“Back Door Man” by The Doors

Whereas the phrase “back door”, when used as a colloquialism, may have taken on a different meaning as of early 21st century, back in the days referring to someone as a “back door man” meant that he was an adulterer. And we mean this in the literal sense of the word, i.e. a dude who is sleeping with the wife of another man. Or as presented in this song, we can say the wives of other men.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for The Doors's Back Door Man at Lyrics.org.

Jim is a “Back Door Man”

Jim Morrison is taking on the role of such an individual. And perhaps we can say, by him doing so boastfully, that this song is meant to serve as a warning. That is to say that the way he presents himself is as someone who is bonking other men’s wives while said men are completely unaware. And again he is boasting about it. In fact he is even able to claim more sexual adventurism than even the faithfully married men whose unions he is violating.

Morrison was actually a Womanizer

And realistically speaking we know that songs such as these can put some men, i.e. those who may already be suspicious of their wives and/or envious of rock stars, on edge. And yes, Morrison was in fact known to be a womanizer

Moreover, as reported he once got it on with Grace Slick (of Jefferson Airplane/Starship fame) while she was married. But that said, it doesn’t seem that he had any particular preference for wed women. However, he was clearly someone who engaged in some “back door” action every now and then, with the opportunity logically presenting itself to him more so than the average man.

In Conclusion

So conclusively we’re going to put forth that yes, “Back Door Man” can be interpreted as possessing an advisory, or rather let’s say educative tone. But at the end of the day, honestly speaking, it reads a lot like a 21st century rap song which features an artist bragging about sleeping with other guys’ girlfriends.

However, in this case, it’s actually married women whom The Doors are talking about. Moreover, the entire song is dedicated to such braggadocio.

Lyrics for "Back Door Man"

Who wrote “Back Door Man”?

This song was written by an old school blues musician named Willie Dixon (1915-1992). And the first artist to record it was one of his contemporaries, Howlin’ Wolf (1910-1976), who did so in 1960.

The Doors’ Version

Meanwhile The Doors’ cover came out as part of their 1967 self-titled debut album. That version also credits Jim Morrison as a co-writer, as for instance it omits a passage from the original. And the producer of the track was Paul A. Rothchild (1935-1995), who worked on most of the albums The Doors put out while Morrison was still alive.

The Doors

Despite being one of the top-selling acts to ever grace the music industry, The Doors were only in existence officially for less than a decade in total. What really did the band in was when Jim Morrison (1943-1971) committed suicide at the age of 27. 

He has since become a music icon, part of ‘the 27 Club’ even, which we can say has contributed to the band’s lasting popularity. For instance in 1991 a major-motion picture, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Val Kilmer, called The Doors came out which, despite its title, actually served as a biography of Morrison.

The remaining members of The Doors – guitarist Robby Kreiger, drummer John Densmore and keyboardist Ray Manzarek (1939-2013) – did manage to release three albums even after Jim Morrison’s passing.  And the final one the band put out, 1978’s “An American Prayer”, even features some spoken-word poetry rendered by Morrison.

Back Door Man

More Facts about The Doors’ “Back Door Man”

The Doors were inspired to take on “Back Door Man” via another cover by John Hammond Jr. that was released in 1964.

A different, live version of “Back Door Man” can be found, in part, on The Doors’ 1970 project “Absolutely Live”. And another rendition came into existence via the VH1 Storytellers series whereas the band performed it in 2000 with Ian Astbury, who is better known as the lead singer of a British band called The Cult, serving as vocalist. 

In fact The Doors did briefly reform during said year and put out an album entitled “Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors”. And afterwards Robby Kreiger, John Densmore and Ray Manzarek did remain mildly active, as a unit, up until Manzarek’s passing in 2013. However, they did not tend to call themselves The Doors during that time but rather Manzarek-Kreiger.

Jim Morrison made history on 9 December 1967 as being the first rock musician to be arrested on stage while performing. He was slapped with an “indecent and immoral exhibition” charge, apparently for something that happened backstage between himself and a female fan. But anyway, the band were actually in the midst of performing “Back Door Man” when this transpired.

6 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

    I don’t want to be indelicate here, but Willie Dixon’s song, like many songs written by blues masters of his time, has another, lascivious, meaning. “Back Door Man” is also a sexual euphemism.

  2. T.Thomas says:

    Not a sexual euphemism in that sense. The phrase “back door man” is common African American parlance – an extremely well-established, interregional idiom. It’s part of the language culture that Dixon & Howlin Wolf were born into, not a turn of phrase Dixon invented. For another group at another time/times, the phrase may be that euphemism but, for these men at the time in question, it’s really not likely. The phrase refers to adultery not a**l sex.

  3. zac says:

    Back door man was back then what it is nowadays. The man taking care of the housewive needs when husbands were out.
    The biggest difference is the reasoning behind it.
    Way back when, back door action was the safest contraceptive known to females and their back door intruder.
    Hence the reference “the man don’t now but the litle girl understand”
    Yes it also meant the man literaly entering the home trough the back door to avoid been seen by next door neighbours.

  4. John Hunter says:

    Jim Morrison did not “commit suicide” as you ignorantly think. Whatever happened was an accident and it is an insult to just sum it down to he “committed suicide.” Have more respect for the man if you’re going to talk about him.

  5. Jack gray says:

    Yes , anybody familiar with opiates knows it was more than likely unintentional death.

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