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The Doors — Roadhouse Blues
Album: Morrison Hotel
Avg rating:
7.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2016









Released: 1970
Length: 4:01
Plays (last 30 days): 1
A-keep your eyes on the road, your hand upon the wheel
Keep your eyes on the road, your hand upon the wheel
Yeah, we're goin' to the roadhouse
We're gonna have a real
A-good time

Yeah, the back of the roadhouse they got some bungalows
Yeah, the back of the roadhouse they got some bungalows
And that's for the people
Who like to go down slow

Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, all night long

Do it, Robby, do it

All right
Hey, yeah

You gotta roll, roll, roll
You gotta thrill my soul, all right
Roll, roll, roll, roll
A-thrill my soul
Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha
Honk konk konk
Da ga da beep a con ja choo chon
Honk honk honk
A don ta ee cha koo na nee cha
Bop a loo la ree chow
Bomp a kee cho ee sonk konk
Yeah, ride

Ashen lady, ashen lady
Give up your vows, give up your vows
Save our city, save our city
Right now

And I woke up this morning, I got a-myself a beer
And I woke up this morning, and I got a-myself a beer
The future's uncertain and the end is always near

Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, hey
All night long

''Yikes!''
Comments (175)add comment
 davemacc51 wrote:

Status Quo Did this in the 60's, I think they did it better


The Doors did it first - recorded 1969, released 1970. See:
https://secondhandsongs.com/wo...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
 davemacc51 wrote:

Status Quo Did this in the 60's, I think they did it better




I Disagree.  Everybody has different tastes.
Status Quo Did this in the 60's, I think they did it better
I think the lyric actually is "passionate lady" give up your vows.
 Greyerwrit wrote:


I believe that's closer to country music, especially if you throw in a truck and the rain.

...and a girl in a t-shirt and cut-off jeans down by the crick.
 Greyerwrit wrote:


I believe that's closer to country music, especially if you throw in a truck and the rain.



LOL!! Too funny!!
 MiketheKnife wrote:

PLEEEEZZZZZE SOMEBODY NO MORE DOORS! Bleh. Hate 'em. What a pretentious ass JM was... At least he had the good grace to take himself off of the planet before he grew into insufferably self-important middle age.



De mortuis nil nisi bonum.  It's tasteless to do otherwise.
 out_to_lunch wrote:
GregX59 wrote: Wow. there's nothing creepy about that description of your kid.


I agree.  There's nothing creepy about saying your preteen is slender and blonde. Eye of the beholder, I'd say.
 fredriley wrote:

If it were true to the Blues spirit, it would be "I woke up this morning and found the beer crate empty and my woman gone" :o)




I believe that's closer to country music, especially if you throw in a truck and the rain.
 zenhead wrote:

I wonder who had to actually write out the "Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha..." part. Was it spontaneous scat, or part of the official lyrics? Did he do it the same way at every performance? Every take in the studio? "Try it again, Jim. It goes 'bompa kee cho ee sonk honk.' Focus, dude."



Multiple sarcasm points for you
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Well I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer
The future's uncertain and the end is always near

Still puts a smile on my face 51 years later.


My housemate and I did try this one NewYear's Day.    Asleep by noon.  Clearly not meant for the rock and roll lifestyle.
 davemacc51 wrote:

Status Quo's version in the mid 60's was better




This song was the reason why Status Quo changed their music style. In the 60s Status Quo was a psychedelic rock band
Status Quo's version in the mid 60's was better
 rahuldeb wrote:

Im always blown away by how puerile Jim Morrison's lyrics are and how unspecial their music is. I would put the Doors as the second most overrated band in history after the Eagles.....



Let's try this then (onus is on you  ). I'll start:

Woke up this morning and I got myself a wheel.
Woke up this morning and I got myself a wheel.
My life's absurd. I pushed it to the top of a hi-ll.


your turn.
Well I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer
The future's uncertain and the end is always near

Still puts a smile on my face 51 years later.
A song of it's times...
Like the song; especially in '67 played by good live bands in T.J.
< oops.  didn't come out 'til '70.  but extends to all doors music and we rocked in TJ from 67 - 72 >
 Queue wrote:
Ashen lady?
I always heard it as passionate lady.
 
