Knockin' On Heaven's Door

This 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 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.

Booker T. Jones sometimes tells a story of playing bass on this track (he and Dylan were neighbors in Malibu), but Terry Paul is credited as the bass player. Jones is credited on four other songs from the soundtrack. The other personnel on "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" are: Vocals, Guitar: Dylan Guitar: Roger McGuinn Drums: Jim Keltner Harmonium: Carl Fortina Flute: Gary Foster Backup Vocals: Brenda Patterson, Carol Hunter, Donna Weiss

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."