Knockin' on Heaven's Door explained

Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Cover:Bob Dylan - Knockin on Heavens Door.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Bob Dylan
Album:Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
B-Side:Turkey Chase
Released:Aug. 1973[1]
Recorded:1973
Length:2:32
Label:Columbia
Producer:Gordon Carroll
Prev Title:George Jackson
Prev Year:1971
Next Title:A Fool Such as I
Next Year:1973

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, reaching the Top 10 in several countries. The song became one of Dylan's most popular and most covered post-1960s compositions, spawning covers from Eric Clapton, Guns N' Roses, Randy Crawford, and more.

Described by Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin as "an exercise in splendid simplicity",[2] the song features two short verses, the lyrics of which comment directly on the scene in the film for which it was written: the death of a frontier lawman (Slim Pickens) who refers to his wife (Katy Jurado) as "Mama".[3]

It was ranked number 190 in 2004 by Rolling Stone magazine, in their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[4] and number 192 in 2010.[5]

Musicians

guitar[6]

drums[6]

backing vocals[6]

backing vocals[6]

backing vocals[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1973–2023)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 12
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[9] 5
US Billboard Digital Songs Sales[10] 20
US Cash Box Top 100[11] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (1973)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 92
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 93
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[14] 104

Other Bob Dylan versions

According to his website, Dylan has performed the song in concert 460 times between its live debut in 1974 and its last outing in 2003.[15] Some of these versions have appeared on Dylan's live and Bootleg Series albums including:

Eric Clapton and Arthur Louis versions

In January 1975 Eric Clapton played on Arthur Louis's recording of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" which was arranged in a cross-over reggae style. After the recording sessions with Louis, Clapton recorded his own version of the song which was released as a single in August 1975 two weeks after Louis's version.[16] This version was released on . Clapton's version made it to No. 38 on the UK charts,[17] but the single was less successful in the U.S. where it failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 (although it reached on No. 109 on Cashbox's Looking Ahead chart[18]). Clapton's 1996 boxed set features a performance of the song recorded in London in April 1977. There were also performances of the song included on the Journeyman (1990) and the One More Car, One More Rider (2003) world tours. Several Clapton compilation albums also feature the song.[19]

Guns N' Roses versions

Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Artist:Guns N' Roses
Album:Days of Thunder (soundtrack)
Released:1990
Label:Geffen
Producer:
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Cover:GNR Heaven.jpg
Caption:1992 UK picture sleeve
Type:single
Artist:Guns N' Roses
Album:Use Your Illusion II
B-Side:"Knockin' on Heavens Door" (live)
Released:[20]
Label:Geffen
Producer:
Prev Title:November Rain
Prev Year:1992
Next Title:Yesterdays
Next Year:1992

In 1987, American hard rock band Guns N' Roses started performing the song. A live version of the song was released on the 12-inch single of "Welcome to the Jungle" the same year. They recorded and released a studio version in 1990 for the soundtrack of the film Days of Thunder that reached No. 18 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and No. 56 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart.

This studio recording was slightly modified for the band's 1991 album Use Your Illusion II, discarding the responses in the second verse. Released as the second single from the album, it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and the New Zealand Singles Chart. Elsewhere, the single topped the charts of Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands; it was the best-selling song of 1992 in the latter country. In Ireland, where the song also reached No. 1, it became Guns N' Roses' third (and to date last) number-one single as well as their ninth consecutive top-five hit.

Their performance of the song at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 was used as the B-side for the single release and was also included on their Live Era '87–'93 album, released in 1999.[21] Another version was released on the video Use Your Illusion World Tour - 1992 in Tokyo II. The music video for this version of the song was directed by Andy Morahan.[22]

Personnel

Guns N' Roses

Guest musicians

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[23] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] 7
Greece (IFPI)[25] 9
Italy (Musica e dischi)[26] 9
Portugal (AFP)[27] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)Position
Australia (ARIA)[28] 35
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[29] 9
Belgium (Ultratop)[30] 5
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[31] 13
Germany (Official German Charts)[32] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[33] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 20
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[37] 34

