"Есігіңді жақ" ("Esigiñdi jaq")

1967 song by the Doors

"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. Although it was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger, songwriting was credited to the entire band. Recognized as one of the earliest examples of psychedelic rock, it was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the track has come to be regarded as synonymous with the '60s psychedelic and sexual revolutions. Issued as an edited single on April 24, 1967, the song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it re entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano's cover version (which charted at number three), peaking at number 87. The song also spent one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after its recording. At the 11th Annual Grammy Awards in 1969, the cover by Feliciano won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Male Pop Vocal Performance. Feliciano also won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

"Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by Robby Krieger, who said that he was inspired by the melody of "Hey Joe" and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire". On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"), while Ray Manzarek added the Bach influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single snare drum hit. Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track. Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio. The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics, "girl, we couldn't get much better". However, during the live performance, lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original, unaltered lyrics. This performance was portrayed in Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic film, but with Morrison singing "higher" more emphatically and without his subsequent retort to Sullivan and the show's producer.

Drummer John Densmore recalled that Buick offered $75,000 in October 1968 to adapt the song for use in a Buick TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire"). Morrison, however, was still in London after a European tour had just ended on September 20, and could not be contacted by the other band members, who agreed to the deal in his absence. As the band had agreed in 1965 to both equal splits and everyone having veto power in decisions, Morrison consequently called Buick and threatened to personally smash a Buick with a sledgehammer on television, should the commercial be aired.

"Light My Fire" is notated in the key of A Minor. Ray Manzarek's keyboard playing descends from G to D Major, then goes to F and B flat major; continuing onto the pitches of E flat and A flat major, before returning to the initial key of A Major. This alternation was based on Johann Bach's "Two and Three Part Inventions", but author Philip Clark has suggested that it may have been inspired by Dave Brubeck's compositions. The extended solo arrangement is performed throughout the keys of A Minor and B Minor, the same chord progression used by John Coltrane on his cover version of "My Favorite Things". According to Manzarek, the instrumental sections were an homage to John Coltrane whom the band admired. Parts of the solos are polyrhythmic.

The 40th Anniversary mix of the debut album presents a stereo version of "Light My Fire" in speed corrected form for the first time. The speed discrepancy (being about 3.5% slow) was brought to Bruce Botnick's attention by Brigham Young University professor Michael Hicks, who noted that all video and audio live performances of the Doors performing the song, the sheet music, and statements of band members show the song in a key almost a half step higher (key of A) than the stereo LP release (key of A♭/G♯). Until the 2006 remasters, only the original 45 RPM singles ("Light My Fire" and "Break On Through") were produced at the correct speed.

In 1979, Amii Stewart released a disco version of "Light My Fire", together with a medley titled "137 Disco Heaven". It was a big hit in the UK, where it reached No. 5, and a mild hit in West Germany, peaking at No. 26. In the U. S., the song peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. It reached the top 10 in the UK a second time in 1985, in remixed form together with "Knock on Wood/Ash 48". This release peaked at No. 7.

English singer and Pop Idol series 1 winner Will Young covered "Light My Fire" in 2002. He originally performed a piano version of the song in the final 50 of Pop Idol, and again, with a backing track, in the final 10. A studio version, recorded in the style of Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano's version, was later released as his second single. The song went straight to the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart, selling 177,000 copies in its first week of release, while staying at number one for two weeks. Young also performed the song on World Idol, where he came in fifth place.