...Indeed.  And "I woke up e-mornin' and I got myself a beer" as well.
This is why I listen to rock music/RP.
 handsandhart wrote:

Please tell me you did not just compare The Doors to Lady Gaga

 
It seems to me that people often 'forget' that there is a context to certain things.
In no way were The Doors pioneers with this form of blues, but it wasn't all that common neither (for a 'pop rock' band).
The context of a disturbed lead singer with the charisma of a generation, surrounded by formidable musicians, coming up with such a wide variety of musical styles and innovations in some ways is where the power of this music lies.
Lady Gaga most certainly has got the marketing trophy going for her, but musically it is hard to distinguish her, be it for propagating the bass-heavy pop music  that lead to, amongst others, a rather pleasant breath of less-stale air in the form of a Billie Eilish a.o.
This song might not be the best for me neither, but I do appreciate it in its own right 

I wonder who had to actually write out the "Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha..." part. Was it spontaneous scat, or part of the official lyrics? Did he do it the same way at every performance? Every take in the studio? "Try it again, Jim. It goes 'bompa kee cho ee sonk honk.' Focus, dude."
 Queue wrote:
Ashen lady?
I always heard it as passionate lady.
 
I still do. 
Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha
Honk konk konk
Da ga da beep a con ja choo chon
Honk honk honk
A don ta ee cha koo na nee cha
Bop a loo la ree chow
Bomp a kee cho ee sonk konk
Yeah, ride

Words to live by man......
Ashen lady?
I always heard it as passionate lady.
I'm often tempted to wake up and get myself a beer. Because, for one thing, the end is indeed always near and it might be better to reach it with a Lagunitas or Six Point in hand. But even if not, my end as a singer of any talent whatsoever would quickly be over if I tried to scat like Jim boy in this here otherwise semi-classic. 
 rahuldeb wrote:
Im always blown away by how puerile Jim Morrison's lyrics are and how unspecial their music is. I would put the Doors as the second most overrated band in history after the Eagles.....

 
Ever thought of redecorating?  I imagine your parents are tired of looking at that same R.E.M. poster that still adorns the wall of your room after all these years...
 Boy_Wonder wrote:

Can someone translate? 

Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha
Honk konk konk
Da ga da beep a con ja choo chon
Honk honk honk
A don ta ee cha koo na nee cha
Bop a loo la ree chow
Bomp a kee cho ee sonk konk
Yeah, ride 


It roughly translates to: "... so the one-legged jockey says 'Don't worry about me, sweetheart! I ride sidesaddle!'"
 parttime wrote:
Passion lady give up your mouth.. Jim you bad boy!

 
Heh, that's how I've always heard it, too.  Always wondered about it but never bothered to look up the real lyrics till now.
Who's playing the harmonica on this track? Excellent!
PARTAY!!!{#Bananapiano}{#Bananajam}{#Drummer}{#Cheers}
 Boy_Wonder wrote:

Can someone translate?

 

Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha
Honk konk konk
Da ga da beep a con ja choo chon
Honk honk honk
A don ta ee cha koo na nee cha
Bop a loo la ree chow
Bomp a kee cho ee sonk konk
Yeah, ride



 
Scat.
 Boy_Wonder wrote:

Can someone translate?

 

Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha
Honk konk konk
Da ga da beep a con ja choo chon
Honk honk honk
A don ta ee cha koo na nee cha
Bop a loo la ree chow
Bomp a kee cho ee sonk konk
Yeah, ride



 
Loosely translates to "Let it roll, baby, all night long"

Can someone translate?

 

Ya gotta beep a gonk a chucha
Honk konk konk
Da ga da beep a con ja choo chon
Honk honk honk
A don ta ee cha koo na nee cha
Bop a loo la ree chow
Bomp a kee cho ee sonk konk
Yeah, ride


Squelchy dirty blues... love it! 
This classic song is marvelous...  love it...

"Woke up this morning and I got myself a beer.  The future's uncertain and the end is always near."

I. Hate. The. Doors.

Just need to get that off my chest from time to time. Back to your lives, citizens.
 
This was the first song that turned me onto the doors many years ago. It is so loose and bluesy and really rocks. It is the background to much of my youth.
 
handsandhart wrote:

Please tell me you did not just compare The Doors to Lady Gaga

 


 dmax wrote:

Naw. It was artifice, and they're not too different  from someone like Lady Gaga in that she has some musical talent (Manzarek clearly has talent) but the thing that makes the Doors/Gaga "important" is mostly attitude and presentation.

Morrison, if you watch those movies of him performing, is not too far removed from a frat boy bully.

(Now watch, I'm talking about the music and someone - instead of defending the music - is gonna attack me personally.)


 
Please tell me you did not just compare The Doors to Lady Gaga

 rahuldeb wrote:
Im always blown away by how puerile Jim Morrison's lyrics are and how unspecial their music is. I would put the Doors as the second most overrated band in history after the Eagles.....
 
