Peace Frog

For the clothing company, see Peace Frogs.

1970 song by the Doors

"Peace Frog"

Cover to French single release

Song by the Doors
from the album  Morrison Hotel
Released| February 1970 (1970-02)
Recorded| November 1969
Studio| Elektra, Los Angeles, California
Genre|

* Blues rock
* funk rock

Length| 2:50
Label| Elektra
Songwriter(s)|

* Jim Morrison
* Robby Krieger

Producer(s)| Paul A. Rothchild

"Peace Frog" is a song by the Doors, which was released on their fifth studio album Morrison Hotel in 1970. Guitarist Robby Krieger explained that the music was written and recorded first, with the lyrics later coming from poems by singer Jim Morrison.[1] Although the song was never released as a single in the US, it was issued as the B-side of "You Make Me Real" in France.

"Peace Frog" was included on the Doors' second compilation album Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine, released in 1972.[2]

## Lyrics

[edit]

The song's lyrics were derived from three poems written earlier by Morrison, titled "Abortion Stories", "Dawn's Highway" and "Newborn Awakening".[1][3] The group, however, recorded the music of "Peace Frog" first, then Morrison overdubbed his vocals, as Krieger recalled: "I had written the music, we rehearsed it up, and it was really happening, but we didn't have any lyrics and Jim wasn't around. We just said, 'Fuck it, let's record it. He'll come up with something.' And he did. He took out his poetry book and found a poem that fit."[4] The Doors performed the instrumental version at live shows during 1969.[2] The title was originally "Abortion Stories", but at record producer Paul A. Rothchild's request, Morrison changed it to "Peace Frog", as he was afraid that the initial title would create some controversy.[5]

"Peace Frog" features lyrics inspired by true events surrounding the band's frontman Morrison. The line "Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven" is a reference to his onstage arrest on December 9, 1967, during a live performance in New Haven Arena.[2][6] After the guitar solo, the song enters a spoken word verse with the lines "Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding", which describes a highway accident that occurred when he was young.[2][7] Morrison purportedly witnessed dead Native Americans while his family was crossing a desert by road in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[8] He said, "That was the first time I tasted fear. I musta' been about four."[3] Morrison was also referring to the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests with the lyric "Blood in the street/ The town of Chicago".[2]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Unlike the Doors previous album, The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel received positive responses by critics, and it was widely seen as a comeback in the band's quality.[9][10] "Peace Frog" is also praised as one of the album's highlights.[11] Louder Sound ranked the song among "The Top 20 Greatest Doors Songs",[3] while Ultimate Classic Rock cited it as Robby Krieger's third best track for the group.[12] Krieger himself, included it as one of his personal favorite Doors songs on The Doors: Box Set.[13]

In a positive album review of Morrison Hotel, critic Thom Jerek of AllMusic described "Peace Frog" as "downright funky boogie".[14] Sal Cinquemani writing for Slant Magazine, declared the song as the best track on Morrison Hotel, and "one of the Doors' greatest."[11] Critic Jason Elias wrote that the song is "one of those tracks that will constantly amaze." He praised Robby Krieger's "bluesy lines" and Ray Manzarek's "eerie keyboards add to the chaos as usual."[15] Hartford Courant critic J. Greg Robertson regarded the music and lyric to be "magnificent."[16]

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United States (RIAA)[17] | Gold  | 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Personnel

[edit]

The Doors

* Jim Morrison – vocals
* Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ[18]
* Robby Krieger – electric guitar with wah-wah pedal[3]
* John Densmore – drums

