Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan - Ukulele Chords
Intro G D C C (x2)
Verse 1
[G]Mamma [D]take this badge off of [Am]me
[G]I can't [D]use it any [C]more
[G]It's getting [D]dark, too dark to [Am]see
[G]Feel I'm [D]knocking on heaven's[C]door
Chorus
[G]Knock knock[D]knocking on heaven's [Am]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [Am]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
Verse 2
[G]Mama, [D]put my guns in the [Am]ground
[G]I can't (D)shoot them any [C]more
[G]That long black [D]cloud is coming [Am]down
[G]I feel I'm [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
Chorus
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [Am]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [Am]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
Verse 3
[G]Mama wipe the [D] blood from my [Am]face
[G]I'm sick and [D]tired of the [C]war
[G]Got a [D]feeling that's hard to [Am]trace
[G]I feel I'm [D] knockin' on heaven's [C] door
Chorus
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [Am]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [Am]door
[G]Knock knock [D]knocking on heaven's [C]door
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The Story Behind the Song
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was written by Bob Dylan in 1973 for the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Unlike many of Dylan's songs, which are often filled with complex imagery and poetic lyrics, this song was created for a specific scene in a movie and is remarkable for its simplicity.
Dylan wrote the song to capture the emotions of someone standing at the threshold between life and death. The phrase "knockin' on heaven's door" suggests a person who is very close to dying—not yet gone, but nearing the entrance to the next world. Rather than focusing on fear, the song conveys peace, weariness, and surrender.
Over the years, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" has been covered by numerous artists, most famously by Guns N' Roses. What began as a soundtrack piece for a movie scene became one of the most enduring songs ever written about confronting the end of life with dignity and acceptance.