Yeah, it’s hubrissy all to hell, but given that Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” is one of the ten or twenty greatest songs ever written, it always feels like a bad radio edit, ending after two small verses.
Everyone from Dylan down to the local lounge singer has messed with the lyrics over the years, so let’s play. Either quote your favorite variant verse and note who and when, or share a verse or two you always thought was good enough.
Both mine, hummed over the years:
Mama, stand my boots upon my grave
I won’t be walkin’ any more
Looks like my journey’s at an end
I feel I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door
Mama, take back your heart from me
Mine can no longer hear its roar
The silence has spread throughout my veins
I feel I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door
Polite critique of all verses, Doper and other, welcome - is it a verse Bobby D might have penned, in the day?
They are too stilted for me. Too many passive constructions and backwards things. I think it should be more conversational. But that’s me, we are not in the same universe: KOHD is not even in my top 100 Dylan songs.