People Are Strange

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Lore & Background

The composition began in early 1967 when drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, who were then roommates, visited Jim Morrison. They found him "deeply depressed." Following Krieger's suggestion, the trio took a walk along Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. The mood shifted dramatically when Morrison returned from the walk "euphoric," carrying early lyrics for the song. He described the experience to Krieger: "Yeah, I feel really good about this one. It just came to me all of a sudden ... in a flash – as I was sitting up there on the ridge looking out over the city." His eyes were wild with excitement as he explained, "I scribbled it down as fast as could. It felt great to be writing again." Looking at the crumpled paper in his hand, Morrison sang the chorus in his haunting blues voice, convincing Krieger immediately that the song was a hit.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of the song centers on alienation and being an outsider. Critics like Tom Maginnis noted it reflects the band's fascination with European cabaret music, while author Melissa Ursula Dawn Goldsmith observed it uses Expressionist ideas to express something positive as strange. The lyrics may address hippie culture, outsiders in general, or users of drugs such as LSD. Densmore viewed the track as a manifestation of Morrison's "vulnerability." Reviews were sharp: Billboard called it an "easy rocker with compelling lyric," while Cash Box praised the "mid-speed setting" for adding kick to the "black humor of the lyrical content," calling the production and work "fantastic." Decades later, in 2023, the song's atmosphere influenced paintings by artist George Condo.

Reader's Guide

The recording features The Doors with Jim Morrison on lead and backing vocals, Ray Manzarek playing Vox Continental organ and tack piano, Robby Krieger on slide guitar, and John Densmore on drums. Additional musician Doug Lubahn contributed bass guitar. The song has been covered by others, including British group Echo & the Bunnymen for the 1987 film *The Lost Boys*. Their version was produced by Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and released as a single in 1988, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. A 12-inch version appeared that February, with the single re-released in 1991 when it hit number 13 on the Irish Singles Chart; its B-sides matched their previous release, "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo." Swedish singer-songwriter Stina Nordenstam also covered the song on her 1998 album of the same name, which included a remix single featuring an UNKLE remix as a bonus track in Japan.

Did You Know?

• Jim Morrison wrote the lyrics after returning from a walk along Laurel Canyon feeling "euphoric" and described the inspiration as coming in a flash.
• The song was first released with "Unhappy Girl" as its B-side before reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• Echo & the Bunnymen's cover version was produced by Laurie Latham and reached number 29 on the UK Singles Chart in 1988.
• In 2023, the song influenced paintings created by artist George Condo.
• The UNKLE remix of Stina Nordenstam's cover appears as a bonus track on the Japanese version of her album and on UNKLE's box set, *Eden*.