Dylan wrote it for the 1973 Western film, Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid. It plays while Sheriff Colin Baker is dying from his gunshot wounds. Dylan cameos in the movie as the character, Alias.
The song is written from the perspective of a dying sheriff:
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
Guns N' Roses covered this on their 1991 album, Use Your Illusion II. They played it in 1992 at a tribute concert for Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who had died of AIDS. 72,000 people attended the concert, which was held in London's Wembley Stadium. In case you're wondering, towards the end of the end of this version, the man on the telephone says, "You just better start sniffin your own rank subjugation Jack, 'cause it's just you and your tattered libido, the bank and the mortician, forever man and it wouldn't be luck if you could get out of life alive."
This song is musically similar to Neil Young's "Helpless," which was recorded in 1969 and features on the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album, Déjà Vu.
Lyrics
Ooh, ooh Hey Mama, take this badge from me I can't use it anymore It's gettin' dark, too dark to see Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, hey, hey, hey hey yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ooh Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ooh-oh yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ayy hey yeah Ooh-oh yeah, oh yeah, aw Mama, put my guns in the ground (Ooh) I can't shoot them anymore (Ooh) That cold black cloud is comin' down (Ooh) Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door (Ooh) Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, hey, hey, hey hey yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ooh yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ayy hey yeah Ooh You just better start sniffing your own rank subjugation, Jack Because it's just you against your tattered libido The bank and the mortician, forever, man And it wouldn't be luck if you could get out of life alive Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, hey, hey, hey hey yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ooh yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ooh, no, no, no, whoa Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, no, no, no, whoa, no Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, ooh yeah Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, whoa, whoa, whoa Whoa, whoa, yeah, oh
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