefer to listen to this older music rather than listen to a lot of what is released these days. Luckily, having eclectic tastes means that theres a lot of good music to listen to.

[@dynjarren7523]

FM Stations played the longer versions of every song Rock anthem that came out like Light my Fire and Like A Rolling Stone which was considered long at Six minutes. Now Six minutes is nothing! Stairway is 12 minutes!

[@dynjarren7523]

Hey Jude was considered long at Six minutes. Now it’s nothing exceptional! Stairway is 12 minutes!

[@guitarslim56]

I don't think there was much radio airplay going on in 1900.

[@mattgreenfield360]

Could listen to manzerak all day long

[@blacksabbathmatters3365]

I could watch this for 3 days straight.

[@mmarialexx]

Fabulous intro for a fabulous song 😍

[@BuckRogers2000]

I'm shocked this video doesn't have a ZILLION views. Thanks for bringing the rest of the band in the spotlight!

[@FB1BB1BB1]

I was 10 when this came out. My 8 year old sister got the single, which was red, for Christmas along with a record player. It was the big song of the year.

[@remygaron8311]

We missed the Doors 👏👏🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@anonymousguy7723]

Another excellent video

[@gingercat777]

Jim Morrison and the band had been asked by the producer of the Sullivan show, Bob Precht, to alter the lyrics of the song so as to eliminate the phrase “we couldn’t get much higher.” Sullivan’s sponsors didn’t dig the idea that the song’s lyrics might suggest drug use. The band agreed to change the lyrics but come show time Morrison sang the lyrics as originally written. As a result, The Doors were banned from ever again appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. As if it really mattered.

[@joedanna1827]

Fuck ed sullivan

[@MarkBoninsegna]

No, he did not. That was Val Kilmer.

[@marcwilding4804]

Yeah, we’ve all seen the film mate...

[@visualonestudio]

Marc Wilding that's what I was thinking. Not even sure if that really happened.

[@PInk77W1]

I’ve never done drugs But I get high

[@medpub]

They really worked together as a unit. Thats quite rare in a band.

[@stevenhopkins2887]

You are a genius sir...One of the best musicians in the world!

[@trope5105]

its crazy that i was born in mid 87, an that the 60's were ya, a while ago, but nowdays, they were a hot minute ago, n the tru muckers that were the revolutionists of what music really is, are now going to the separate realm! i hope theyre fuggin happy, because they are all the ones that influence me! i wont go into how parents nowdays are failing their kids by lettting the not live with what true ambition is, but i will leave, with knowing myself

[@leelaturanga5461]

Twenty yers of piano lessons - nuff respect!

[@TheLochs]

I love these stories.

[@1995CL]

Geweldig!

[@markduncan6690]

What a wonderful human being Ray!

[@mickavellian]

What an extraordinary foursome... The Line about "A funeral pyre" always fascinated me and I HAD to look up what a PYRE was and it was like an impossible line to fit in the meter.. It was like a HIGHER voice whispered it to them. AND Desmond. my childhood hero. I remember saying (as a kid) "FUCK Ringo man.. Fuck Moon THIS is drumming." Little did I know Desmond had been formally trained and was a GREAT pianist & percussionist .

[@3207SuzyQ]

I love this channel.

[@SummerofKittyLove]

Ray's Bach/organ- sounding keyboard is everything in this song

[@bobburroughs6241]

No it's Robbie's break - still spine-tingling.

[@Wardads1]

That horrible organ shit dates it badly ,just utterly boring .

[@donjohnson9688]

Modern bands should try adding some organ and reduce the boring wall of mud guitar sound.

[@tiffhansen8787]

One of the greatest songs in recorded history

[@grassyclimer6853]

great channel just found it instant subbed

[@wormsnake1]

What a track...what a band.🎵👌x

[@BalboaBaggins]

music of the past and todays music couldn't be more David & Goliath

[@wpl6661]

No mention of one of the biggest elements which was Jim Morrison's voice. So distinctive. Not replicable.

[@robinrubendunst869]

wpl he had a really beautiful baritone. With proper training he could’ve been classical singer. Was a beautiful instrument

[@jennyjohn704]

I thought it was nice not to focus just on Jim for once. Also, there wasn't any mention of guitar either...

[@rolandgerard6064]

And so a great song was born

[@Blackmamba12345]

Amazing

[@eichbienyermaw]

Ray Manzarek was the hippiest sounding, old hippy, college professor type of guy🤣

[@ReginaDillard]

Bobo's Gonna Get Yi Yes, he was. What a great, timeless story.

[@alejandrocorona1766]

A masterpiece

[@renatacantore-gross8842]

Masterpiece.

[@kikiu2619]

- Greatest ever!

