THE DOORS - "Love Me Two Times"

The Doors
"Love me Two Times"
Single / B-side: "Moonlight Drive"
Released:: November 1967
Album: Strange Days (Released: 25 September 1967)
Writer: Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison, John Desmore
Label: Elektra
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"Love Me Two Times" is a song by The Doors. It was written by the band and first appeared on the 1967 album Strange Days. It was released as the second single (after "People Are Strange") from that album, and reached number 25 on the charts in the US.

The Doors' single "Love Me Two Times" (France single cover)
(Courtesy of Elektra / thedoors.com)

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (single 45 rpm)

This was released as a single in December, 1967, the same month Jim Morrison was arrested at a show in New Haven when he delivered an on-stage rant against a police officer who confronted him backstage with a young girl. This incident, combined with the rather suggestive lyrics of "Love Me Two Times," enhanced the dark, rebellious image of The Doors, but also scared them away from some family-friendly radio stations that refused to play the song. I reached its chart peak of #25 on January 13, 1968, but have done a lot better if Morrison's baggage wasn't attached to it.

Ray Manzarek played the final version of this song on a harpsichord, not a clavichord. See Ray Manzarek's book Light My Fire on page 258.

The Doors' single "Love Me Two Times" (Dutch single cover)
(Courtesy of Elektra / thedoors.com)

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (Europe 1968)

Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote this song after their keyboard player Ray Manzarek implored the band members to go home and write some songs. Krieger came up with this one "Light My Fire" in about an hour. It was a rare Doors song where lead singer Jim Morrison did not contribute lyrics.

Krieger's lyrics were inspired by both The Doors going on the road and American soldiers going to Vietnam. The theme is sex as a way to survive in strange times, and the need to be "loved two times" before going away.

Through most of the song, Jim Morrison left off the "s" in "two times," creating a double meaning to the phrase.

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (Stage performance, Europe, 1968)

The Doors performance - Danish TV, Copenhagen, 1968

"Love Me Two Times" was covered by Aerosmith for the soundtrack of the 1990 film Air America (whose producers, Carolco Pictures, would also produce a biopic about the Doors) and was also played at the band's MTV Unplugged performance that same year, 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. The 1990 cover reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2001, the song was included on their greatest hits album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. In addition, their version was included on the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate.

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (album Strange Days,1967)

In 2000, the surviving members of the Doors taped a VH1 Storytellers episode with guest vocalists filling in for Morrison. Pat Monahan from Train sang on this.

It was also covered by pianist George Winston on his album Night Divides the Day – The Music of the Doors.

The song is also briefly covered in the song "Bitchin' Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen, albeit with slightly altered lyrics.

"Love Me Two Times" was also covered by Joan Jett, and included on the compilation The Hit List.

Line-up / Musicians:
Jim Morrison – vocals, percussion
Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ, harpsichord 
Robby Krieger – guitar
John Densmore – drum
With
Douglas Lubahn – bass guitar

Links / Reviews:
Wikipedia: Love Me Two Times
Songfacts: Love Me Two Times by The Doors
The Doors official website: thedoors.com - songs Love Me Two Times
Rateyourmusic: The Doors - Love Me Two Times / Moonlight Drive