"The Green Door" (or "Green Door") is a 1956

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

, with music composed by Bob "Hutch" Davie and

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

by Marvin J. Moore. It was first recorded by

Jim Lowe James Ellsworth Lowe (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1956 number-one hit song, " The Green Door". He also served as a disc jockey and radio host and personality, and was considered ...

which reached number one on the US chart in 1956. The song has been covered by a number of artists, including a version by

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

in 1981.

Jim Lowe version

The song was first recorded by

, whose version reached number one on the US pop chart. The lyrics describe the allure of a mysterious private club with a green door, behind which "a happy crowd" play piano, smoke and "laugh a lot", and inside which the singer is not allowed. "Green Door" was backed by the

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

of songwriter Davie, with Davie also playing

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, and by the vocal group the High Fives. The track was arranged by Davie, who added thumbtacks to the hammers of his piano and sped up the tape to give a

honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...

sound. Released by

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...

, the single reached #1 on the

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

for one week on November 17, 1956, replacing " Love Me Tender" by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. Outside the US, Lowe's version reached #8 on the charts, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Charts

Lyrics

The singer cannot get any sleep each evening, due to the sound of the music coming from a private club, or possibly the singer is a

G-man ''G-man'' (short for "government man", plural ''G-men'') is an American slang term for agents of the United States Government. It is especially used as a term for an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). ''G-man'' is also a term ...

attempting to infiltrate the club. He tries to gain entry by knocking once on the green door, telling the person behind the door that he has been there before, only to have the door slammed immediately ("hospitality's thin there"). Then, through the keyhole, he says the possible secret password, "Joe sent me" (the password for

Hernando's Hideaway "Hernando's Hideaway" is a tango show tune, largely in long metre, from the musical ''The Pajama Game'', written by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler and published in 1954. It was sung in the stage and film versions of the musical by Carol Haney. The s ...

), which only results in laughter as he is again denied admission to the club.

Possible inspirations

After the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

, the

Green Door Tavern The Green Door Tavern is reputedly Chicago's oldest surviving drinking establishment. It opened in 1921, but the building dates from 1872. History The building, at 678 N. Orleans St. (700N, 300W), Chicago, Illinois, United States, was erected ...

opened in the city. During the Prohibition era in the United States, it was a popular place to get illicit libations. Because the door of the tavern was green, the color became a symbol for a

speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States d ...

. During Prohibition, many restaurants painted their doors green to indicate the presence of a speakeasy. Another suggestion about the song's origins is that it was inspired by an

afterhours club An afterhours club (''aka'' after hours club and afterhour club) is a nightclub that is open past the designated curfew closing time for clubs that serve alcohol (which is often an hour long). Such clubs may cease serving alcohol at the designated t ...

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, to which lyricist Moore had been refused entry because he did not know the correct password. At the time of the song's initial popularity in the 1950s, many believed it was inspired by a green-doored restaurant and bar called "The Shack" in

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

, where singer Jim Lowe had attended

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. However long-time Shack owner Joe Franke doubts that theory. An oft-repeated

urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

has developed, claiming that the song refers to London's first lesbian club, Gateways (1930–1985), which was in

Bramerton Street Bramerton Street is a street in Chelsea, London. It runs roughly north to south from King's Road to Glebe Place. It was known as Caledonian Terrace until 1912. The Gateways Club, a lesbian nightclub was based on the corner with King's Road, ...

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

. It had a green door and was featured in the film ''

The Killing of Sister George ''The Killing of Sister George'' is a 1964 play by Frank Marcus that was later adapted into a The Killing of Sister George (film), 1968 film directed by Robert Aldrich. Stage version Sister George is a beloved character in the popular radio ser ...

''. But aside from that there is no substantive connection between the 1950s American song and the British club. In "The Green Door", a short story by O. Henry, from his 1906 book ''

The Four Million ''The Four Million'' is the second published collection of short stories by O. Henry originally released on April 10, 1906, by McClure, Phillips & Co. in New York. There are twenty-five stories of various lengths including several of his best kno ...

,'' a man named Rudolf Steiner is handed a mysterious card reading, "The Green Door". On entering the door he meets a starving young woman. He quickly rushes out and returns laden with food, and they become friends over supper. Finally, Steiner promises to visit her again the next day and there is romance in the offing. Eventually it turns out that the card was an advertisement for an entirely different "Green Door", a theatre play. O. Henry uses the eponymous green door as a symbol for everyday adventures which he encourages us to seek out. It is also possible that the song is a reference to an

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Penny Parker mystery novel by

Mildred Wirt Benson Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson (July 10, 1905 – May 28, 2002) was an American journalist and writer of children's books. She wrote some of the earliest Nancy Drew mysteries and created the detective's adventurous personality. Benson wrote under ...

. In the novel, the secret door hides some illegal activity at a ski-resort hotel. No music or vice is involved in the book, which is aimed at adolescent girls. It was reprinted in 1951, a few years before the song appeared.

Fitz-James O'Brien Fitz James O'Brien (also spelled Fitz-James; 25 October 1826 – 6 April 1862) was an Irish-American Civil War soldier, writer, and poet often cited as an early writer of science fiction. Biography O'Brien was born Michael O'Brien in Cork, Irela ...

's short story, "The Lost Room", details a man being locked out of his own room by a group of demons, and bears some similarity to the themes of the song.