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Dunblane tribute

Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Cover:Dunblane_Knockin'_on_Heaven's_Door.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Dunblane
A-Side:Throw These Guns Away
Released:[39]
Recorded:1996
Studio:Abbey Road (London, UK)
Producer:Peter Cobbin

In 1996 and with the consent of Dylan, Scottish musician Ted Christopher wrote a new verse for "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in memory of the schoolchildren and teacher killed in the Dunblane school massacre. This has been, according to some sources, one of the few times Dylan has officially authorized anybody to add or change the lyrics to one of his songs.[40] [41]

This version of the song, featuring children from the village singing the chorus with the guitarist and producer of Dylan's album Infidels (1983), Mark Knopfler, was released on December 9, 1996, in the United Kingdom and reached No. 1 on the UK and Scottish Singles Charts, as well as No. 6 in Iceland and Ireland. The proceeds went to charities for children.[42] The song was featured on the compilation album Hits 97, where all royalties from the song were given to three charities.[43]

Charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Sampled version

Gabrielle's single "Rise" (2000) sampled from this song. Dylan liked "Rise" so much that he allowed Gabrielle to use the sample for free, while receiving a co-writer credit for providing the song's chord progression and vocal sample.[47]

Soundtrack inclusions

Film/TV showYearPerformer
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid1973Bob Dylan
Renaldo & Clara1978Bob Dylan & Roger McGuinn
Lethal Weapon 21989Randy Crawford, Eric Clapton & David Sanborn
Days of Thunder1990Guns N' Roses
Shake Rattle & Roll 2 (segment "Aswang")1990Guns N' Roses
Rush1991Bob Dylan
Cold Water1994Bob Dylan
Total Balalaika Show (Soundtrack)1994Leningrad Cowboys and Alexandrov Ensemble
Lawn Dogs1997Bob Dylan
The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field1997Roger Waters
Knockin' on Heaven's Door1997Selig
Windstruck2004Youme
Be Cool2005Bob Dylan
Las Vegas (episode 45, "Letters, Lawyers and Loose Women")2005Bob Dylan
Six Feet Under (episode 61, "All Alone")2005Bob Dylan
ER (episode 260, "Darfur")2006Jerry Garcia
Salvador (Puig Antich)2006Bob Dylan
I'm Not There2007Antony & the Johnsons
Supernatural (episode 35, "Houses of the Holy")2007Bob Dylan
Cold Case (episode 84, "Blood on the Tracks")2007Bob Dylan
Big Love (episode 2-08, "Kingdom Come")2007Bob Dylan
My Name is Earl2008Bob Dylan
Come Dio Comanda2008Antony & the Johnsons
Heaven's Door2009Angela Aki
Supernatural (episode 98, "Dark Side of the Moon")2010Bob Dylan
Lifted2011Uriah Shelton
Blue Bloods (Season 4, Episode 7, "Drawing Dead")2013Rick Devin[48]
The 100 (Season 2, ep. 16, "Blood Must Have Blood: Part 2")2015RAIGN
Sense8 (season 1, ep. 9, "Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye")2015Antony & the Johnsons
Containment, episode 5, "Like a Sheep Among Wolves"2016RAIGN
(S8E15, "Old Tricks")2017The Jenerators
The Vampire Diaries S8E14 ‘It’s Been A Hell Of A Ride’ 2017Chris Wood
Misty[49] 2018KLANG
The Blacklist, (S10 Ep. 22, "Raymond Reddington: Good Night")2023RAIGN
Terra e Paixão2023Bob Dylan
Reptile (film)2023Bob Dylan

