‘Roadhouse Blues’ is a song by the American rock band the Doors from their 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It was released as the B-side of ‘You Make Me Real’, which peaked at No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 in Canada. ‘Roadhouse Blues’ charted in its own right on the Cash Box Top 100, peaking at No. 76. The song became a concert staple for the group and it has been covered by numerous artists. Hailed by sound engineer Bruce Botnick as "the all-time American bar band song," Despite its relatively unsuccessful chart peak, ‘Roadhouse Blues’ received strong airplay on rock radio stations. The song's title was considered for the name of the album, but it was eventually changed.
When Jim Morrison got drunk, he liked to sing blues numbers at The Doors jam sessions. This is one of the songs he came up with at one of those inebriated sessions. If there was an actual roadhouse that inspired this song, it was probably the Topanga Corral, a windowless nightclub in the counterculture enclave of the Topanga Canyon, where Jim Morrison lived. To get to the venue you had to take Topanga Canyon Boulevard, which is full of twists and turns - you really did need to "keep your eyes on the road, your hand upon the wheel."
The Corral, where Little Feat and Canned Heat played and Linda Ronstadt was often spotted in the audience, burned down in 1986. There was a cabin behind the Topanga Corral that many sources say Morrison bought for his girlfriend, Pamela Courson. This could be what provided the line, "In back of the Roadhouse they got some bungalows."
John Sebastian from the Lovin' Spoonful played harmonica on this track. He is identified on the album as "G. Puglese" because he was afraid to be identified with The Doors, in light of Morrison's arrest at a concert in Miami, when he was accused of exposing himself to the crowd. Morrison was convicted of indecent exposure and sentenced to six months in jail, but he died while the case was being appealed. In 2010, Florida governor Charlie Crist granted Morrison a pardon, clearing him of the charges. Guitar great Lonnie Mack played bass. The Doors usually did not use a bass player.
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger recalled to the NME July 17, 2010 how the album title came about: "Ray (Manzarek, keyboards) had been driving around downtown LA, and he saw this place called Morrison Hotel. So, we decided to go down and shoot some photos there, but the guy who owned the hotel wouldn't let us inside it. I guess they thought we were hippies. There were a lot of drunks and bums hanging around that area. Anyway, we snuck in there real quick, when he wasn't looking and got the shot that became the cover of Morrison Hotel."
Label – Elektra
Composers – The Doors
Lyricist – Jim Morrison
Producer – Glyn Johns
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Oh, keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Yeah, we're going to the Roadhouse
Gonna have a real
A good time
[Verse 2]
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
[Chorus]
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll
All night long
[Post-Chorus]
Do it, Robby, do it!
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge 1]
Alright!
Eeeeeh yeah!
You got to roll, roll, roll
You got to thrill my soul, all right
Roll, roll, roll, roll
To thrill my soul
You got to beep-a-gunk-a-chucha
Honk-konk-konk-kadanta
Each-ya-puna-ney-cha
Bap-pa-lula-ni-chao
Pao-pati-cha
Ni-saong-kong
Alright !
[Bridge 2]
Ashen lady
Ashen lady
Give up your vows
Give up your vows
Save our city
Save our city
Right now
[Verse 3]
Well, I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer
Well, I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer
The future's uncertain and the end is always near
[Chorus]
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll, baby, roll
Let it roll
All night long