[@EdVanMeyer]

What a great song

[@theveryground3610]

I just love the Doors

[@antoinebeauman]

I was born in1967 .. I later in early 90s when the Oliver Stone movie came out get to know about the Doors .. in the same year I also visited Jims grave in Paris, my girlfriend and I were on a train trip from the Netherlands to the South of Italy and everywhere people were playing the Doors on their radio/cassette players. The Doors never sounded like old music from the sixties. I think The Doors are from all times and Jim never really died !

[@theveryground3610]

@@antoinebeauman Timeless music isn't it.

[@antoinebeauman]

@@theveryground3610 For me it is !

[@russellcampbell9198]

Taking rock music to a new level.

[@karajalbert6074]

Trust me Jim you couldn't get much higher

[@adolfojuarez3654]

I ❤️The Doors

[@barrybrown6239]

Legend

[@giorgalletos]

Love u man ,i wish i met you! RIP

[@dynjarren7523]

Light My Fire is still a great classic although I prefer Break on Through!

[@nguzoloveinlofi3832]

Ray Manzarek: I've got to add an intro- we can't just play over A minor to F# minor for 5 minutes. Roby Kreiger: I put every chord I know into Light My Fire- I counted them, there are 14 chords...

[@beveragescollections6529]

One time I'm delivered Pizza with the heavy rain that night, stepped in the car and played radio just about right music from The doors "riders on the storm" KLOS station still got many good DJ in 80's and 90's The guy Jim Ladd..

[@chuffpup]

When I was a punk I found the Doors very anachronistic and corny. The hippy trippy 6-6-60s, were destroyed damn it! > Boy, was I wrong. Now I'm 60. This is timeless. Of course, we were all hippies with haircuts. My childhood was set to this music and I loved it.

[@kuhnslomoiravnz5815]

Jim still has the best yell Ray Manzarek was the hippiest sounding, old hippy, college professor type of guy🤣

[@ElvarMasson]

You've just copied two ("original") comments below this video and make them look as if they're your own expression

[@hortondlfn1994]

Totally interesting.

[@ThomasSoles]

RIP, Ray.

[@callithowiseeit5806]

5 minutes to walk 40 yards? Boy those guys must've been loaded that day lol

[@tommytwomommy]

CallitHowISeeIt story tellers have to exaggerate. Real life is boring.

[@foljs5858]

Not to walk straight down to 40 yards. 5 minutes walking around across 40 yards of beach.

[@jay_hawk9762]

CallitHowISeeIt walking 40 yards, then walking back. 80 yards WALKING and most likely TALKING too.

[@TheWillog]

stopping every 5 yards for a bump of coke

[@SpaceCattttt]

Well, they changed into their bikinis first.

[@dennisxavier9513]

God! What has music turned to, since then?

[@dynjarren8355]

Robbie Krieger wrote Light My Fire 🔥. And Ray came up with intro. And Jim wrote the second verse and Viola! Magical! It was their big break through hit that put them in the big time! And they shared Royalties equally so they split everything 4 ways. I read that their first big royalty check was after the first album was successful and they each got a check for $50 Grand. 50 Grand back then in the late Sixties was like 250 grand now! They all bought houses except for Jim. He didn’t care about that so much. So the success of the first album gave them the financial stability to keep going afterwards. 💥👌🏻🔥🎸😎

[@frankiebutler2894]

Danny B Your story isn't quite right. Electra Records president asked each of them who they wanted as a "thank you", in addition to their first royalty check, which was $50,000. each. John and Robbie asked for recording equipment, Ray asked for thoroughbred horse, and Jim asked for his "Blue "Lady", a Mustang Shelby GT350. This can be read (hodgepodge.com) and heard from Ray, John and Robbie on various interviews on utube. BTW, Jim wrecked The Blue Lady and just walked off and gave her away!

[@oldsongsnew8797]

Best American band ever.

[@nemisisfinder182]

I mentioned the intro on the keyboard to my brother inlaw, who is a bit of a musician. He chuckled and said it was impossible to play it..🤣..

[@klauskarnath8233]

The Doors...👍👌

[@jeffmoore9487]

It has to be ok to agree with millions of others, because it is a unique and powerful opening. Without Jim's personality the lengthy A - FsharpM vamp would be tedious. Ray's opening makes the arrangement fresh and big!

[@Lehearthos]

A very well made short documentar. One thing though - sounds like 'Light my Fire' is played only on one channel. You can't hear the organ. Would be nice to hear both channels. :)

[@julianho7672]

light my fire......................yeah!

[@PInk77W1]

I love the José Feliciano cover

[@pbattis1]

The Wrecking Crew were the band on the records.

[@brianmc0]

The wrecking crew played on The Doors albums or at least this song? I never heard that before.

