Come On Baby Light My Fire

By Mary Miller Cullins

On July 29, 1967, Jim Morrison and The Doors topped the Billboard Hot 100 when the song Light My Fire went to #1.By the beginning of 1967, The Doors were well established members of the LA music scene.  As a house band at the Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, they built a large local following, and out on the road they were becoming known as the warm-up band that was blowing away headliners such as The Young Rascals and The Grateful Dead.

One of the most famous moments on the Ed Sullivan Show happened the night The Doors performed the song Light My Fire. Network executives asked the the word ‘higher’ be removed from the lyrics “girl we couldn’t get much higher” and changed to “girl we couldn’t get much better”.  In 1967 you couldn’t say “high” on national TV.

The group initially agreed to the lyric change, but nonetheless, Morrison looked right in the camera and sang “Girl we couldn’t get much HIGHER”. A livid Ed Sullivan banned the Doors from the show and cancelled six scheduled appearances.  (It wasn’t the last time Jim Morrison was banned from something)!