How ‘Light My Fire’ and Jim Morrison Ignited Ukraine’s ’90s Youth

Fire, Water, and Organ Solos

They were flower children with coupons in their pockets.

The early ’90s in a young and promising Eastern European country—the largest in the region—were full of stark contrasts. Colorful dreams of a bright future clashed with the grayness of everyday life and the looming threat of poverty. The first “threads” from Polish and Yugoslav markets stood out against dull Soviet clothing and “Kravchuchkas” (small Soviet cars) just beginning to circulate.

The streets staged their own exotic, mostly colorful spectacle, sometimes resembling a peripheral carnival: representatives of subcultural circles—young, mostly unemployed citizens of the new country with long, often unkempt hair—tried to avoid crossing paths with those who sported shaved heads and wore the strictest, toughest styles. Among the first to gain admiration were Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison. While Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s stance was clear—the grunge aesthetic fit rebellious youth—where did these “flower children” in knee-ripped jeans come from on the pragmatic, unromantic streets of Ukrainian cities in the ’90s, long before it became a trend?

One major reason was Oliver Stone’s 1991 film The Doors, starring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison. Many consider it one of the best American biopics, and Kilmer—as even members of The Doors admitted—bore a “creepy” resemblance to Morrison and performed all the vocal parts himself so convincingly that former bandmates didn’t immediately realize it wasn’t Jim singing.

The Doors “Light My Fire”

Thousands of Dollars Down the Drain and a Smashed TV

The Stone film features the story behind one of The Doors’ most famous songs—”Light My Fire.” In one scene, the band rehearses at a California bungalow by the ocean. Guitarist Robby Krieger announces a new riff; everyone, including Jim Morrison, eagerly picks it up, and keyboardist Ray Manzarek asks for a few minutes to come up with a worthy solo. The guys go for a walk along the ocean, and when they return, the hit and new calling card of The Doors is ready.

“Light My Fire” was released in April 1967 and later included on the band’s debut album. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and by the end of the year, after selling a million copies, the single went gold. Radio stations initially refused to play the song because of its length—over seven minutes—so the band had to record a shortened version. The song, as shown in the film, was a product of collective creativity; Krieger even suggested that Stone include a scene where he pulls a piece of paper with the riff’s sketch from his pocket. According to Krieger, the song is dedicated to the four elements—air, earth, fire, and water—and its key line “Come on, baby, light my fire” was his creation.

An interesting episode happened during The Ed Sullivan Show in September 1967. The Doors were invited to perform the hit, which was already wildly popular, but the producers politely asked them to change one line—”Girl, we couldn’t get much higher”—to avoid drug references. Morrison promised not to sing it but ended up delivering the line live, shocking the production team.

Sullivan was reportedly very upset and refused to shake Morrison’s hand afterward. Morrison blamed his nervousness for forgetting the request. The film portrays the act as deliberate, emphasizing the “forbidden” word and boosting the band’s standing among anti-censorship supporters. In any case, The Doors were never invited back to the Sullivan show.

Clip from Oliver Stone’s film The Doors

That same year, Buick offered The Doors $75,000 to use the song in a car commercial. Buick approached the band while Morrison was out of town, and the band agreed without consulting him.

When Morrison found out, he was furious and called Buick to warn that if the commercial aired he would publicly smash a car with a sledgehammer in front of the cameras. In Stone’s film, Val Kilmer’s character, upon hearing “Light My Fire” in a commercial, rages and smashes a TV against the wall. To paraphrase a Ukrainian classic: what true rocker hasn’t smashed a TV in their life?

From Grammy to Ukrainian Listeners

The song’s fortunes took another turn: it won a Grammy. But the award went not to The Doors but to Puerto Rican blind singer José Feliciano, who had performed his own Latin-style version of the song for several years and had also gained popularity. A year earlier, Feliciano had become famous for a controversial rendition of the U.S. national anthem in an original Latin jazz style.

Grammy winner José Feliciano performing “Light My Fire”

Symbolically, “Light My Fire” was the last song The Doors performed in their classic lineup and the final song Jim Morrison ever sang on stage. That performance took place on December 12, 1970, at New Orleans’ Warehouse venue.

As expected, Oliver Stone’s film sparked a renewed wave of interest in “Light My Fire,” Morrison, and The Doors. Other notable actors—John Travolta, Richard Gere, and Charlie Sheen—were reportedly considered for the lead role. Still, Kilmer remains closely associated with Morrison for many.

A few years before the renewed Doors cult began, the Soviet vinyl monopoly Melodiya launched a new series called “Archive of Popular Music,” a surprising move in an otherwise conservative cultural environment. The first record in the series was The Doors’ Light My Fire.

In 2012, two of the original creators of “Light My Fire,” former Doors members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, performed in Kyiv.

Who would have thought that today fire, light, and warmth are not just empty symbols but vital necessities? December 8 marked another birthday of Jim Morrison, and his work remains relevant decades later. May this song once again light up your home with bright illumination and warm you in the winter cold.

The Doors performing “Light My Fire” on the TV show Malibu U