The Doors: Riders on the Storm Meaning

Song Released: 1971

Riders on the Storm Lyrics

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house were born
Into this world were thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out on loan
Riders on the storm

Theres a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin like a toad
Take a long...

1. anonymous

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   Oct 31st 2007 !⃝

   If you watch the movie you would understand. yes not everything in movies are correct. but it does tell you that he wrote it about his childhood. when he was with him family. and on the side of the road he saw a "freak" car accident. and eversense then he had "hallucinations" of indians. I don't really remember much more. but. That's it hehe
2. oldsoul

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   Jul 22nd 2007 !⃝

   It's about life yes but the part "into this world we're thrown, like a dog without a bone and actor without a loan" is about we are born into this world expected to know what to do and do it the right way. It's about the journys in life it's dangers and that you make you own destiny and if you give that man a ride sweet memories will die. He's telling us to choose what path to take wisely. Because there is a "killer" on the road. Think about it.
3. anonymous

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   May 17th 2007 !⃝

   Just to add I think the line riders on the storm and into this world were thrown refer yet again to the crash site he witnessed as a kid.
4. j2whoami

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   May 16th 2007 !⃝

   The song starts with a common state....where all people are same..."Into this house we were born...into this world we were thrown...Like a dog without a bone ...an actor out on loan"....But then it transits into a broader sense....some of us couldn't gather anything from this world...no love..only hatred....at this part of the song you can have two point of view...as a commoner...or a killer hitch-hiker..jim has given us options..to choose from...personally I think jim tries to tell that with a slight change of fate we can easily slip into the other side....so much helpless and vulnerable we are...in this mean world...so at the end we are all like a "dog without a bone" and "an actor out on loan" throughout our whole life.....jim believes only love and company can give us solace in this long journey of life.so the lines.........
   "girl you gotta love your man
   take him by the hand
   make him understand
   the world on you depends
   our life will never end"
5. midnitegreen

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   May 15th 2007 !⃝

   It's about how you got to tough life out. You have to grow a beard to cover the scars...

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. halenhead5150

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   Feb 21st 2007 !⃝

   This song is about a murderer on the loose "his brain was squirming like a toad" it's telling you to never pick up a hitchiker

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
7. anonymous

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   Feb 20th 2007 !⃝

   You got to choose what road to go down in life. and how there is going to be temptations that you have to refuse. And that everyone is lost and caught up in this bs.
8. anonymous

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   Aug 24th 2006 !⃝

   What this song always meant to me was something far more cosmic and something that cannot be explained into words. To listen to this song you must first get into the mindset of the time and take into account that it was the last song they ever made with Jim. To me this song has always been the departure point and has a really soft almost lonely feel that's really dark. It's as if he knew what was to come in that followed until his so called demise and that he had almost given up.
9. anonymous

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   Jun 18th 2006 !⃝

   I think this song is this song is about life. I think they are saying that in life we are like riders on a storm. like we have to tough it out. I think when he says "theres a killer on the road" he's saying there are dangers in life and if you give them a ride(let them happen) you and people around you(family) will suffer. I think when he says "like a dog without a bone into this world were thrown" he means we all we start out with close to nothing (at least most of us) and we only get out of life what we take. I think when he says "take a long holiday, let your children play" he is saying life is too short so enjoy you family and have fun. overall this song is about life.

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