Session musicians

* Ray Neapolitan – bass guitar[19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Mayhew, Jess (June 17, 2016). "Robby Krieger Explains the Story of 'Peace Frog'". Reverb. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
2. ^ a b c d e Thompson, Tony (2021). The Doors: Every Album, Every Song. Sonicbond Publishing. pp. 69–70\. ISBN 978-1789521375.
3. ^ a b c d Bell, Max. "The 20 Greatest Doors Songs". Louder Sound. No. 16. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
4. ^ Paul, Alan. "The Doors' Robby Krieger Sheds Light — Album by Album". Guitar World. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
5. ^ Krieger, Robby (2021). Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with the Doors. Hachette. pp. 264–265\. ISBN 978-0316243544.
6. ^ Weidman, Richie (2011). The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 196\. ISBN 978-1617131141.
7. ^ Davis, Stephen (2004). Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend. Ebury Press. p. 8\. ISBN 978-0-09-190042-7.
8. ^ G. Gaar, Gillian (2015). The Doors: The Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 12\. ISBN 978-1627887052.
9. ^ "The Doors Check Into the Morrison Hotel". PopMatters. October 9, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
10. ^ Weidman, Rich (2011). The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 159\. ISBN 978-1617131141.
11. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (April 18, 2007). "The Doors: Morrison Hotel". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
12. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (January 8, 2016). "Top 10 Robby Krieger Doors Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
13. ^ The Doors: Box Set (Liner notes). The Doors. Elektra Records. 1997. 62123-2.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
14. ^ Jerek, Thom. "The Doors: Morrison Hotel – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
15. ^ Elias, Jason. "The Doors: 'Peace Frog' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
16. ^ Robertson, J. Greg (March 11, 1972). "Best of the Doors...and Worse". Hartford Courant. p. 16. Retrieved March 13, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
17. ^ "American single certifications – The Doors – Peace Frog". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
18. ^ Gerstenmeyer, Heinz (2001). The Doors - Sounds for Your Soul - Die Musik Der Doors (in German). BoD – Books on Demand. p. 117\. ISBN 978-3-8311-2057-4.
19. ^ Manzarek, Ray (1998). Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors. New York: Putnam. p. 284\. ISBN 978-0-399-14399-1. "... 'Roadhouse Blues' as did Lonnie Mack on bass. Ray Neapolitan played bass on all other cuts."

* v
* t
* e

The Doors

* Jim Morrison
* Ray Manzarek
* Robby Krieger
* John Densmore

Studio albums|

* The Doors (1967)
* Strange Days (1967)
* Waiting for the Sun (1968)
* The Soft Parade (1969)
* Morrison Hotel (1970)
* L.A. Woman (1971)
* Other Voices (1971)
* Full Circle (1972)
* An American Prayer (1978)

Live albums|

* Absolutely Live (1970)
* Alive, She Cried (1983)
* Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1987)
* In Concert (1991)
* Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (1996)

| Bright
Midnight
Archives|

* The Bright Midnight Sampler (2000)
* Live in Detroit (2000)
* Bright Midnight: Live in America (2001)
* Live in Hollywood: Highlights from the Aquarius Theater Performances (2001)
* Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance (2001)
* Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The Second Performance (2001)
* Backstage and Dangerous: The Private Rehearsal (2002)
* Live in Hollywood (2002)
* Boot Yer Butt: The Doors Bootlegs (2003)
* Live in Philadelphia '70 (2005)
* Live in Boston (2007)
* Live in Pittsburgh 1970 (2008)
* Live at the Matrix 1967 (2008)
* Live in New York (2009)
* Live in Vancouver 1970 (2010)
* Live at the Bowl '68 (2012)
* London Fog 1966 (2016)
* Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (2018)

|

Compilations|

* 13 (1970)
* Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine (1972)
* The Best of The Doors (1973)
* Greatest Hits (1980)
* The Doors Classics (1985)
* The Best of The Doors (1985)
* Greatest Hits (1996)
* Essential Rarities (1999)
* The Best of The Doors (2000)
* The Very Best of The Doors (2001)
* Legacy: The Absolute Best (2003)
* The Very Best of The Doors (2007)
* The Future Starts Here: The Essential Doors Hits (2008)
* The Platinum Collection (2008)
* The Singles (2017)

Soundtracks|

* The Doors (1991)
* When You're Strange: Music from the Motion Picture (2010)

Box sets|

* The Doors: Box Set (1997)
* The Complete Studio Recordings (1999)
* No One Here Gets Out Alive (2002)
* Boot Yer Butt: The Doors Bootlegs (2003)
* Love/Death/Travel Box Set (2005)
* Perception (2006)
* The Doors: Vinyl Box Set (2008)
* A Collection (2011)

