As soon as you hear the opening chords and the first ohhs, you know the song.
Originally written for the movie “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid”, it was the background music for the scene where Slim Pickens as Sheriff Colin Baker is mortally wounded and makes his way to the near by river to die.
One of Slim’s best scenes.
From Bob’s official lyrics page.
Mama, take this badge off of me
I can’t use it anymore
It’s gettin’ dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can’t shoot them anymore
That long black cloud is comin’ down
I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door
Copyright ©1973 by Ram's Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music
Since its release in 1973, where it reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, it has been covered hundreds of times. Some good, some bad and some most excellent.
One of the most excellent is the Dunblane tribute
In 1996 and with the consent of Bob 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 massacre. This has been, according to some sources, one of the very few times Dylan has officially authorized anybody to add or change the lyrics to one of his songs. This version of the song, including children from the village singing the chorus with guitarist and producer of Dylan's album Infidels (1983) Mark Knopfler, was released on December 9 in the UK and reached #1. The proceeds went to charities for children.
The song was featured on the compilation album Hits 97, where all royalties from the song were given to three separate charities.
The added verses:
Lord these guns have caused too much pain
This town will never be the same
So for the bairns of Dunblane
We ask please never again
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green
He leadeth me
The quiet waters by
Lord put all these guns in the ground
We just can't shoot them anymore
It's time that we spread some love around
Before we're knockin' on heavens door
Listen to it on Youtube here
My band has included it on our set list for years (we’ve been together for over thirty years), and over the years I’ve changed the verses a bit.
Instead of “take this badge off of me” its “take these dog tags off of me”. Instead of “put my guns in the ground”, I’ve changed it to “bury my M16 in the ground”.
There are many additional verses floating around on the web and I have appropriated one and changed it to be:
Mama wipe this blood from my face
I can’t see good anymore
Seem such a shame and a disgrace
Won’t somebody stop this Goddamn War?
It can be played straight acoustic or it can be full out rock and roll. You can even put in a reggae beat. Just a simple chord progression, G – Am7 – D, G – C- D, that anybody can play. And they should.