End of the Night

"End of the Night" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band the Doors. It was featured on the band's debut album and then released as the B-side to the album's first single, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" in January 1967.

"End of the Night"
Single by the Doors
from the album The Doors
A-side	"Break On Through (To the Other Side)"
Released	January 1, 1967 (1967-01-01)
Recorded	August 1966 (1966-08)
Studio	Sunset Sound Recorders Hollywood, California
Genre	Psychedelia[1]
Length	2:49[2]
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	The Doors[2]
Producer(s)	Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Break On Through (To the Other Side)" / "End of the Night" (1967) "Light My Fire" (1967)

After the band's rise to fame the song was rarely played live in concert; it has since been included in box sets released over the years by the band.

Composition and lyrics

"End of the Night" is essentially a psychedelic track,^[1] in the key of E Minor, with Jim Morrison's vocal range spanning from D₄ to G₅. It is also in 4/4 time.^[3] The song was written in the band's early days, before guitarist Robby Krieger had joined the group. It was recorded in 1965 in an attempt to land a deal with Aura Records; however, the band failed to get signed. In 1966, when they were signed to Elektra Records, the song was recorded for their self-titled debut album.^[4] In the recording, Krieger provided a distinct slide guitar, tuned in a minor tuning.^[5][6][7] As Krieger himself explained, "I'd try different tunings until one worked".^[8]

Although the songwriting credit was given to all four members of the Doors,^[2] the lyrics were written by Morrison.^[9] Its title is derived from the 1932 French novel Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine.^[10] The line "Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night" is lifted from a William Blake poem "Auguries of Innocence", written in 1803 and published in 1863.^[9]

Release and reception

Chart (1967)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100	126[11]

The song was chosen as the B-side to the album's first single, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" and was released in January 1967. The single, however, failed to become a success and only peaked at number 126 in the U.S.^[11] Reviewing the "Break on Through" single, Cash Box said that "End of the Night" is a "bluesy shuffler that also merits watching."^[12]

PopMatters critic Andy Hermann declared "End of the Night" as one of the "weirder" and moodier songs in the Doors' catalogue.^[13] In an AllMusic album review of The Doors, critic Richie Unterberger described the song's melody as "mysterious".^[14] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised Krieger’s guitar solo, for being "sufficiently trippy," but he wrote that the song was "less ambitious (and less successful)" than the other album tracks.^[15] Lacey Cohen of Screen Rant ranked it the weakest song on the album. Nevertheless, she described it as "a blissfully eerie song" and "the perfect b-side" to "Break On Through (To the Other Side)".^[16] Sputnikmusic reviewer Ian Philips noted that the "dreamy, mysterious 'End of the Night'" highlights "the group's remarkable affinity for shrewd, poetic, profound lyrics."^[17]

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the 50th anniversary edition of The Doors and the 2001 book The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors:^[18][19]

• Jim Morrison – vocals
• Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ, keyboard bass, piano
• Robby Krieger – slide guitar
• John Densmore – drums