Love Me Two Times

"Love Me Two Times"
Single by The Doors
from the album Strange Days
B-side	"Moonlight Drive"
Released	November 1967
Recorded	May and August 1967
Genre	Blues rock, psychedelic rock
Length	3:16
Label	Elektra
Writer(s)	Robby Krieger
Producer(s)	Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"People Are Strange" (1967) "Love Me Two Times" (1967) "The Unknown Soldier" (1968)

"Love Me Two Times" is a song by The Doors. It was written by the band and first appeared on the 1967 album Strange Days. It was released as the second single (after "People Are Strange") from that album, and reached number 25 on the charts in the US.

Ray Manzarek played the final version of this song on a harpsichord, not a clavichord. Manzarek described the instrument as "a most elegant instrument that one does not normally associate with rock and roll."

"Love Me Two Times" was considered to be somewhat risqué for radio airplay, being banned in New Haven for being "too controversial," much to the dismay of the band.

The lyrics were written by guitarist Robby Krieger. According to band members, the song was about a soldier/sailor on his last day with his girlfriend before shipping out, ostensibly to war (Vietnam). Ray Manzarek described the song as "Robby [Kreiger]'s great blues / rock classic about lust and lost, or multiple orgasms, I'm not sure which."

Live versions

• 28 December 1967 Winterland Arena - San Francisco, CA
• 17 March 1968 Back Bay Theatre - Boston, MA
• 6 September 1968 The Roundhouse - London, UK
• 18 September 1968 Copenhagen - Denmark, TV Show
• 20 September 1968 Konserthuset - Stockholm, Sweden (1st show)
• 20 September 1968 Konserthuset - Stockholm, Sweden (2nd show)
• 10 November 1968 Minneapolis Concert Hall - Minneapolis, MN
• 14 December 1968 L.A. Forum - Inglewood, California
• 24 January 1969 Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
• 1 March 1969 Dinner Key Auditorium - Miami, FL
• 7 February 1970 Long Beach Sports Arena - Long Beach
• 18 April 1970 Honolulu Convention Center - Honolulu, HI
• 6 June 1970 Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum - Vancouver, BC
• 21 August 1970 Bakersfield Civic Auditorium - Bakersfield, CA

Personnel

• Jim Morrison – lead vocals
• Robby Krieger – Gibson SG electric guitar
• Ray Manzarek – Keyboards
• John Densmore – drums

Cover versions

• "Love Me Two Times" was covered by Aerosmith for the soundtrack of the 1990 film Air America (whose producers, Carolco Pictures, would also produce a biopic about the Doors) and was also played at the band's MTV Unplugged performance that same year, where lead singer Steven Tyler dedicated the song to Jim Morrison, who performed with the Doors at the same venue of the Unplugged performance, the Ed Sullivan Theater, several years prior. The 1990 cover reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2001, the song was included on their greatest hits album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. In addition, their version was included on the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate.
• It was also covered by pianist George Winston on his album Night Divides the Day – The Music of the Doors.
• The song is also briefly covered in the song "Bitchin' Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen, albeit with slightly altered lyrics.
• "Love Me Two Times" was also covered by Joan Jett, and included on the compilation The Hit List.

Trivia

• The song appears in the soundtrack to the video game Guitar Hero World Tour, and as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band 3.