Love Me Two Times
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Me Two Times
| cover = LoveMeThreeTimes.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the Doors
| album = Strange Days
| B-side = Moonlight Drive
| released = {{Start date|1967|11}}
| recorded = April 1967
| studio =
| genre =
| length = * 3:16 (album version)
- {{Duration|2:37}} (single version)
| label = Elektra
| writer = The Doors
| producer = Paul A. Rothchild
| prev_title = People Are Strange
| prev_year = 1967
| next_title = The Unknown Soldier
| next_year = 1968
}}
"Love Me Two Times" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. First appearing on their second studio album Strange Days, it was later edited to a 2:37 length and released as the second single (after "People Are Strange") from that album. The single reached number 25 on the charts in the United States.{{Cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-doors/chart-history |title=The Doors Chart History: Hot 100 |date=2019 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507035254/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-doors/chart-history |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |url-status=live }}
"Love Me Two Times" was considered to be somewhat risqué for radio airplay, being banned in New Haven for being "too controversial," much to the dismay of the band.{{cite book|last1=Densmore|first1=John|author-link=John Densmore|title=Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors|date=Nov 4, 2009|page=148|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|isbn=978-0307429025}}
Composition
As with the other songs on Strange Days, the album liner notes list the songwriters as the Doors{{cite AV media notes| year = 1967| title = Strange Days| title-link = Strange Days (The Doors album)| type = Album notes| others = The Doors| location = New York City| publisher = Elektra Records| id = EKS-74014| at = Back cover}} as does the "Love Me Two Times" single; the performance rights organization ASCAP shows the writers as the individual Doors members.
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/performer/DOORS
| title = ACE Repertory: Love Me Two Times (Work ID:420142152)
| website = ASCAP
| access-date = July 25, 2020
}}
"Love Me Two Times" incorporates elements from blues{{cite book |first1=Nathan |last1=Brackett |author-link1=Nathan Brackett |first2=Christian |last2=Hoard |author-link2=Christian Hoard |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA255 |date=January 2008 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1439109397 |page=255}} and baroque music,{{cite magazine |first=Ellen |last=Johnson |date=February 4, 2019 |title=Vampire Weekend, Deerhunter and the Doors: 10 Times Harpsichord Was Actually Really Cool |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/vampire-weekend/vampire-weekend-deerhunter-and-the-doors-10-times/ |magazine=Paste Magazine |access-date=April 1, 2021}} and has been classified as a pop,{{cite news |first=Dave |last=Simpson
|date=June 17, 2015
|title=The Doors: 10 of the Best
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/17/the-doors-10-of-the-best |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=April 29, 2021}}{{cite book |first=Christian |last=Matijas-Mecca |year=2020 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knTtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA79 |title=Listen to Psychedelic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre |page=79 |publisher=Hardcover |isbn=978-1440861970}} and blues rock song.{{cite web|first= Ed|last= Masley|title= Sgt. Pepper and beyond: A look back at 20 great albums released in 1967|website= azcentral |date= May 30, 2017|url= https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/05/30/20-great-albums-1967-sgt-pepper/347569001/|quote= ...the swaggering blues-rock of “Love Me Two Times"...|accessdate= November 3, 2023}} Band guitarist Robby Krieger stated to Guitar World{{'}}s Alan Paul that the song's musical idea came from a lick by one of Danny Kalb's compositions.{{cite web |first=Alan |last=Paul |date=March 27, 2008 |url= https://www.guitarworld.com/amp/artists/doors-door-prize |title=The Doors: Door Prize |website=Guitar World |access-date=July 16, 2020}} Keyboardist Ray Manzarek played the final version of this song on a harpsichord, not a clavichord that has been often misheard. Manzarek described the instrument as "a most elegant instrument that one does not normally associate with rock and roll."
=Lyrics=
In his autobiography, Manzarek described the song as "Robby [Krieger]'s great blues/rock classic about lust and loss, or multiple orgasms, I'm not sure which".{{cite book|last=Manzarek|first=Ray|author-link=Ray Manzarek|title=Light My Fire|date=October 15, 1999|publisher=Penguin|isbn=9780698151017|page=258}} According to author Rich Weidman the song is about a sailor or soldier spending one last day with his girlfriend before shipping out to war.{{cite book
|last=Weidman |first=Richie |year=2011
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wNCGDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT163
|title=The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock
|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=163 |isbn=978-1617131141}}
Critical reception
In an AllMusic album review of Strange Days, critic Richie Unterberger described "Love Me Two Times" as "jerkily rhythmic",{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/strange-days-mw0000189718 |title=Strange Days – Review|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|author-link=Richie Unterberger|website=AllMusic |access-date=August 30, 2020}} while Rolling Stone called the song a "heavy, evocative and climatic piece".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/strange-days-2-249140/|title=The Doors: Strange Days – Review|date=November 23, 1967|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=August 30, 2020}} Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine also proclaimed that the song is the album's "most accessible, straightforward rock tune", and praised its "virtuosic harpsichord solo and one of the band's grooviest guitar riffs."{{cite web
|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/the-doors-strange-days|title=Review: The Doors, Strange Days|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|date=April 18, 2007|website=Slant Magazine|access-date=August 30, 2020}} Billboard described the single as a "strong folk rocker that can't miss soaring to the top of the Hot 100."{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard|accessdate=2021-02-24|date=December 2, 1967|page=87|title=Spotlight Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-12-02.pdf}} Cash Box said that the song was "solid Chicago blues with a punch all its own" and has a "rock pace that builds through the vocal thrusts of lead Jim Morrison, and excellent instrumental sections."{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |date=December 2, 1967 |page=22 |access-date=2022-01-12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1967/CB-1967-12-02.pdf |magazine=Cash Box}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Doors|title=Love Me Two Times|award=Gold|relyear=1967|certyear=2024|access-date=November 21, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
Personnel
Personnel are taken from The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors book:{{cite book |first=Heinz |last=Gerstenmeyer |title=The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xk_-cOcPH4C&pg=PA49 |year=2001 |isbn=978-3-8311-2057-4 |page=49 |publisher=BoD – Books on Demand |language=de}}
The Doors
- Jim Morrison – vocals
- Ray Manzarek – harpsichord
- Robby Krieger – guitar
- John Densmore – drums
Additional musicians
- Doug Lubahn – bass
Aerosmith version
"Love Me Two Times" was recorded by Aerosmith for the soundtrack of the 1990 film Air America (whose producers, Carolco Pictures, would also produce a biopic about the Doors). The band also performed it at its 1990 MTV Unplugged performance, 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.rockthisway.de/mtvunplugged.htm |title=Aerosmith on MTV Unplugged |work=Rock This Way |access-date=October 21, 2012}} The 1990 cover reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.{{cite web |title=Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart |website=Billboard.com |url=https://assets.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1990-09-01 |access-date=December 4, 2021}} Note: scroll down. In 2001, the song was included on their greatest hits album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. In addition, a remixed version was included on the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate, with added slide guitar by Robby Krieger and keyboards by Ray Manzarek.{{cite AV media notes |title=Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors |title-link=Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors |type=liner notes |year=2001}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{The Doors}}
{{The Doors songs}}
{{Aerosmith singles}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by John Densmore
Category:Songs written by Robby Krieger
Category:Songs written by Ray Manzarek
Category:Songs written by Jim Morrison
Category:Song recordings produced by Paul A. Rothchild