"End of the Night" is a psychedelic rock composition credited to all four members of The Doors: Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. Written during the band's formative period around 1965, before Krieger had officially joined, the song's lyrics were penned by Morrison and draw heavily from literary sources. The title references Louis-Ferdinand Celine's 1932 novel Journey to the End of the Night, while the lyric "some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night" is adapted from William Blake's 1803 poem "Auguries of Innocence." The composition features a bluesy shuffle feel with a mysterious, moody atmosphere, distinguished by Krieger's slide guitar work in a minor tuning that lends the piece a trippy, enigmatic quality. Originally recorded as a demo in 1965 during an unsuccessful attempt to secure a deal with Aura Records, the song was re-recorded for The Doors' self-titled debut album on Elektra Records in 1967. A notable detail from the sessions involves a last-minute lyric change: Morrison altered "take a trip into the end of the night" to "take the highway to the end of the night," feeling that the word "trip" had become overused. The song served as the B-side to "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" and remains one of the darker, moodier entries in the band's catalog.
