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.

[1] Released by Dot Records, the single reached #1 on the Billboard charts for one week on November 17, 1956, replacing "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley.

[1] 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, where singer Jim Lowe had attended university.

[7] An oft-repeated urban legend has developed, claiming that the song refers to London's first lesbian club, Gateways (1930–1985), which was in Bramerton Street, Chelsea.

"The Green Door" is the name of a letter written by David Berg, the former leader of the cult once called the Children of God, later renamed The Family.

There are bars, taverns and saloons named The Green Door in many American locations, including Cheyenne, Wyoming; New York City; Park Hall, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; and Lansing, Michigan.

The song was featured in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, sung by Leonardo DiCaprio (playing the character of fictional actor Rick Dalton), during a segment on Hullabaloo.