Love Me Two Times

"Love Me Two Times"
Single by the Doors
from the album Strange Days
B-side"Moonlight Drive"
ReleasedNovember 1967 (1967-11)
RecordedApril 1967
Genre
Length
  • 3:16 (album version)
  • 2:37 (single version)
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)The Doors
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"People Are Strange"
(1967) 		"Love Me Two Times"
(1967) 		"The Unknown Soldier"
(1968)

"Love Me Two Times" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. First appearing on their second studio album Strange Days, it was later edited to a 2:37 length and released as the second single (after "People Are Strange") from that album. The single reached number 25 on the charts in the United States.[1]

"Love Me Two Times" was considered to be somewhat risqué for radio airplay, being banned in New Haven for being "too controversial," much to the dismay of the band.[2]

Composition

As with the other songs on Strange Days, the album liner notes list the songwriters as the Doors[3] as does the "Love Me Two Times" single; the performance rights organization ASCAP shows the writers as the individual Doors members.[4]

"Love Me Two Times" incorporates elements from blues[5] and baroque music,[6] and has been classified as a pop,[7][8] and blues rock song.[9] Band guitarist Robby Krieger stated to Guitar World's Alan Paul that the song's musical idea came from a lick by one of Danny Kalb's compositions.[10] Keyboardist Ray Manzarek played the final version of this song on a harpsichord, not a clavichord that has been often misheard.[11] Manzarek described the instrument as "a most elegant instrument that one does not normally associate with rock and roll."[11]

Lyrics

In his autobiography, Manzarek described the song as "Robby [Krieger]'s great blues/rock [sic] classic about lust and loss, or multiple orgasms, I'm not sure which".[11] According to author Rich Weidman the song is about a sailor or soldier spending one last day with his girlfriend before shipping out to war.[12]

Critical reception

In an AllMusic album review of Strange Days, critic Richie Unterberger described "Love Me Two Times" as "jerkily rhythmic",[13] while Rolling Stone called the song a "heavy, evocative and climatic piece".[14] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine also proclaimed that the song is the album's "most accessible, straightforward rock tune", and praised its "virtuosic harpsichord solo and one of the band's grooviest guitar riffs."[15] Billboard described the single as a "strong folk rocker that can't miss soaring to the top of the Hot 100."[16] Cash Box said that the song was "solid Chicago blues with a punch all its own" and has a "rock pace that builds through the vocal thrusts of lead Jim Morrison, and excellent instrumental sections."[17]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Personnel are taken from The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors book:[19]

The Doors

Additional musicians

Aerosmith version

"Love Me Two Times" was recorded by Aerosmith for the soundtrack of the 1990 film Air America (whose producers, Carolco Pictures, would also produce a biopic about the Doors). The band also performed it at its 1990 MTV Unplugged performance, where lead singer Steven Tyler dedicated the song to Jim Morrison, who performed with the Doors at the same venue of the Unplugged performance, the Ed Sullivan Theater, several years prior.[20] The 1990 cover reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[21] In 2001, the song was included on their greatest hits album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. In addition, a remixed version was included on the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate, with added slide guitar by Robby Krieger and keyboards by Ray Manzarek.[22]

References

  1. ^ "The Doors Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. ^ Densmore, John (November 4, 2009). Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors. Random House Publishing Group. p. 148. ISBN 978-0307429025.
  3. ^ Strange Days (Album notes). The Doors. New York City: Elektra Records. 1967. Back cover. EKS-74014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ "ACE Repertory: Love Me Two Times (Work ID:420142152)". ASCAP. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (January 2008). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 255. ISBN 978-1439109397.
  6. ^ Johnson, Ellen (February 4, 2019). "Vampire Weekend, Deerhunter and the Doors: 10 Times Harpsichord Was Actually Really Cool". Paste Magazine. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Simpson, Dave (June 17, 2015). "The Doors: 10 of the Best". The Guardian. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  8. ^ Matijas-Mecca, Christian (2020). Listen to Psychedelic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. Hardcover. p. 79. ISBN 978-1440861970.
  9. ^ Masley, Ed (May 30, 2017). "Sgt. Pepper and beyond: A look back at 20 great albums released in 1967". azcentral. Retrieved November 3, 2023. ...the swaggering blues-rock of "Love Me Two Times"...
  10. ^ Paul, Alan (March 27, 2008). "The Doors: Door Prize". Guitar World. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Manzarek, Ray (October 15, 1999). Light My Fire. Penguin. p. 258. ISBN 9780698151017.
  12. ^ Weidman, Richie (2011). The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 163. ISBN 978-1617131141.
  13. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Strange Days – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  14. ^ "The Doors: Strange Days – Review". Rolling Stone. November 23, 1967. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  15. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (April 18, 2007). "Review: The Doors, Strange Days". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  16. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. December 2, 1967. p. 87. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 2, 1967. p. 22. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – Doors – Love Me Two Times". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  19. ^ Gerstenmeyer, Heinz (2001). The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors (in German). BoD – Books on Demand. p. 49. ISBN 978-3-8311-2057-4.
  20. ^ "Aerosmith on MTV Unplugged". Rock This Way. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  21. ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 4, 2021. Note: scroll down.
  22. ^ Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors (liner notes). 2001.
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