Singles|

| 1967|

* "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" / "End of the Night"
* "Light My Fire" / "The Crystal Ship"
* "People Are Strange"
* "Love Me Two Times" / "Moonlight Drive"

|

1968|

* "The Unknown Soldier" / "We Could Be So Good Together
* "Hello, I Love You" / "Love Street"
* "Touch Me"

1969|

* "Wishful Sinful"
* "Tell All the People"
* "Runnin' Blue"

1970|

* "You Make Me Real" / "Roadhouse Blues"

1971|

* "Love Her Madly"
* "Riders on the Storm"

1972|

* "The Mosquito"
* "Treetrunk"

1983|

* "Gloria" / "Moonlight Drive"

Other songs|

* "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"
* "The End"
* "Strange Days"
* "You're Lost Little Girl"
* "My Eyes Have Seen You"
* "When the Music's Over"
* "Summer's Almost Gone"
* "Five to One"
* "The Soft Parade"
* "Waiting for the Sun"
* "Peace Frog"
* "Ship of Fools"
* "The Spy"
* "Been Down So Long"
* "L.A. Woman"
* "Hyacinth House"
* "Orange County Suite"

Books|

* Wilderness: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison
* The American Night
* No One Here Gets Out Alive

Video and film|

* The Doors Are Open (1968)
* A Tribute to Jim Morrison (1981)
* The Doors (1991)
* The Doors – 30 Years Commemorative Edition (1999)
* Soundstage Performances (2002)
* Live in Europe 1968 (2004)
* When You're Strange (2009)
* Live at the Bowl (2012)
* R-Evolution (2013)
* Feast of Friends (2014)
* Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (2018)

Tours|

* Roadhouse Blues Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Outline of the Doors
* Rick & the Ravens
* Bill Siddons
* Danny Sugerman
* Butts Band
* Manzarek–Krieger
* "Craigslist"
* The Lost Paris Tapes
* Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors
* Barbaturex morrisoni
* HWY: An American Pastoral
* Night Divides the Day – The Music of the Doors
* Light My Fire: A Classic Rock Salute to The Doors
* Pamela Courson
* Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
* George Stephen Morrison
* Paul A. Rothchild
* Morrison Hotel (Los Angeles)

* Category

* v
* t
* e

The Doors songs

The Doors|

* "Break On Through (To the Other Side)"
* "Soul Kitchen"
* "The Crystal Ship"
* "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"
* "Light My Fire"
* "Back Door Man"
* "End of the Night"
* "The End"

Strange Days|

* "Strange Days"
* "You're Lost Little Girl"
* "Love Me Two Times"
* "Moonlight Drive"
* "People Are Strange"
* "My Eyes Have Seen You"
* "When the Music's Over"

Waiting for the Sun|

* "Hello, I Love You"
* "Love Street"
* "Not to Touch the Earth"
* "Summer's Almost Gone"
* "The Unknown Soldier"
* "Five to One"

The Soft Parade|

* "Tell All the People"
* "Touch Me"
* "Runnin' Blue"
* "Wishful Sinful"
* "The Soft Parade"

Morrison Hotel|

* "Roadhouse Blues"
* "Waiting for the Sun"
* "You Make Me Real"
* "Peace Frog"
* "Ship of Fools"
* "The Spy"

Absolutely Live|

* "Who Do You Love?"
* "Celebration of the Lizard"
* "Break On Thru, #2"

L.A. Woman|

* "The Changeling"
* "Love Her Madly"
* "Been Down So Long"
* "L.A. Woman"
* "Hyacinth House"
* "Crawling King Snake"
* "Riders on the Storm"

Full Circle|

* "Good Rockin'"
* "The Mosquito"

Alive, She Cried|

* "Gloria"
* "Little Red Rooster"

The Doors: Box Set|

* "Orange County Suite"

Featured singles|

* "Breakn' a Sweat"

Other songs|

* "Rock Is Dead"
* "Treetrunk"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

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