[@chrisalberts9414]

They were on alot but they were not on the first record from my knowledge

[@mfb3042]

Great to see how they worked together. Makes me think of Sam Riddle hosting the KHJ TV station on Saturday nights in LA when he introduced the Doors. I wasn't that impressed because I thought Jim Morrison was copying Mick Jagger. Didn't know I was witnessing history.

[@Alfa75V6]

he said THE word higher !!!!!!

[@Arthur-Silva]

Why didn’t you guys interview John Densmore?

[@camilleanderson450]

Cause he's a dick head

[@samuelbasye3508]

@@camilleanderson450 Right? 😄

[@ancyber6876]

Camille Anderson No he isn’t.

[@davidkent8606]

I read somewhere that Frank Sinatra hated this song with a vengeance, don't know why. Perhaps he just hated a rock song becoming a standard.

[@robertozaleta2780]

Way better and more refreshing than any of his old boring songs.

[@zekesterboospirit8658]

Probably disliked the culture of hippies and weirdos in general. Old school whose time had past.

[@fivestring65ify]

Frank hated rock and roll. It's well documented.

[@edwardlagrossa1246]

Old Frank thought Jim was stealing his phrasing and singing style. He was right. Jim used to brag that he used the same model vocal mic as Sinatra.

[@chrisalberts9125]

Yea because he was old by 67.... hey kid get off my lawn!!

[@vinskeeter]

When I heard the doors on the radio when I was a little kid, I thought the singer was a really old guy.

[@wxnd3r45]

Yeah I taught that too, when I first heard 'Riders on the storm'.

[@ceciliawells1099]

Thought

[@JorgeLourenco000]

When you had to have talent to creat music. This was proper music, acroos all genres

[@rabit818]

I would suggest to young musicians to get some ideas on composition, etc. from the Doors on youtube. But the age of laptop and ProTools just makes it a tad easier and cheaper for musicians.

[@noitnova]

Ray is een schitterende man en een van de beste in zijn vak.

[@jammer3618]

There was a complicated battle at one point over who actually wrote the song. Originally credited to all four

[@frankiebutler2894]

jammer3618 People who do NOT know the history of The Doors should NEVER make such a statement as that. Read, read, Dude. Better yet, listen to some of the interviews from members of The Doors. You are wrong...

[@BalboaBaggins]

Why aren't songs like these made anymore?

[@geinikan1kan]

incredible song. Apparently Morrison added that shit about wallowing in the mire and funeral pyre (corny poetic shite). But that song was viral in the 19760s and 70s. a cliche with incredible chords.

[@SM-ht7qf]

geinikan1kan Ah yes, the 19760's were such great times, you must be a time traveler

[@CraigsOverijse]

For sure the whole band worked together the sum being more than the whole of the parts to make an amazing sound that is still resonating in other music to this day. However one wonders what would have happened had Jim not died so young maybe big break up like the Beatles or maybe still churning it out like the stones

[@Phoebedumplings]

He not only fell for her but that California lifestyle...a guy from Manchester , in the late 60s.....he must have thought he’d stepped into a different universe! Which of course, he had, I would have done the same. Great story

[@MostCommentsAreFake-ud8by]

Who is from Manchester in the video ?

[@jcoghill2]

Ray 20 years of piano lessons only facilitated Light My Fire. That was one of those pieces that comes from a place where songs already exist and are just trying to find a way to be heard. The song made itself didn't it? That's why.

[@1979augistine]

Missing you and all you had to give maybe after the funeral pire whe will get to meet ... dreams

[@BadChizzle]

Fuck Yeah!

[@VictorPM1550]

Interesting to see how they played a short (like the 7") version of the song live... by accentuating that cut-moment (4:25 min. into this video). First let the organ quiet down, and then burst out with the drums and everything. Unlike on the record, where it's more like a random moment in the guitar part of the long version. When listening to the long version, you have to pay some attention: oh yeah, that's where the single comes back in again :-) Edit: whoops, got it totally wrong... live footage in this clip comes from this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5PNYoV8ltSsgs0 which is anything but a short version :-))))

[@momoney2720]

talk bout blowin your own trumpet ,still a great intro

[@TheGrouchDnD]

I think you mean tooting your own horn?

[@frankiebutler2894]

Mo Money IMO, Ray was not tootin his horn. The purpose of these videos is to give us, who care, an in depth review of songs and WHY they were written, the backstory. Pay attention.

[@ChickenatorJr]

Haha he seems so similar to Neil Peart! Looks a bit similar, same mannerisms and sound of voice even! Both amazing musicians too :)

[@visualonestudio]

Michael Sallai RIP Neal Peart.

[@medic2807]

Manzerak reminds me Neil Peart.

[@foxontherun4754]

The 14 chords of perception