Part of the beauty of Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is its facility. An hour after picking up a guitar for the first time you can play this song, with its unending G-D-C, G-D-Am chord progression. Aesthetically, Rachel Rabin's (aka RAIGN's) cover may be the most stunning.
"Who knows what words mean better than the one who spoke them?"
"Authorial intent is to art what creationism is to science."
"Art is the property of the producer and province of the public."
Songwriter Kris Kristofferson.
Obviously, some people put great stock in the singer's original meaning. Others? Not so much. The former speak of interpretation (i.e. knowing or trying to discern the writer's viewpoint), the latter about applications or "personal spins". To wit, some artists have associated various motifs, moods or contexts with "Knocking on Heaven's Door", including romance and adventure (Bellamy & Clarke), emo and fatalism (Nazareth), poverty and violence (Wyclef Jean) narration (Roger Waters), child soldiers (Avril Lavigne), introspection (Sons of Anarchy, Antony and the Johnsons), light musing (Eric Clapton), energy or stances (Guns N' Roses), mortality and morality (Bruce Springsteen), and religion (U2). These slants are accepted much more readily by those who don't know the tune's provenance than by those who do. Nevertheless, the song succeeded not despite these varying views but because of them.
Songwriter and actress Rita Coolidge.
The song came from the 1973 movie, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid". Its original theme was not about fighting an enemy. The truth of the matter was quite the opposite, and far more poignant. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" plays after Pat Garrett kills a number of ex-companions, and later when Billy has to gun down his lawman step-father. In a world of shifting roles, the violence is against those we have loved. It wasn't about all war; it was about small-c civil war. Were we to draw analogies to politics, "Knocking on Heaven's Door" would be more about primaries than general elections. It would remind us that Republicans remain our neighbors and compatriots.
Mama take this badge from me 'Cause I can't use it anymore It's getting dark, too dark to see Feels like I'm knocking on heaven's door
Chorus: Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door
Mama put those guns to the ground 'Cause I can't shoot them anymore That cold black cloud is comin' down Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door Additional Verse: Mama, wipe the blood from my face I'm sick and tired of the war Got a lonely hard feeling and it's hard to trace I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
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