Thats, because you dont have the Blues...

 rahuldeb wrote:
Im always blown away by how puerile Jim Morrison's lyrics are and how unspecial their music is. I would put the Doors as the second most overrated band in history after the Eagles.....
 
You want existential philosophy and hifalutin' concepts, David Byrne's yer man, I'm sure. Most male rock stars, it seems, are pretty puerile/juvenile, so you can't expect them to be contenders for the Nobel Prize for Literature, and with a basic blues song like this, the lyrics are bound to be pretty down 'n' dirty. Just get with the beat and ignore the words.

One of my faves!
 rahuldeb wrote:
Im always blown away by how puerile Jim Morrison's lyrics are and how unspecial their music is. I would put the Doors as the second most overrated band in history after the Eagles.....
 
That distinction has to go to Rush, followed closely by Kiss.
Btw, "unspecial"? You sound pretty unsmart.


Im always blown away by how puerile Jim Morrison's lyrics are and how unspecial their music is. I would put the Doors as the second most overrated band in history after the Eagles.....

The Doors by rising70
https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_first_rays/

Copyright All rights reserved
.
 spyboy1 wrote:
57 people gave this less than a 5? A pox upon you and your children.
 
Come on now they already have defective hearing but we should give their kids a chance - it might skip a generation
 KevinM wrote:
One of the few Doors songs that does not suck

This one's a 3
 

Wow! While I'll agree he wasn't the poet he thought he was, it's a stretch to say most of their work sucks.
57 people gave this less than a 5? A pox upon you and your children.
 Stefen wrote:
One of my faves:  "I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer."

 
If it were true to the Blues spirit, it would be "I woke up this morning and found the beer crate empty and my woman gone" :o)


Great segue from Muddy Waters. Vive le Blues! Please let's have some bluesy Stones next. 8 from the foot-stompin' Nottingham jury.
Morrison

I might just take advice from this guy time to time...for the hell of it!

Great
One of the few Doors songs that does not suck

This one's a 3
One of my faves:  "I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer."

 parttime wrote:
Passion lady give up your mouth.. Jim you bad boy!
 
There's a bathroom on the right. {#Cool}

 JKFinally wrote:
It is beyond arguement that this is one of the 50 greatest rock songs of all time
 
I'd argue, but only on the possibly pedantic grounds that it's a blues rather than rock number, or at least blues-rock. With all the famous rock numbers The Doors produced, many forget that they were a great blues band, so thanks to RP for playing their lesser-known blues numbers. 7 from the Nottingham jury.


The Doors and Eddie Vedder - "Roadhouse Blues" Live (1993):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MJDELjoqYE

 parttime wrote:
Passion lady give up your mouth.. Jim you bad boy!
 
Really? That's what you're hearing?
The consensus seems to be:
Ashen lady (or "Passionate Lady")
Give up your vows, give up your vows

Passion lady give up your mouth.. Jim you bad boy!
 stkman wrote:
wonder what Kings of Leon think of the Doors?
 
The Kings probably hope that people will still be listening to their music and talking about them after they've been dead or off the charts for nearly 40 years.

I don't think that's even a probability. Just my opinion. {#Wave}
I will argue timelessness. 
It is beyond arguement that this is one of the 50 greatest rock songs of all time
I don't give a lot of 10s, but this one certainly is. One of my three favorite Doors songs ever!

{#Cowboy}
Ok guys I totally can understand how something from back then can get to you, believe me I was tired of light my fire while it was still on the juke same with white rabbit, things do get ruined by overplay and with the classic rock channels its worse but does that mean that the Doors or Airplane were no good or even Zep,they ruined stairway for me, if I get in car and don't hear freebird its a rarity and they are beating Floyd to death tho I love them but these are things that have been playing for over 20, 30 or 40 years sometimes and thats a long time. Roadhouse Blues is a "good" song but it takes the brunt of the frustrations of people who want their own new music and I can really dig that, thats why I was ecstatic to hear RP. Stuff I missed, stuff thats new, stuff thats from other places is so damn enjoyable to hear because its "NEW" to my ears even if its not so new. Music like art it's up to the individuals tastes, I know I drove people out of the house with stuff I played. Seems some people weren't big Zappa or Beefheart or for that fact NRBQ and Carl Perkins fans but what the hell I liked it. They also didn't like the Jazz and Classical stuff I did or later the African artists but that didn't diminish them in any way, they liked what they liked and some starting liking stuff that they were exposed to so TY RP for bringing great music to us and remember that all musicians had their influences and the old guys opened doors and inspired the new artists just look at the ratings on Brubeck or the Count and the Duke which most people could care less in the days of Doors Beatles Zep etc. ,so where I know some things have been ruined for ya, listen to things with a open mind. What ya don't like today ya might like tomorrow. Tolerance seems to be in short commodity these days and we need it to get along . Peace and happy listening

