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About This Track
“Riders on the Storm” is a song by The Doors from their 1971 album, L.A. Woman; it reached number 14 on the charts. According to band member Robby Krieger, it was inspired by the song, “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend”. The song is played in the E Dorian mode, and incorporates real sound effects of thunder and rain, along with Ray Manzarek’s Fender Rhodes electric piano playing, which emulates the sound of rain.
The song’s lyrics allude in part to the notorious spree killer Billy Cook, who posed as a hitchhiker and murdered an entire family. (“There’s a killer on the road… // His brain is squirmin’ like a toad… “) According to a widespread urban legend the song was conceived as an allusion to a tragic accident caused by another car’s reckless driving, ending in several deaths of Navajo tribesmen as his car hit a truck where they were traveling. An alternative version refers the lyrics’ inspiration to a 1930s French Surrealist poem, Chevaliers de l’Ouragan (literally, “Riders of the Hurricane”), by Louis Aragon. It should also be noted that Morrison wrote a screenplay called “The Hitchhiker”, where the main character, Billy, hitchhikes killing a man, a sheriff, and a family.
The song was recorded at the Doors Workshop in December 1970 with the assistance of Bruce Botnick, their longtime engineer who was co-producing the recording sessions. Jim Morrison recorded his main vocals and then whispered the lyrics over them to create the haunting effect.
The song’s lyrics allude in part to the notorious spree killer Billy Cook, who posed as a hitchhiker and murdered an entire family. (“There’s a killer on the road… // His brain is squirmin’ like a toad… “) According to a widespread urban legend the song was conceived as an allusion to a tragic accident caused by another car’s reckless driving, ending in several deaths of Navajo tribesmen as his car hit a truck where they were traveling. An alternative version refers the lyrics’ inspiration to a 1930s French Surrealist poem, Chevaliers de l’Ouragan (literally, “Riders of the Hurricane”), by Louis Aragon. It should also be noted that Morrison wrote a screenplay called “The Hitchhiker”, where the main character, Billy, hitchhikes killing a man, a sheriff, and a family.
The song was recorded at the Doors Workshop in December 1970 with the assistance of Bruce Botnick, their longtime engineer who was co-producing the recording sessions. Jim Morrison recorded his main vocals and then whispered the lyrics over them to create the haunting effect.
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Albums featuring this track
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Greatest Hits
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L.A. Woman
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Shouts
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oldiesfanjohn wrote:
How appropriate..rainy and no let up!
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Tatschu wrote:
cool
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BowieFreak wrote:
it's amazing to listen to this on a rainy day.
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supersteveme wrote:
moody and superb
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Greg69Sheryl wrote:
The perfect song to play on a quiet, rainy Sunday morning.
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listentothewarm wrote:
I ♥ this~
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TheLegend72 wrote:
I have heard of this recently several times on Planet Rock radio station and fell love with it.
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cherokeegrl wrote:
Girl ya gotta love your man, take him by the hand, make him understand, the world on you depends, our life will never end, gotta love your man
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WhiskyPlease wrote:
heavenly
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tjrael wrote:
Love the organ solo and the way guitar accompanies it in the background.
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silversurfer250 wrote:
Riding the Storm Out.
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silversurfer250 wrote:
Unstoppable.
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henryheimlich wrote:
Unskippable.
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thomas-anders wrote:
Killer on the road, yeah ...
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bluesfiete wrote:
Riders on the Storm. Die Orginal Version wurde in meinem ersten Urlaub, 1971 in Amsterdam, rauf und runter gespielt. Was für ein Song!!! Jim und die Doors gaben noch einmal alles.......genau wie wir! Unser Zelt hat "gebrannt"!!!
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oldiesfanjohn wrote:
I was gonna say the same thing below me and add : - )-<3<3<3
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mtsedoarmbel wrote:
riders on the storm que buen piano y ejecucion de grupo tenian the doors un relax muy pero muy viajado ....
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PattySauce wrote:
YES, YES, YES OH YES!!!!!!! <33
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Roseholy wrote:
PERFECT
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Ledalein wrote:
♥
Track Stats
3,110,547 Scrobbles
605,816 Listeners
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