The Door Culture

The 1960’s was a mix of revolutionary ideas and the clashing of old and new ideology. This battle of ideas lead to the non conformist era, and the movement known as the counterculture. The times were defined by free thought, new ideas of love, psychedelic music, long hair, and drug experimentation . Big names in music like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience had gained a massive following from young people all over America in just a few years. But, none of those groups stormed the culture of the time quite like The Doors did in 1967. According to Mick Wall, after only one album and less than year, The Doors had quickly gained popularity comparable to that of the Beatles in a fraction of the time. Why was this? Perhaps …show more content…
“Light My Fire”, a song written by guitarist Robby Krieger and originally the last track on side one of the LP, became the band’s first single, as well as the summer anthem of 1967, heard on radios through all of California and quickly spreading to the rest of the nation (Wall). The album in itself was significant because it reflected the culture and feelings of the young generation during that time. According to Kyle Fowle, “ Released in 1967, The Doors is an album that could have only been a product of such a time and place, with a band of young, disillusioned American kids making a record, implicitly or not, about their country’s move from the optimism of the ’60s to the cynicism of the ’70s. The Doors embodies that transition, both musically and culturally, paving the way for journeys into psychedelic rock and punk in the years to come.” The lyrics and musical juxtaposition of many of The Doors’ songs created imagery that moved away from the picturesque lifestyle of 1950's and the whimsical emotions of the flowerchild and crafts something more violent. The melodramatic sounds and seemingly endless guitar riffs are accompanied by lyrical values much different from others, which created a new outlook for their fans. Morrison's lyrics introduced new ideas of pain, love, and hate. Even more, they broke the disillusionment many young people felt about the old ideas of what life can be and how far one can live up to their dreams. The best example of this can be found in the band’s second album, Strange Days, which was released in late 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War. The first lines of the titular song addressed emotions of death, depression, and loss in a new fashion. Ideas of such had never been addressed in other bands’ idyllic lyrics. One can say this song paved the way of new scenes with similar sounds featuring upbeat music with dark undertones. The