Cissy wrote:
almost signed off because of this - but Kings of Leon came to the rescue
wonder what Kings of Leon think of the Doors?


out_to_lunch wrote:
Oh yay. A Doors song. Beaten to death to the point where now it's not only boring to listen to, but embarassing to be overheard listening to it.Makes me think of sweat-stained-shirt-wearing-wet-cigarette-whisky-chugging-Vietnam-vets-playing-air-guitar.... You get a 0
I checked you list and ya have some great songs on there but the vet remark is kinda disturbing


almost signed off because of this - but Kings of Leon came to the rescue

:ick:


Sorry, I just have never liked the Doors.

Big 10 here.

The Doors are, and where, essential, cerebral, and much deeper than just their music.
{#Drunk}{#Bananapiano}
MojoJojo wrote:
Funny thing, opinions... I have always thought their music is about the most "dated" out there. If you heard the Doors for the first time you think old, drug-inspired stuff. That's my $0.02.
I enjoy songs that sound like a specific time. Even if they seem old-fashion at first, give them a chance and they'll take you to another place.
MojoJojo wrote:
Funny thing, opinions... I have always thought their music is about the most "dated" out there. If you heard the Doors for the first time you think old, drug-inspired stuff. That's my $0.02.
But the main thing is that Jimbo was not posturing when he sang: he really did live the life he sang about, and as a result, his music was particularly vital and authoritative.
Buzzardcheater wrote:
I *never* thought I'd say this, but I think I'm officially sick of the Doors. I think there far less there than I thought when I was in my teens and 20s.
Though I'm not surprised by my saying it, I agree. I'm not a Doors fan at all.
I *never* thought I'd say this, but I think I'm officially sick of the Doors. I think there far less there than I thought when I was in my teens and 20s.
Gotta get me a beer!
GregX59 wrote:
My 12 year old daughter sang this as an audition song for a blues education group. It was memorable watching a slender, blonde, pre-teen trying to make this song her own.
Erm ... you said it Bro! (Wonder what Jim woulda said?)
GregX59 wrote:
My 12 year old daughter sang this as an audition song for a blues education group. It was memorable watching a slender, blonde, pre-teen trying to make this song her own.
Wow. there's nothing creepy about that description of your kid.
esotericderek wrote:
I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer. Yeah, I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer.
I haven't had beer for breakfast in about 30 years---I just recall heading down to the state high school basketball tourney in St. Paul, and stopping to pee every half-hour...
Oh yay. A Doors song. Beaten to death to the point where now it's not only boring to listen to, but embarassing to be overheard listening to it.Makes me think of sweat-stained-shirt-wearing-wet-cigarette-whisky-chugging-Vietnam-vets-playing-air-guitar.... You get a 0
I figured this illustration fit for this song. I call this one, "drunk in a bar".
Finally, a good Doors song
I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer. Yeah, I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer.
Still hot after all these years.
Hinkamp wrote:
okay, there is a big bass line in this... where's it from? the organ?
Ray used a Fender Rhodes since the Doors never had a bass player as a member of the band. Jerry Sheff, Elvis's bassist, filled in the bottom on LA Woman.
okay, there is a big bass line in this... where's it from? the organ?
Classic.
This is a fun song to play on guitar. It is also much better on the live versions.
fab4fan wrote:
Thats funny because I read quite a few guys on other music review sites including Rate Your Music that said...
Second reference you give to reviews (other was Queen). What gives? You DO realize that what other people think of a particular artist doesn't necessarily have to have an impact on you, right? I'm sure you don't love the beatles just because the critics tell you that you should... right?
OldFrenchie wrote:
I feel like that when I see my ex wife
I feel like that when I see your ex-wife, too. As for the song, I have a love/hate thing with it. If I really listen it seems kinda silly. But it is heartfelt and has a wonderful drunken, violent passion to it. And I have a real appreciation for drunken violence. Or I did :-)
agnes wrote:
This tune makes me want to pound whiskey and smash bottles. F*ck yeah. 10.
I feel like that when I see my ex wife
Funny thing, opinions... I have always thought their music is about the most "dated" out there. If you heard the Doors for the first time you think old, drug-inspired stuff. That's my $0.02. pevend wrote:
