Song Information
-
Artist: The Doors
-
Songwriters: Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore
-
Album: L.A. Woman
-
Release Date: April 19, 1971
-
Label: Elektra Records
-
Producer: Bruce Botnick and The Doors
“L.A. Woman” is the title track from The Doors’ sixth and final studio album recorded with Jim Morrison before his death. The song was recorded in late 1970 and released in 1971. It stands out as one of the band’s most iconic and blues-driven tracks, blending Morrison’s deep connection to the city of Los Angeles with his growing restlessness and urge to escape. This track is also notable for being one of the last songs Morrison ever recorded with the band before moving to Paris, where he died three months later.
Song Meaning
“L.A. Woman” is both a love letter and a farewell to the city of Los Angeles—a place that had given The Doors their start, but which Morrison had grown weary of. The song is raw and full of momentum, channeling blues-rock energy to express Morrison’s complicated relationship with the city.
The lyrics mention “City of Night,” referencing John Rechy’s novel about the darker, hidden corners of urban life. In the song, Los Angeles becomes a living, breathing woman—wild, seductive, and dangerous. Morrison refers to himself as a “Mr. Mojo Risin’,” an anagram for Jim Morrison, symbolizing his spiritual and artistic rebirth, even as he was preparing to disappear from public life.
With its hypnotic rhythm, extended instrumental sections, and Morrison’s evocative vocals, “L.A. Woman” feels like a drive down the empty highways of the city at night—filled with ghosts, neon lights, and restless longing. It captures the chaos, freedom, and dark underbelly of Los Angeles in the early ‘70s, seen through the eyes of a man both fascinated and fatigued.
Explaining the Core Mystery: Who Is the ‘L.A. Woman’?
The identity of the “L.A. Woman” has long been a source of intrigue. Is she a literal woman, a metaphor for the city itself, or a symbol of something deeper within Morrison’s psyche?
Most interpretations agree that the “L.A. Woman” is Los Angeles personified. Morrison presents the city as a sensual, unpredictable, and sometimes cruel lover. Through her, he reflects on his own journey—from a rising star to a disillusioned icon. The lyrics echo his emotional burnout and dissatisfaction with fame, law enforcement, and the mainstream scene. Phrases like “driving down your freeway” and “your hair is burning” evoke both physical travel and emotional unrest.
This track also marks a turning point: Morrison was on the verge of leaving for Paris, exhausted by the pressures of celebrity and legal troubles. “L.A. Woman” feels like a final salute to the city that built him and a farewell to a version of himself he no longer wished to carry. The seductive danger of the L.A. Woman is both magnetic and fatal—just like fame itself.
In this sense, the song becomes a powerful farewell disguised as a celebration. It’s not just about L.A.—it’s about the end of an era.
Watch the Song Video:
Lyrics
Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows
Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light?
Or just another lost angel?
City of Night, City of Night
City of Night, City of Night
L.A. woman, L.A. woman
L.A. woman, Sunday afternoon
L.A. woman, Sunday afternoon
L.A. woman, Sunday afternoon
Drive through your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blues, into your blues!
I see your hair is burning
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
Driving down your freeways
Midnight alleys roam
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Never saw a woman so alone
So alone, so alone, so alone
Motel money murder-madness
Let’s change the mood from glad to sadness
Mr. Mojo Risin’, Mr. Mojo Risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’, Mr. Mojo Risin’
Got to keep on risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’, Mr. Mojo Risin’
Mojo Risin’, gotta Mojo Risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’, gotta keep on risin’
Risin’, risin’
Gone risin’, risin’
I’m gone risin’, risin’
I gotta risin’, risin’
Well, risin’, risin’
I gotta, wooo, yeah, risin’
Whoa, oh yeah
Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows
Are you a lucky little lady in The City of Lights?
Or just another lost angel?
City of Night, City of Night
City of Night, City of Night, whoa, c’mon
L.A. Woman, L.A. Woman
L.A. Woman, you’re my woman
Little L.A. Woman, Little L.A. Woman
L.A. L.A. Woman Woman
L.A. Woman c’mon