Shakin' Stevens version

Welsh singer

covered the song in 1981 for his album '' Shaky''. It became his second UK number 1, topping the charts for four weeks in August 1981.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Other recordings

*In the UK, a version by

Frankie Vaughan Frankie Vaughan (born Frank Fruim Abelson; 3 February 1928 – 17 September 1999) was an English singer and actor who recorded more than 80 easy listening and traditional pop singles in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after his ...

was even more popular than the original, reaching No. 2. Vaughan donated his share of the record's proceeds to charity. *Another UK recording, by Glen Mason, reached No. 24 on the UK chart. *

Gene McDaniels Eugene Booker McDaniels (February 12, 1935 – July 29, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. He had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s, reaching number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart with "A Hund ...

released a version of it as a single in 1960, but it failed to chart. * Esquerita, as Eskew Reeder, released a mostly-wordless organ-led cover version in 1962. (Minit Records #648). *In 1964,

Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1947 that continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...

recorded a version for a single release on

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

during an unsuccessful attempt to make a comeback with the label that had made them famous with "

Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...

" (this version was produced by

Milt Gabler Milton Gabler (May 20, 1911 – July 20, 2001) was an American record producer, responsible for many innovations in the recording industry of the 20th century. These included being the first person to deal in record reissues, the first to sel ...

); Haley and the Comets also recorded an instrumental version in 1962 for the Mexican

Orfeon Records Orfeon Records was a Turkish producer of phonographs and gramophone records. The first record company in Turkey, it was founded by the Blumenthal Family in 1912. The company was based in Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , p ...

label. *Country humorist Mayf Nutter re-charted the song in 1973. * Crystal Gayle recorded the song in 1977, and it has since become a fan favorite at her concerts. *

Psychobilly Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that fuses elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ram ...

band

the Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...

covered the song on their 1981 album, ''

Psychedelic Jungle ''Psychedelic Jungle'' is the second album by the American rock music, rock band the Cramps. It was released in May 1981 on I.R.S. Records. It was engineered by Paul McKenna and recorded in January 1981 at A&M Studios. It was self-produced by the ...

.'' *The

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

group

Los Nikis Los Nikis is a Spanish pop-punk group emerged from the 1980s associated to la Movida. They've been nicknamed "The Ramones from Algete" with songs that feature very simple music and humorous lyrics and subject matter. Some of their more famous s ...

made a Spanish version in 1986. *Other versions have been recorded by

Roland Alphonso Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites. Biography Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso ...

, Wynder K. Frog, Houston and Dorsey, Ray Hamilton, The Promenade Orchestra and Chorus featuring vocals by Joe Seneca, Danny Colfax Mallon, Country Dick Montana, Esquerita,

Jumpin' Gene Simmons Morris Eugene Simmons (July 10, 1937 – August 29, 2006), better known as Jumpin' Gene Simmons, was an American singer and songwriter best known for his 1964 novelty single "Haunted House". Biography Gene Simmons was born in Itawamba County, Mis ...

Skip & Flip Skip & Flip was a U.S. pop duo, consisting of Skip ( Clyde Battin) and Flip ( Gary S. Paxton). They met while attending the University of Arizona in the late 1950s. Career Once known as The Rockabillies, they recorded on Rev Records as The Pled ...

(1961), The Jerms, The Go-Katz and Skitzo.

Cultural impact

"The Green Door" is the name of a letter written by

David Berg David Brandt Berg (February 18, 1919 – October 1, 1994), also known as King David, Mo, Moses David, Father David, Dad, or Grandpa to followers, was the founder and leader of the new religious movement currently known as The Family Internationa ...

, the former leader of the cult once called the Children of God, later renamed "The Family. He used it as a metaphorical door to hell. ''

Behind the Green Door ''Behind the Green Door'' is a 1972 American feature-length pornographic film, widely considered one of the genre's "classic" pictures and one of the films that ushered in The Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984).Williams, p. 299 Featuring Marilyn ...

'' is a 1972

pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...

starring Marilyn Chambers. In 1986, '' Behind the Green Door: the Sequel'' was released, and in 2012, ''New Behind the Green Door'' was released. There are bars, taverns and saloons named "The Green Door" in many American locations, including

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Park Hall, Maryland,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

. Within the American intelligence community, "green door" is a slang verb and adjective, relating to the restriction of an individual's or organization's access to information and/or locations: "We green doored them," or "The situation has been highlighted by the 'Green Door' compartmentation and exclusion". This meaning was alluded to in episode 4 of '' Ashes to Ashes'', set in 1981, when Shakin' Stevens' cover played whilst the protagonist police detectives sneaked out of a top-secret MOD research centre. The song was featured in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...

's 2019 film, ''

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...

'', sung by Leonardo DiCaprio (playing the character of fictional actor

Rick Dalton Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

), during a segment on '' Hullabaloo.'' The lyrics "Green door, what's that secret you're keepin'" get a full-page quote (with a smaller attribution text: "Marvin Moore - Lyrics to 'The Green Door'") in the first internal page of '' The Immortal Hulk'' #10, a comic book published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

.''The Immortal Hulk'' #10 (December 5, 2018). Marvel Comics. In that issue (and other issues of the same comic), a particular green door is an integral part of the story.

References

{{Authority control 1956 songs 1956 singles 1981 singles Songs written by Marvin Moore Bill Haley songs Gene McDaniels songs Skip & Flip songs Shakin' Stevens songs Rockabilly songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in the United States Billboard Top 100 number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Dot Records singles Epic Records singles