Summer's Almost Gone

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Lore & Background

The song's origins trace back to July 1965 when Morrison played it for Manzarek at Venice Beach, a meeting that directly led to the formation of the Doors. By September 2, 1965, an early iteration was captured on tape at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles by a lineup missing Krieger. The track's journey to the studio album Waiting for the Sun involved a significant pivot: the band originally planned to feature "Celebration of the Lizard" but scrapped it, creating a void they filled with this 1965 demo recording and "Hello, I Love You." Despite its early conception, the version heard on the 1968 release was recorded in 1967 for the band's second album, Strange Days, before being set aside. This history highlights how the song evolved from a casual beach jam to a crucial piece of their discography, surviving years of re-evaluation and recording sessions to finally appear.

In Their Own Story

Critics have painted vivid pictures of the song's atmosphere, describing it as "ephemeral" with a "woozy folk blues" quality. Rob Hughes noted the instrumentation feels "happily lopsided," as if time has slipped into a psychedelic dream. Tony Thompson heard a "psychedelic version" of Brian Hyland's "Sealed With a Kiss," pointing to Krieger's "eerie" slide guitar and Manzarek's "plaintive" piano chords. Doug Sundling characterized the introduction with "gentle, grinning guitar," "soft and slightly inebriated piano," and "softly stroked cymbals." Lyrically, the line "Morning found us calmly unaware" captures a lazy summer mood, while the question "Where will we be when the summer's gone" introduces a bittersweet note of waning optimism. Manzarek himself called it a "cool Latino-Bolero kind of thing with a Bach-like bridge," emphasizing its theme: a season of joy and light coming to an end.

Reader's Guide

Musically, the song follows a strict 12-bar blues structure yet defies typical expectations with its "happily lopsided" arrangement. Rob Hughes described it as having a "balmy seasonal air," while Tony Thompson felt it evoked the poetic idea of summer as youth. The lyrics focus on the "laughing sea" and the transition away from youthful optimism, suggesting the future will not be as bright. In terms of reception, Rich Weidman noted it pairs perfectly with Krieger's "Wintertime Love," its neighbor on Waiting for the Sun. Critics like Max Bell called it "wistful," while Harvey Kubernik described it as "beautifully melancholy." Jim Miller found it "evocative" despite "lame" lyrics, and Richie Unterberger labeled it a "fine melodic ballad rock." Even decades later, in 2002, Manzarek and Krieger revived the song with Ian Astbury on vocals and Stewart Copeland on drums at the California Speedway in Fontana, marking the genesis of The Doors of the 21st Century.

Did You Know?

• The song was one of the first written by Jim Morrison and played to Ray Manzarek at Venice Beach in July 1965.
• An early demo recorded on September 2, 1965, before Robby Krieger joined the band, appears on The Doors: Box Set.
• The version on Waiting for the Sun was initially recorded in 1967 for Strange Days but went unused at that time.
• Ray Manzarek described the track as a 'cool Latino-Bolero kind of thing with a Bach-like bridge.'
• In September 2002, Ian Astbury sang lead vocals on this song while Stewart Copeland replaced an injured John Densmore.