Wishful Sinful
title: "Wishful Sinful" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["the-doors-songs", "1969-singles", "songs-written-by-robby-krieger", "song-recordings-produced-by-paul-a.-rothchild", "1969-songs", "elektra-records-singles", "rock-ballads", "1960s-ballads", "chamber-pop-songs"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_Sinful" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Wishful Sinful |
| cover | Wishful Sinful cover.jpg |
| caption | Denmark picture sleeve |
| type | single |
| artist | the Doors |
| album | The Soft Parade |
| B-side | Who Scared You |
| released | |
| recorded | July 26 & November 20–21, 1968 |
| studio | Elektra Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California |
| length | 2:55 |
| label | Elektra |
| writer | Robby Krieger |
| producer | Paul A. Rothchild |
| prev_title | Touch Me |
| prev_year | 1968 |
| next_title | Tell All the People |
| next_year | 1969 |
| :: |
| name = Wishful Sinful | cover = Wishful Sinful cover.jpg | caption = Denmark picture sleeve | alt = | type = single | artist = the Doors | album = The Soft Parade | B-side = Who Scared You | released = | recorded = July 26 & November 20–21, 1968 | studio = Elektra Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California | genre =
- Chamber rock
- baroque pop | length = 2:55 | label = Elektra | writer = Robby Krieger | producer = Paul A. Rothchild | prev_title = Touch Me | prev_year = 1968 | next_title = Tell All the People | next_year = 1969 | misc =
"Wishful Sinful" is a song by American rock band the Doors. Group guitarist Robby Krieger wrote the tune, which was first released in March 1969 as a single, as well as on the band's fourth album, The Soft Parade, later in July. "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 and No. 28 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. In Denmark, it peaked at No. 3, where it stayed in the Top 10 for a month.
Lyrics and music
The song's lyrics were written by guitarist Robby Krieger, On the other hand, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek interpreted the song as just being about "love and sex",
Aside from the lyricism, the accompaniments of "Wishful Sinful" are string instruments, featuring an English horn solo. Eduardo Rivadavia characterized "Wishful Sinful" as "chamber rock" while Rolling Stone India critic Narendra Kusnur suggesting it could also be considered to be "baroque pop." The Doors FAQ author Richie Weidman describes it as a "crooning Frank Sinatra–type ballad" and Kusnur also suggests that it reflects Sinatra's influence.{{cite book |first=Heinz |last=Gerstenmeyer |title=The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xk_-cOcPH4C&pg=PA97 |date=September 26, 2001 |isbn=978-3-8311-2057-4 |publisher=Books On Demand |page=97 |language=de}} or Doug Lubahn.
Critical reception
Cash Box described "Wishful Sinful" as being "softer, a good deal sweeter and far less controversial" than previous Doors' singles, stating that the song "spotlights Jim Morrison's vocal and a brilliant arrangement." 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. Fellow Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia ranked it as Krieger's fifth best Doors song. 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. Kusnur considered it one of Morrison's 10 most underrated songs, stating that "Morrison's rendition of the lines, 'Wishful, sinful, our love is beautiful to see; I know where I would like to be, right back where I came' have been considered to be a work of genius."
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." 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."
"Wishful Sinful" is mentioned on Ian Rankin's crime novel The Hanging Garden (1998).
Charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1969) | Peak position | |---|---| | Denmark (IFPI) | 3 | | US Billboard Hot 100 | 44 | | US Cash Box Top 100 | 28 | ::
References
References
- "The Doors Chart History: Hot 100".
- (May 3, 1969). "CashBox Top 100".
- "Wishful Sinful: The Doors".
- Weidman, Rich. (2011). "The Doors FAQ". [[Rowman & Littlefield]].
- Gaar, Gillian G.. (2015). "The Doors: The Illustrated History". [[Voyageur Press]].
- Kusnur, Narendra. (July 3, 2021). "On his 50th Death Anniversary: The Underrated Gems of Jim Morrison".
- (2019). "The Soft Parade". [[Rhino Records]] & [[Elektra Records]].
- (March 29, 1969). "CashBox Record Reviews".
- DeRiso, Nick. (July 18, 2016). "50 Years Ago: The Doors Stumble Through the Experimental ''The Soft Parade''".
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. (January 8, 2016). "Top 10 Robby Krieger Doors Songs".
- Cinquemani, Sal. (April 18, 2007). "The Doors: ''The Soft Parade'' Album Review".
- Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors: ''The Soft Parade''{{snd}}Review".
- Rankin, Ian. (1998). "The Hanging Garden: An Inspector Rebus Novel". St. Martin's Press.
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