Ship of Fools (The Doors song)

Krieger described writing the song as follows:{{quote|There was a guitar line that I came up with, which I kind of stole from an old blues song that I heard when I was in high school. And Jim, I can't remember whether he just came up with the words right then or if it was a poem he had already done in high school.{{cite web|title=Checking Back in to the "Morrison Hotel|date=December 8, 2020|accessdate=2025-05-10|publisher=Goldmine|url=https://www.goldminemag.com/.amp/interviews/checking-back-in-to-the-morrison-hotel}}}}

Krieger also felt that Morrison was an influenced by the fact that his father was a sailor.

The song was recorded by the Doors' lineup of Morrison on lead vocals, Krieger on guitar, Ray Manzarek on keyboards and John Densmore on drums, supplemented by Ray Neapolitan on bass guitar.

Allmusic critic Linday Planer described "Ship of Fools" as "a poetic musical paradox" with "buoyant syncopated rhythms" whose lyrics occupy "the familiar terrain between creation and demise."{{cite web|title=Ship of Fools|author=Planer, Lindsay|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-11|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/ship-of-fools-mt0000576003#review}} Music critic Patricia Kennely described it as "ecology rock".{{cite book|title=The Doors: Artistic Vision|author=Sundling, Doug|pages=137-138|year=1996|publisher=Diane|isbn=978-0788190292}} Pop culture writer Tony Thompson also regarded the ecology as one of the songs themes, as well as the "consciousness of the planet" that eminated from the Apollo 11 moon landing. Far Out critic Jordan Potter described it as being about "the battle against capitalism and environmental dominion."{{cite web|title=The Doors – ‘Morrison Hotel’|author=Potter, Jordan|publisher=Far Out|accessdate=2025-05-11|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-doors-morrison-hotel-album-review/}} Doors' biographer Doug Sundling called it a song that "concisely describes the American trip."{{cite book|title=The Ultimate Doors Companion|author=Sundling, Doug|pages=99-100|year=2000|publisher=MPG Books|isbn=9781860742880}}

The first verse has an apocalyptic tone, opening with the lines "The human race was dying out/No one left to scream or shout." The verse also optimistically references the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing before returning to a pessimistic line that "smog will get you pretty soon."

The second verse references the counterculture of the 1960s and ends with the line "Hope our little world will last." The third verse ends with a Mr. Goodtrips "looking for a new ship", and the singer telling the people to get on board. Mr. Goodtrips has been speculated to be variously Jim Morrison's father, Neil Armstrong, Jerry Garcia or a drug dealer.

The music opens with what Planer describes as a "tight, jazzy percolating riff" before shifting to a 2/4 beat for the start of the vocals. Thompson felt that the opening riff is similar to that of Ray Charles' "What I Say". There is also a musical interlude between the second and third verses. Thompson commented on the "interesting, almost Prog-like interplay" between Manzarek, Krieger an Neapolitan throughout the song. Allmusic critic Thom Jurek said that the song "contains shifting time signatures that cross jazz, R&B, and pop."{{cite web|title=Morrison Hotel|author=Jurek, Thom|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-10|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/morrison-hotel-mw0000193596}}

The title of the song came from Katherine Anne Porter's 1962 novel Ship of Fools, which was a book about a sea voyage that serves as "a metaphor for the rise of fascism."{{cite book|title=The Doors: Every Album, Every Song|author=Thompson, Tony|page=71|year=2021|publisher=Sonicbond|isbn=9781789521375}}

Classic Rock critic Mick Wall felt "Ship of Fools" was one of the lesser songs on Morrison Hotel, stating that it was "yet another variant on the riff to 'Break On Through (To the Other Side)', which could, equally, have turned up on either of the first two Doors albums.{{cite magazine|magazine=The Doors|author=Wall, Mick|title=Riding Out the Storm|publisher=Classic Rock|year=2024|page=76}} Cleveland Press critic Bruno Bornino considered it his favorite song from side 1 of Morrison Hotel due to the fact that "Morrison goes through a lot of changes".{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2025-05-10|newspaper=Cleveland Press|author=Bornino, Bruno|title=doors open here with hit album, third show planned tomorrow|date=February 13, 1970|page=2N|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cleveland-press/172122019/}} Wichita Beacon critic Little John considered it to be a basic song but with "some nice lyrics" and one of the few songs on Morrison Hotel that retains Morrison's mystique from earlier Doors albums.{{cite news|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=2025-05-10|newspaper=Wichita Beacon|author=Little John|title=Record Review|date=March 18, 1970|page=2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wichita-beacon/140387154/}}

"Ship of Fools" was included on the Doors' 1972 compilation album Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine.

"Ship of Fools" was often played live at Doors' concerts during the 1970s. In live performances, the instrumental interlude between the second and third verses was often extended jazzy improvisations. Live concert renditions appear on several Doors albums, including The Doors: Box Set, Live in Detroit, Live in New York, Live in Philadelphia '70, Live in Boston and Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.{{cite web|title=Live in Detroit (Cobo Hall, 05/08/1970)|author=Planer, Lindsay|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-10|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-detroit-cobo-hall-05-08-1970-mw0000418168}}{{cite web|title=Live in New York|author=Planer, Lindsay|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-10|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-new-york-mw0001364812}}{{cite web|title=Live in Philadelphia '70|author=Unterberger, Richie|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-10|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-philadelphia-70-mw0000702198}}{{cite web|title=Live in Boston 1970|author=Unterberger, Richie|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-10|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-boston-1970-mw0000747904}}{{cite web|title=Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 [Video]|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2025-05-10|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-isle-of-wight-festival-1970-video--mw0003140603}}

{{reflist}}

{{The Doors}}

{{The Doors songs}}

Category:The Doors songs

Category:Songs written by Jim Morrison

Category:Songs written by Robby Krieger

Category:1970 songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Paul A. Rothchild