"Easy Ride" is a concise rock song written by Jim Morrison, originally recorded during The Doors' Waiting for the Sun sessions on March 3, 1968, at T.T.G. Studios before being set aside and later completed for inclusion on their fourth album, The Soft Parade, in 1969. The composition reflects Morrison's knack for compact, direct songwriting during a period when his creative focus was shifting increasingly toward poetry and filmmaking. At under three minutes, it stands as one of the shorter entries in The Doors' catalog, contrasting with the more ambitious, extended pieces that surround it on the album. The arrangement enriches the basic rock framework with an eclectic palette of instrumentation, including mandolin played by Jesse McReynolds, congas by Reinol Andino, and a trombone solo by George Bohanan, lending the track a distinctive character that aligns with The Soft Parade's broader experiment in incorporating jazz and orchestral elements into the band's sound. Morrison handles lead vocals along with maracas, tambourine, and hand claps, while the core rhythm section of Ray Manzarek on keyboards, Robby Krieger on guitar, and John Densmore on drums anchors the performance. The song remains a deep cut within The Doors' discography, with no widely known cover versions.
