Wishful Sinful
| "Wishful Sinful" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Denmark picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by the Doors | ||||
| from the album The Soft Parade | ||||
| B-side | "Who Scared You" | |||
| Released | March 1969 | |||
| Recorded | July 26 & November 20–21, 1968 | |||
| Studio | Elektra Sound West, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Robby Krieger | |||
| Producer(s) | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
| The Doors singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Wishful Sinful" is a song by American rock band the Doors. Group guitarist Robby Krieger wrote the tune, which was released in March 1969 on the band's fourth album, The Soft Parade, as well as a single. "Wishful Sinful" follows the general theme of the album by incorporating elements of classical music.
In April 1969, the single reached No. 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.[1] In Denmark, it peaked at No. 3, where it stayed in the Top 10 for a month.[2]
Lyrics and musical style
The song's often-commented lyrics were written by guitarist Robby Krieger,[3] who confirmed that he "tried to get in the subconscious mind" with the lyrics to the song.[4] On the other hand, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek interpreted the song as just being about "love and sex",[4] while author Gillian G. Gaar described the lyrics as being simply "romantic".[3]
Aside from the lyricism, the accompaniments of "Wishful Sinful" are string instruments, featuring an English horn solo.[3][5] This musical presentment have been the subject of many characterizations, with Eduardo Rivadavia defining it as a "chamber rock".[6] The Doors FAQ author Rich Weldman describes it as a "crooning Frank Sinatra–type ballad."[4]
Critical reception
Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso described "Wishful Sinful" as being "entangled in gauzy classical themes," expressing surprise that it nearly made the Top 40 despite that.[7] Fellow Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia ranked it as Krieger's fifth best Doors song.[6] Rivadavia claimed that it came closest of any song on Soft Parade "to capturing the Doors’ vision for densely orchestrated chamber-rock," because the hooks in the refrain work well with both the "ornate" symphonic arrangement and the Doors' own rock music instruments.[6]
In a moderate album review of The Soft Parade, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that "Wishful Sinful" sounds "like something from one of the Doors’ early albums", while writing that Jim Morrison's vocal performance is "less than genuine and it's clear the strains of substance abuse were beginning to wear on his voice greatly."[8] AllMusic critic Richie Unterberger described the song along with "Tell All the People" as an "uncharacteristically wistful" tune that was "not all that good, and not sung very convincingly by [Jim] Morrison."[9]
"Wishful Sinful" is mentioned on Ian Rankin's crime novel The Hanging Garden.[10]
References
- ^ "The Doors Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ "Wishful Sinful: The Doors". Danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c Gaar, Gillian G. (2015). The Doors: The Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-1627887052.
- ^ a b c Weidman, Rich (2011). The Doors FAQ. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 169. ISBN 978-1617131141.
- ^ Everett, Walter (2008). The Foundations of Rock: From "Blue Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0199718702.
- ^ a b c Rivadavia, Eduardo (January 8, 2016). "Top 10 Robby Krieger Doors Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ DeRiso, Nick (July 18, 2016). "50 Years Ago: The Doors Stumble Through the Experimental The Soft Parade". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ Cinquemani, Sal (April 18, 2007). "The Doors: The Soft Parade Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors: The Soft Parade – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ Rankin, Ian (1998). The Hanging Garden : An Inspector Rebus Novel. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 66. ISBN 9780312192785.
