Strange Days by The Doors

Album: Strange Days (1967)

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Songfacts®:

The lyrics are about how normal places can still be strange and uneasy. Jim Morrison's vocals were heavily processed to enhance the feel.
This song was one of the earliest uses of the Moog synthesizer, which The Doors used to put the effect on Morrison's vocal. It was programmed by Paul Beaver, who worked for the Moog company and was dispatched to demonstrate it to musicians on the West Coast.
In the book The Doors: Unhinged, John Densmore gives some insight into the meaning of "Strange Days." As Densmore reports, Jim Morrison was "saying that our old way of making music was being destroyed and we should find a new town. He was trying to get back, to renew that elusive quality that was with us in the rock 'n roll garage many years before."

Comments: 16

Shane MorganRespect and honor to you Lizard King.
Skwiglino from El Paso, TxI believe the song is about Lovecraft's "The Color Out of Space". The phrase "strange days" is repeated quite a bit and the lyrics definitely resonate thematically if you've got the short story in mind.
AnonymousForever awesome first encounter, Whiskey a Go Go Club
Shelley Ganz from Hollywood, Ca"Strange Days", has been my Fave Doors tune for quite some time, and that's saying a lot, as there are many great tunes! This tune really touches the listener deeply, deeper than most..."The Hostess is grinning, The guest's sleep from sinning"!! (ponder that from "Strange Days"...) It's off the album by the same title...The Koolest...
William Lench from Dominican Republic I don't know why, but i feel this song describes perfectly the situation we are living today in the whole world.
Carol from Scotland I think Jim was a huge visionary and yes this song could be used for the state of our world today.
Karlos from New Zealand I think Jim predicted the Coronavirus. "Strange days have found us"
"Strange days have tracked us down"
"They're going to destroy"
Definitely strange days now.
Aldo from Metone, CaI believe it is about how he felt some days when he went back to feel strange again. He knows his day will be strange when he starts talking of sin.
Anthony from Oxnard, Caat the beggining of the song while ray is playing the descending organ riff, after each one you can hear ray push in or pull out the drawbars to his organ to make the diffrent sound
Lance from Malibu, CaYet another classic song to listen to while stoned
Andrew from Adelaide, AustraliaThis is a weird as hell song. Manzerek's organ work and Morrison's vocals or scaryingly effective. I think the song is about drugs although i'm not sure.
Jimi from Reno, NvI agree with Joe. The 60's was an era that would not be duplicated.
Joe from Belfast, EuropeI believe that this song was about the end of an era and the begining of another. The 60's reached and end and the seventies weren't the same.
Michelle from San Diego , Cathis song is so amazing i really love it cuz the moog is soo frickin sweet. this song is so deep and i believe its about how he felt uneasy and strange in natural surroundings and places. im not sure why but maybe cuz of war time (60's duh hahah) now im not saying im right but thats my take on it.
Tom from Avesta, SwedenThe Guy who brought the moog to the studio was Paul Beaver.
Peter from Providence, RiOne of the underrated doors songs...very much on the dark side..and i Belive the title was inspired by an old sci-fi flick

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