End of the Night

"End of the Night"
Single by the Doors
from the album The Doors
A-side"Break On Through (To the Other Side)"
ReleasedJanuary 1, 1967 (1967-01-01)
RecordedAugust 1966 (1966-08)
StudioSunset Sound Recorders Hollywood, California
GenrePsychedelia[1]
Length2:49[2]
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)The Doors[2]
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Break On Through (To the Other Side)" / "End of the Night"
(1967) 		"Light My Fire"
(1967)

"End of the Night" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band the Doors. It was featured on the band's debut album and then released as the B-side to the album's first single, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" in January 1967.

After the band's rise to fame the song was rarely played live in concert; it has since been included in box sets released over the years by the band.

Composition and lyrics

"End of the Night" is essentially a psychedelic track,[1] in the key of E Minor, with Jim Morrison's vocal range spanning from D4 to G5. It is also in 4/4 time.[3] The song was written in the band's early days, before guitarist Robby Krieger had joined the group. It was recorded in 1965 in an attempt to land a deal with Aura Records; however, the band failed to get signed. In 1966, when they were signed to Elektra Records, the song was recorded for their self-titled debut album.[4] In the recording, Krieger provided a distinct slide guitar, tuned in a minor tuning.[5][6][7] As Krieger himself explained, "I'd try different tunings until one worked".[8]

Although the songwriting credit was given to all four members of the Doors,[2] the lyrics were written by Morrison.[9] Its title is derived from the 1932 French novel Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine.[10] The line "Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night" is lifted from a William Blake poem "Auguries of Innocence", written in 1803 and published in 1863.[9]

Release and reception

Chart (1967) Position
US Billboard Hot 100 126[11]

The song was chosen as the B-side to the album's first single, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" and was released in January 1967. The single, however, failed to become a success and only peaked at number 126 in the U.S.[11] Reviewing the "Break on Through" single, Cash Box said that "End of the Night" is a "bluesy shuffler that also merits watching."[12]

PopMatters critic Andy Hermann declared "End of the Night" as one of the "weirder" and moodier songs in the Doors' catalogue.[13] In an AllMusic album review of The Doors, critic Richie Unterberger described the song's melody as "mysterious".[14] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised Krieger’s guitar solo, for being "sufficiently trippy," but he wrote that the song was "less ambitious (and less successful)" than the other album tracks.[15] Lacey Cohen of Screen Rant ranked it the weakest song on the album. Nevertheless, she described it as "a blissfully eerie song" and "the perfect b-side" to "Break On Through (To the Other Side)".[16] Sputnikmusic reviewer Ian Philips noted that the "dreamy, mysterious 'End of the Night'" highlights "the group's remarkable affinity for shrewd, poetic, profound lyrics."[17]

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the 50th anniversary edition of The Doors and the 2001 book The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors:[18][19]

References

  1. ^ a b Bamyasi, Eddy (October 7, 2020). "Log #102–4 Doors Albums. Were the Doors Just a Phase One Went". Medium. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c The Doors (Album notes). The Doors. New York City: Elektra Records. 1967. Back cover. ELK-4007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "Digital Sheet Music – The Doors – End of the Night". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 9 May 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Swanson, Dave (September 2, 2015). "The Day the Doors Recorded Their First Demo, But Under a Different Name". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  5. ^ The Doors (2008). Classic Albums: The Doors Extras (DVD). Eagle Rock Entertainment.
  6. ^ Burrluck, Dave (July 8, 2009). "Robby Krieger Talks Guitars and the Doors". Music Radar. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Drozdowski, Ted (October 8, 2010). "The Gibson Interview: Doors Legend Robby Krieger". Legacy Gibson. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  8. ^ Rapp, Allison (January 4, 2022). "Doors, THE DOORS: A Track-by-Track Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Kruth, John (January 4, 2017). "The Doors' Debut Is Still One of the Most Dangerous Albums Ever". The Observer. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Densmore, John (1990). Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors. Random House Publishing Group. p. 286. ISBN 978-0307429025.
  11. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel. Bubbling Under Singles & Albums (1998): 66.
  12. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 14, 1967. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  13. ^ Hermann, Andy (September 18, 2001). "The Very Best of the Doors – Review". PopMatters. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  14. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  15. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (April 18, 2007). "The Doors: The Doors Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  16. ^ Cohen, Lacey (July 4, 2025). "Every Song On The Doors' Eponymous Debut Album, Ranked Worst To Best". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  17. ^ Phillips, Ian (October 1, 2015). "Review: The Doors – The Doors". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  18. ^ The Doors (Booklet). The Doors. Elektra Records. 2017. R2-558716).{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ Gerstenmeyer, Heinz (2001). The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors (in German). BoD – Books on Demand. p. 11. ISBN 978-3-8311-2057-4.
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