People Are Strange was released on January 4, 1967 as a single from The Doors' second album 'Strange Days'. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
From Krieger's book "Set the Night on Fire":
John and I moved back to Laurel Canyon, this time splitting a house on Lookout Mountain Avenue, which is the street where Neil Young, Frank Zappa, and John and Michelle Phillips from the Mamas and the Papas all lived.
Jim also returned to the Canyon, moving into a house on Rothdell Trail with a redhead named Pam Courson who he had been dating steadily (relatively speaking). They lived behind the Canyon Country Store, which was a central hub for groceries and socializing. The store sold produce from the gardens of Canyon residents and its simplistic charm completed the illusion that we were all living out in the sticks even though we were just up the road from the bumper-to-bumper cruising traffic of the Strip.
Jim immortalized Pam’s “house and garden” and the “store where the creatures meet” in the lyrics to our song “Love Street.”
There was something about Laurel Canyon that drew creativity out of people, as evidenced by the staggering amount of classic American music that came out of its hills. Jim wasn’t exactly an aspiring folk singer enamored with acoustic love ballads, but the Canyon managed to inspire him all the same.
Late one night John and I were entertaining some girls at our Lookout Mountain house when Jim dropped by. I had seen Jim in every type of mood, but I had never seen him so depressed.
He kept saying things like “What’s the point, man?”
At first I thought it might be a pity play to get the girls to feel sorry for him, but it soon became clear that this was genuine despair. I don’t know what was weighing on him. He wasn’t drunk, as far as I could tell. He didn’t specifically say he wanted to end it all, but his attitude was heavy enough that it seemed like that might be on the table. We all tried to cheer him up, but nothing was working. As the predawn light filtered through the windows, I suggested we all take a walk up to Appian Way to watch the sunrise.
It worked.
The sun brightened both the sky and Jim’s mood. When we got back to the house he explained the revelation he’d had:
“When you’re strange… people are strange!” It’s your own mind that makes everything seem fucked up, even when it isn’t. It doesn’t come from the outside; it comes from within.
Jim immediately scribbled down some rough lyrics, I added a guitar part, and within the week we recorded “People Are Strange” for the Strange Days album. I thought it was a nice, quirky little song, but I had no clue at the time that the Laurel Canyon sunrise had just inspired one of the Doors’ biggest hits.
Set the Night on FireFrom Densmore's book "Riders on the Storm":
When Robby and I were still roommates on Lookout Mountain Drive in Laurel Canyon, Jim came by one afternoon when I was out. Apparently he was deeply depressed, pacing the floor and saying that everything was fucked up. Robby was taken by surprise, since Jim rarely confided in us about his problems, only his music. After rapping for a little while, Robby suggested that they take a walk up the hill to Appian Way for the spectacular panoramic view of L.A., saying it could be just the thing for a little perspective.
Half an hour later Robby returned, and Jim followed shortly thereafter. He was euphoric. “What happened?” Robby asked him. “Look at these lyrics,” Jim said excitedly.
People are strange, when you’re a stranger,
Faces look ugly, when you’re alone,
Women seem wicked, when you’re unwanted,
Streets are uneven - when you’re down.
“These are great, Jim. Have you got a melody to go with it?” Robby asked.
Jim smiled strangely and hummed a few bars. Robby’s ears immediately perked up. He knew a hit when he heard one. “That melody has a nice hook.”
“Yeah, I really feel good about this one. It just came to me all of a sudden … in a flash - as I was sitting up there on the ridge looking out over the city.” His eyes were wild with excitement. “I scribbled it down as fast as I could. It felt great to be writing again.”
He looked down at the crumpled paper in his hand and sang the chorus in his haunting blues voice.
“People Are Strange” was finally chosen as the single for its unique sound and hook-filled melody. I wondered if people would notice how vulnerable Jim’s lyrics were.
The song went top 10 nationally but at the time I was disappointed that we didn’t reach number one. I was twenty-two, and the feelings of immortality I had were coupled with the relentless desire for more. We all loved the photograph on the cover, with the posters of the first album in the background all ripped and torn. Elektra art director Bill Harvey had put it together on his own. Did anyone realize that the photographs on the front and back were actually one wraparound shot?
The recording of the new album began very well. We polished up “My Eyes Have Seen You,” which was written in Ray’s parents’ garage before Robby even arrived, and rehearsed “People Are Strange” for a couple of weeks. It turned into a catchy song with single potential.
Jim’s latest song was especially poignant to me because the lyrics not only had his patented strange and dark trademark, but now they were raw and lonely, even personal. I thought his vulnerability was finally showing through the bravado and that he was finally admitting he was afraid.
Riders on the StormRead more about what people perceived about Jim's mental state: Was Jim suicidal or mentally ill?
People are Strange tshirt on Amazon
When You're Strange - documentary on Amazon
