Bob Dylan: Knockin' On Heaven's Door Meaning

Song Released: 1973

Knockin' On Heaven's Door Lyrics

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,...

1. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Feb 19th 2014 !⃝

   I think this applies to anyone who is in a position of authority and finds that they have to make decisions that are difficult and often result in pain to others. The lines are not always clear and the answers not readily apparent. The responsiblity becomes too heavy.
2. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Feb 2nd 2014 !⃝

   There are a lot of plausible interpretations listed here, but the real one would have to come from Dylan, himself- after all he wrote these insightful lyrics-great, succinct lyrics - may I say.
   But, whether they are literal or metaphoric, it seems like the emotions of a man who may have regretted taking human life in the name of the law-or similar relationship-expressing remorse not only to himself- but to a higher power - he subscribes to...which is a common thread in a lot of what I've read here- and like the relationship of Garrett and Billy the Kid- once a friend- now having to kill him in the line of duty-hence, the remorse and a nagging conscience-that will haunt him,forever.j
3. m320753

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 13th 2014 !⃝

   This song is really part of a list of songs that Dylan has wrote about the mortality of the Human life. Most people when they are at death's door, have a subconscious " seeing their life pass before their eyes" and wonder am I going to Heaven or Hell? While this song is tied to a Great Movie, it just as well could have been released 5 years before or after the Movie and still have had the success it has garnered over the years.
   
   Almost as far back as the early 60s Bob has dealt with death and the afterlife in many of his songs including but not limited to Masters of War. When the ship comes in, and more recently It's not dark yet and Trying to get to Heaven.
   
   All his songs affect different people in many different ways. but his songs about the mortality of man affect every person on earth.
   
   That's why he's Bob Dylan and we're not, he has a unique talent for seeing and writing about what is in people's mind at one time or another . He has the gift of writing songs that everyone can say, That Reminds Me of When-------.
4. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 8th 2014 !⃝

   The "badge" as others have commented, may not be literal, but metaphoric...defining who and what we are...the "gun" as well.. seeing that long black cloud coming down....getting to dark to see...coming very close again to an overdose the gun is a needle dropping in the ground..it is a song about heroin... Knocking on Heavens door...It is what a addict does everytime the needle goes in and the plunger gets pushed....movie? don't think so....
5. alp

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Mar 29th 2013 !⃝

   Badge, stands for any Cause, it may as well be political, religious, moral, etc; Guns: the means to get one´s message to be heard,accepted or yet imposed upon. In my opinion, Dylan writes,he feels like,he is knocking on heaven´s door, because he is in a state of confusion, things are not what they seemed in the beginning. The world is not black or white. To be knocking on heavens door, is to be before a far great dilemma.
6. alp

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Mar 29th 2013 !⃝

   Badge, stands for any Cause, it may as well be political, religious, moral, etc; Guns: the means to get one´s message to be heard,accepted or yet imposed upon. In my opinion, Dylan writes,he feels like,he is knocking on heaven´s door, because he is in a state of confusion, things are not what they seemed in the beginning. The world is not black or white. To be knocking on heavens door, is to be before a far great dilemma.
7. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Mar 19th 2012 !⃝

   For cripes sake folks. Watch the dang movie. The scene is the man is dying. He is not regretting anything, he is not giving up anything. He is dying. This is one of those that is so freaking obvious there is no room for "interpretation". It is plain to see.
8. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 23rd 2012 !⃝

   I think everyone is thinking too much! If you are a gangster, a lawyer, a top businesman, a soldier, nurse, whatever, its about just saying i've moved on and want to be me!Take this badge of of me (i'm not anymore as fashion or perception dictates, i'm me), i want to be me!! Lose the marketing, pre-conceptions, i'm just me! I had a day, well evening when driving home to a stable life for the first time that,i just wanted to be me and lose my past and what reputation i had to live up to). Jesus, as Bob Dylan, he must've had more pressure than most! Its just a cry to be 'me'! Genius!
9. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Aug 15th 2011 !⃝

   A song about dying, being a lawman and it just plain sucks to have wasted your life surrounded by so much death. Anything else is just plain specualtion and BS.
10. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    May 26th 2011 !⃝

    It would be ridiculous for me to try to interpret Bob's mind, I change how I interpret my actions day by day. Having said that I think that Bob is one of the great artists of the 20 th century. I interpret it as Slim Pickens is bound by 'duty' to repay his debt to Pat Garret, he knows he is going to die and does. We all have a reason for living, if life is worthwhile. Slim has kept alive and it has been a worthwhile life because of his duty, whether to the law, Pat, or his wife. He doesn't want to die but life without satisfying his obligation is a meaningless life. Why? Because someone or something else has given him a reason for living, again is it his family, the law, Pat, his wife. We all have a greater purpose if we have a purposeful life. I read it as 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' as it represents the belief that I have in the debt that I have to God for giving his Son to show me the way. Sometime I will have to honor that debt. I hope I can be as strong as Slim was in the movie. When he put the guns in the ground, he looked satisfied.
11. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Apr 13th 2011 !⃝

    Get a grip.
    Dylan wasnt preferred songwriter choice for the film.
    He wrote this overnight and it blew Peckinpah away.
    Interpret?It verges on the bleeding obvious.
12. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Dec 7th 2010 !⃝

    This song is on the soundtrack for the Pat Garret and Billy the Kids movie. It is the start of a more realistic view of the west. It also takes another look at how the sheriffs are always classified as that good guy and outlaw as the bad guy and makes you rethink that perception.
13. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Jun 16th 2009 !⃝

    A person who wears a badge to do their duty ( a sherrif possibly, soldier..not likely) has been injured and feels like they will die.
    They obviously killed in the name of good, because the person expects to go to heaven.
    The person knows the end is near and will not be able to continue to kill the "bad guys" any longer..
    This song is about a killer being humbled at the prospect of his own death. He has lived according to his upbringing and beliefs (mother and heaven)
14. wellnoted

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 20th 2008 !⃝

    A good version would be a soldier son faltering on his goals about being a soldier..his hands tremble to kill someone now..and he feels every time he's at war he's knocking on heavens door. His will to live has taken over and he no longer wishes to play with death.
    
    A typical version would be a son who wants to leave his gangster ways and stop killing for fun or money..he begs his mother to help him leave his crude past behind..(but then the badge throws me..m nt sure if gunmen or assasins hv badges..:)

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 13th 2008 !⃝

    Since the song if from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which Dylan had a small part, the song is about the death of the character played by Slim Pikens. Pikens get shot by Garrett and dies by a lake. In dying he drops to his knees and opens his arms, this is a reference to Jesus. Watch the movie and it will make sense.

Latest Articles

• 
  A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park
• 
  Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable
• 
  Dolly, we need you
• 
  The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media
• 
  The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s
• 
  Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)