Notes and References

  1. Billboard . August 25, 1973 . Billboard .
  2. Book: Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973. Heylin, Clinton. Chicago Review Press. 2009. 434.
  3. Web site: TonyAttwood. Knockin on Heaven's door: change, change again. Untold Dylan. 30 September 2019 . 2021-03-23. en-GB.
  4. The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 2004 101-200 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20080620035744/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/2 . 20 June 2008 . dead.
  5. 192. Bob Dylan, 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' . . 8 May 2022 .
  6. Web site: Burbank Studios, February 1973, 2nd Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid session, produced by Gordon Carroll. Bjorner, Olof. February 25, 2020. March 18, 2021. Bjorner's Still On The Road.
  7. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian) . . Australian Chart Book . St Ives, N.S.W. . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6.
  8. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990
  9. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 77.
  10. Rock Digital Song Sales . .
  11. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 11/10/73. tropicalglen.com. 2017-10-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20150609220714/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19731110.html. 2015-06-09. dead.
  12. Web site: Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) . Australian-charts.com . 2017-05-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 . 2016-06-02.
  13. Web site: Image : RPM Weekly. Library and Archives. Canada. . July 8, 2017.
  14. Book: Whitburn, Joel . 1999 . Pop Annual . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . Record Research Inc. . 0-89820-142-X.
  15. Web site: Knockin' On Heaven's Door The Official Bob Dylan Site. 2021-04-15. www.bobdylan.com.
  16. Book: Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. Schumacher, Michael. Hyperion Press. 373.
  17. Web site: ERIC CLAPTON | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company. The Official Charts Company. October 22, 2015.
  18. http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19750920LA.html Cash box Singles – Looking Ahead.
  19. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist| id=p64692|pure_url=yes}} Eric Clapton discography]. allmusic.com. 2010-05-10.
  20. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 21. May 9, 1992. July 14, 2021.
  21. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4416|pure_url=yes}} Gun N' Roses discography]. AllMusic. May 10, 2012.
  22. Web site: mvdbase.com - Guns 'n' Roses - "Knockin' on Heaven's door [live]"]. Music Video DataBase. Garcia. Alex S. November 2, 2015. May 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190521134612/http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=12341. dead.
  23. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 9. 30. 15. July 25, 1992. November 23, 2019.
  24. Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin: levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd, 2003.
  25. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 9. 32. 14. August 8, 1992. October 30, 2020.
  26. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 9. 34. 24. August 22, 1992. November 23, 2019.
  27. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 9. 36. 16. September 5, 1992. August 6, 2020.
  28. Web site: 1992 ARIA Singles Chart. ARIA. August 6, 2020.
  29. Web site: Jahreshitparade Singles 1992. de. December 21, 2018.
  30. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1992. Ultratop. nl. June 9, 2018.
  31. 1992 Year-End Sales Charts. Music & Media. 9. 51/52. 17. December 19, 1992. January 30, 2020.
  32. Web site: Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1992. GfK Entertainment. de. June 9, 2018.
  33. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1992. Dutch Top 40. April 5, 2021.
  34. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992. MegaCharts. nl. June 9, 2018.
  35. Web site: End of Year Charts 1992. Recorded Music NZ. January 30, 2020.
  36. Web site: Swiss Year-End Chart 1992. de. June 9, 2018.
  37. Year End Charts: Top Singles. Music Week. 8. 16 January 1993.
  38. Web site: Bestenlisten – Singles 1990er. de. Hung Medien Austrian Charts Portal. May 14, 2019.
  39. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 41. December 7, 1996.
  40. Web site: Dunblane Knockin' on Heaven's Door. bannockburnband.co.uk. August 25, 2010.
  41. Web site: Dunblane against Guns. January 1, 1997. August 25, 2010.
  42. Web site: Knockin' On Heaven's Door CD. BBC. August 25, 2010.
  43. Web site: Hits 97. November 11, 1996. May 21, 2019. Amazon.co.uk.
  44. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.1. '97 – 5.2. '97). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 16. January 31, 1997. October 2, 2019.
  45. Top 100 Singles 1996. Music Week. 25. January 18, 1997.
  46. News: Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 25. January 2, 1998. February 16, 2020.
  47. Web site: Jotting Down Notes 6. Two-riders.co.uk. 1 April 2014.
  48. Web site: Blue Bloods Music - S4E7: "Drawing Dead" . TuneFind . 2016-09-07.
  49. Web site: 미스티 Special OST (Misty Special OST). Melon. kakao M Corporation.