The thing about the Doors is that their music still sounds timely. Unlike virtually all of their contemporaries, if you heard a Doors song for the first time today, you'd figure it was contemporary.
Jasper Park Lodge - 1982? 1983? 5 AM when you're almost ready to crash, but have to work at 6 AM - crank this up Yeah Baby!
Yawn.
agnes wrote:
This tune makes me want to pound whiskey and smash bottles. F*ck yeah. 10.
I second that emotion!
pevend wrote:
The thing about the Doors is that their music still sounds timely. Unlike virtually all of their contemporaries, if you heard a Doors song for the first time today, you'd figure it was contemporary.
Thats funny because I read quite a few guys on other music review sites including Rate Your Music that said Jim Morrison's lyrics were just psychedelic tripe and that he wasn't really a good poet or that talented! There are people on message boards saying they hate The Doors and they suck!
Just picked up the "40 Anniversary" remaster of this CD and "L.A. Woman". They sound great. Morrison Hotel has about 45 minutes of bonus tracks; mostly various takes of "Roadhouse Blues" including a couple real long ones. A must for Doors fans.
ThePoose wrote:
''I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer''
I remember my brother quoting that to me like it was the funniest, greatest line he had ever heard. Probably because, at sixteen, it described his life perfectly.
The thing about the Doors is that their music still sounds timely. Unlike virtually all of their contemporaries, if you heard a Doors song for the first time today, you'd figure it was contemporary.
Love The Doors. But this cover always reminds me of what I disliked about the packaging of the band ... it's the Jim Morrison Band with those three other shadowy guys.
This tune makes me want to pound whiskey and smash bottles. F*ck yeah. 10.
lester wrote:
Once roomed with a guy who slept with a six-pack in his bed. Sure it was warm by morning, but until he got to the fourth or fifth one, he couldn't make it to the fridge. Really. Yeah, he died a long time ago.
Was that your buddy "Weiser"
Harleqin wrote:
AFAIK Ray often played a keyboard bass with the left hand.
Fender Rhodes
''I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer'' No one wrote like that that then. Jimbo was astonishing.
I was five years old when I first heard "Light My Fire". Everything around was etched in my brain (like it often gets when you hear a really good song). It's the first song I ever remember. Just don't like the Doors though. They seem very cheesy to me.
apparently you don't know good music-should have grown up in the 60"SXeric wrote:
Uh, not unless you ever got up in the morning and got yourself a beer and then . . . wondered. I think Morrison was wondering. And this is as serious as it gets.
plutodazed wrote:
Not an intense, serious song.
Uh, not unless you ever got up in the morning and got yourself a beer and then . . . wondered. I think Morrison was wondering. And this is as serious as it gets.
yeah, this really isn't one of my favorite doors songs, and it still gets an 8 from me. forgot i was such a fan. as opposed to a lot of very popular music from the time period, i don't listen to the doors much anymore. burned out in high school. but who didn't. and aside from l.a. woman the album, i find their general album cuts kinda average and choppy. but yeah, you can't knock 'em, great singles band.
Angloray wrote:
Love the Doors. Hate this song!
im with stupid.
woo hoo! I needed that!
Love the Doors. Hate this song!
oh Hell Yes! great pick-me-up for a sucky Monday at work!
plutodazed wrote:
It sounds exactly like the title suggests, like it belongs in a bar. It is great just for that environment, or if your party is about to kick in. Not an intense, serious song. Not all songs need to be.
I was a HUGE Doors fan as a late teen. Hearing this song again made me it this had not aged well. And I don't think it has. Nevertheless, you make a good point here; this song does have merit for what it is.
Daveinbawlmer wrote:
The most over-rated band of their era.
Maybe these guys really were very good, cutting edge musicians, I don't know. I've listened to them, I've tried to make myself like 'em, but it didn't take. I have to agree with you.
MiketheKnife wrote:
PLEEEEZZZZZE SOMEBODY NO MORE DOORS! Bleh. Hate 'em. What a pretentious ass JM was... At least he had the good grace to take himself off of the planet before he grew into insufferably self-important middle age.
What?!!!!
one of the great party songs!
PLEEEEZZZZZE SOMEBODY NO MORE DOORS! Bleh. Hate 'em. What a pretentious ass JM was... At least he had the good grace to take himself off of the planet before he grew into insufferably self-important middle age.
Masters of Metaphors
Has been a great set up to this point. I guess everything has to come to an end eventually.