People Are Strange

"People Are Strange" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It appears on the band's second studio album, Strange Days, released in September 1967. It was also issued the same month as a single, which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and in the top ten on the Cash Box charts. The song was written by Jim Morrison and Robby Krieger, although credit was given to each of the Doors. The single was released with "Unhappy Girl" as the B-side.

This article is about the Doors' song. For the Stina Nordenstam album, see People Are Strange (album).

"People Are Strange"
Single by the Doors
from the album Strange Days
B-side"Unhappy Girl"
ReleasedSeptember 1967 (1967-09)
RecordedMay–August 1967
GenrePsychedelic rock[1]
Length2:12
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Light My Fire"
(1967)		 "People Are Strange"
(1967)		 "Love Me Two Times"
(1967)

Writing

"People Are Strange" was composed in early 1967.[2] According to Doors drummer John Densmore,[3] he and Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, who had then been roommates, were visited by Jim Morrison, who appeared to be "deeply depressed."[3] At Krieger's suggestion, they took a walk along Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles.[4] Morrison returned from the walk "euphoric" with the early lyrics of "People Are Strange".[3] Intrigued by the new lyrics, Krieger was convinced that the song was a hit upon hearing the vocal melody:[3]

[Morrison said] 'Yeah, I feel really good about this one. It just came to me all of a sudden ... in a flash – as I was sitting up there on the ridge looking out over the city. His eyes were wild with excitement. 'I scribbled it down as fast as I could. It felt great to be writing again.' He looked down at the crumpled paper in his hand and sang the chorus in his haunting blues voice.

— John Densmore[3]

Overview

In a review for AllMusic, critic Tom Maginnis wrote the song "reflects the group's fascination with the theatrical music of European cabaret."[5] The song is about alienation and being an outsider, and Morrison may have addressed the song both to the hippie culture, to outsiders in general or to users of drugs such as LSD, or both.[5] Densmore believes that the song was the manifestation of Morrison's "vulnerability".[2]

Chart history
Chart (1967) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles[6] 1
New Zealand (Listener)[7] 9
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8] 12
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[9] 10

Cover versions

Echo & the Bunnymen
"People Are Strange"
Single by Echo & the Bunnymen
from the album The Lost Boys: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side"Run, Run, Run"
Released1987
GenrePost-punk, alternative rock
Length3:36
LabelWEA, EastWest
Songwriter(s)The Doors
Producer(s)Ray Manzarek
Echo & the Bunnymen singles chronology
"Bedbugs and Ballyhoo"
(1987)		 "People Are Strange"
(1987)		 "'The Peel Sessions'"
(1988)

British group Echo & the Bunnymen recorded a cover version of "People Are Strange" for the soundtrack of the 1987 film The Lost Boys. It was subsequently released as a single in 1987 (see 1987 in music) reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1988[10] and number 13 on the Irish Singles Chart in 1991.[11] The song was produced by The Doors' keyboard player, Ray Manzarek. A 12-inch version was released in February 1988 before the single was re-released in 1991. The B-sides were all the same as their previous release, "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo".

Track listings
7-inch single (WEA YZ175 and WEA YZ567)
  1. "People Are Strange" (The Doors) – 3:36
  2. "Run, Run, Run" (Lou Reed) – 3:51
12-inch single (WEA YZ175T)
  1. "People Are Strange" (The Doors) – 3:36
  2. "Run, Run, Run" (Reed) – 3:41
  3. "Paint It, Black" (Jagger/Richards) – 3:01
  4. "Friction" (Tom Verlaine) – 4:37

Chart positions
Chart (1988) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[10] 29
Irish Singles Chart[11] 21
Chart (1991)
UK Singles Chart[10] 34
Irish Singles Chart[11] 13
Musicians
Production
  • Ray Manzarek – producer ("People Are Strange")
  • Lars Aldman – producer ("Run, Run, Run", "Paint It, Black" and "Friction")
  • Michael Bergek – engineering ("Run, Run, Run", "Paint It, Black" and "Friction")

Stina Nordenstam
"People Are Strange"
Single by Stina Nordenstam
from the album People Are Strange
Released1998
GenreAlternative rock
Length5:39
LabelEastWest
Songwriter(s)The Doors
Producer(s)Ian Caple, Stina Nordenstam
Stina Nordenstam singles chronology
"Dynamite"
(1997)		 "People Are Strange"
(1998)		 "'Get on with Your Life'"
(2004)

Swedish singer-songwriter Stina Nordenstam covered "People Are Strange" on her 1998 cover album of the same name. A remix single was released in conjunction with the album. The UNKLE remix appears as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the album, and can also be found on UNKLE's box set, Eden.

Track listings
12-inch single
  1. "People Are Strange (UNKLE Mix)" – 5:39
  2. "People Are Strange (Techno Animal Mix)" - 8:35
CD single
  1. "People Are Strange (UNKLE Mix)" – 5:39
  2. "People Are Strange (Album Version)" - 3:35
  3. "People Are Strange (Techno Animal Mix)" - 8:35

A promo CD single with a 3:56 radio edit of the UNKLE remix was also distributed.

Other notable covers

References
  1. "Forty Years on, Jim Morrison Cult Thrives at Paris Cemetery". The Independent. July 1, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  2. Hoskyns, Barney (2007). Strange Day (Media notes). Rhino Entertainment Company. p. 7.
  3. Densmore, John (Nov 4, 2009). Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307429025.
  4. "The Doors' Robby Krieger Sheds Light — Album by Album". Guitar World. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  5. Maginnis, Tom. "The Doors: People Are Strange – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1967-11-04. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
  7. "Flavour of New Zealand". 15 December 1967.
  8. "The Doors Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  9. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles". Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  10. Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  11. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
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