My Wild Love

Album: Waiting For The Sun (1968)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "My Wild Love" is unlike any other song the Doors ever produced. It's minimalistic, using only handclapping, a rattle, and a primitive drum for backing music.

    The song tells the story of a "wild love" who rides out through an unnamed desert, farm, and sea. Japan and Christmas are mentioned as locations, but set as they are in the generally abstract lyrics, those places seem to have any literal importance.

    Early in the song, the wild love deals with the devil, but the "devil is wiser" and asks her "to give back the money she's spent." What all of this means, exactly, is never explained. The song is one of the more inscrutable of the Doors' repertoire.
  • The song was never released as a single and has never been studied as closely as many other Doors songs, but Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, believes that the song was a "kind of work song."

    Cherry told Songfacts, "They were just starting out with it, clapping and stuff for the rhythm and everything, and somehow they couldn't work out the music angle to it. So they've just decided to expand on the format of the work song.

    There's a song, well not a song, but this thing that came out of something they were working on for Morrison Hotel, or possibly LA Woman. It's called 'Whiskey, Mystics, and Men.' It's a poem of Morrison's that I think they were working on as a song. It's a work song. It doesn't sound like 'My Wild Love,' but it has some of the same elements, like the hand clapping to the beat and everything. It's very a cappella.

    So, that's why I think 'My Wild Love' is a kind of a work song that they couldn't work out the music to, so they just decided to go totally experimental."

Comments: 1

  • Sb3This song is obviously about Pam Courson, Jim's longtime girlfriend and eventual common-law wife, with whom he had a volatile relationship.

    The lines about asking the devil to pay and the devil wanting his money back is about all the money Pam spent on clothing, travel, and her boutique store Themis. By all accounts, it eventually caught up with him and even though the Doors were one of the biggest bands in the world at one point between Jim's legal troubles and Pam's spending they were practically broke during their time in Paris.

    The lines about traveling deal with Pam's escapades as she traveled back and forth to Europe feeding her own demons on Jim's dime. "My wild love is crazy, She screams like a bird, She moans like a cat, When she wants to be heard" is about their many fights, most of which seemed to occur any time the Doors had an important event such as a particularly big concert appearance or the beginning of a new tour.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Maria Muldaur

Maria MuldaurSongwriter Interviews

The "Midnight At The Oasis" singer is an Old Time gal. She talks about her jug band beginnings and shares a Dylan story.

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.