Great song that's been covered by more artists than I have time to name. Guns N Roses, Grateful Dead, Roger Waters, Avril Lavigne, and many more. Dylan wrote and recorded it. Clapton made it a huge hit.. I love both of those and if I was highly medicated I could even listen to GNR's rendition , but I like the following version by Warren Zevon best of all. Considering that he was bravely facing the end of his own life at the time he recorded this , it just magnifies the meaning of the song. Raw passion, soul, strength, courage , pain, ... you can feel it all in Warren's voice here. The "open up, open up, open up for me" towards the end was so poignant and heart-wrenching. Check out this version and see what you think.

 

Of all the versions of this song , do you have a cover you like the best ?

 

 

I'd vote GNR.

Maybe a mod could change "Knocking" to " Knockin' " for me in the thread title. Thanks.

GNR is the only version of this song.

That Warren Zevon cover is the worst thing I've ever heard. Wow.

That Warren Zevon cover is the worst thing I've ever heard. Wow.

 

 

I guess you'd have to be a Zevon fan to feel that version.

Clapton's is the most listenable. Zevon's has the most expression behind it.

 

I truthfully don't think it's anywhere near Dylan's best work and I've always been mystified as to why it's been covered a million times.

 

But I'll listen to whichever one keeps me from having to listen to Axl Rose screech like a cat into his microphone. Just awful.

GNR is the only version of this song.

 

 

The last time I listened to Axl for five minutes straight, my balls started aching really bad so I never tried it again. Maybe oneday I will imbibe something really strong and give it another shot. Something about Axl's voice that makes me want to put my dog in a sleeper hold.

Clapton's is the most listenable. Zevon's has the most expression behind it.

 

I truthfully don't think it's anywhere near Dylan's best work and I've always been mystified as to why it's been covered a million times.

 

But I'll listen to whichever one keeps me from having to listen to Axl Rose screech like a cat into his microphone. Just awful.

 

I agree and I agree !!!

Zevon's version is the one that gets me the most emotional(in a good way). That's why I prefer it. Plus, I'm just a bit biased, perhaps.

Edited June 16, 201610 yr by Science Friction

I'm a GNR fan but haven't liked hardly any of the covers they've done, "Knocking on Heaven's Door" included. "Live and Let Die" is even worse. The only GNR cover I like is their cover of Black Sabbath's "It's Alright"

 

I guess if I had to choose a version of "Knocking", I'd go with Clapton's. Truth be told, for me, it's just an ok song. I

Stupid little memory regarding this song that would mean nothing to anyone but me, but I can never hear this song without thinking about it.

 

This song came out when I was around 9 years old. My friend and next door neighbor's name was "Kevin", and I routinely and daily beckoned him to come out and play.

 

One day this song was playing on their little kitchen radio as I was standing outside of their door. Kevin's dad started singing along "Knock Knock Knocking on Kevin's Door".

 

And I was like "That's not what he's saying, he's saying Heaven's door", and his dad was like "Sure it is, listen"...and every time it was said in the song his dad sang loudly right over top of it...

 

"Knock Knock Knocking on Kevin's door", and would say "See, that's what he's saying".

 

Though he could not convince me, and his teasing continued for the duration of the song not allowing me to hear the actual lyric, I thought that his joke was clever considering the timing of me standing there "Knock Knock Knocking on Kevin's door".

 

OK ...now that I've got that out of the way...

 

My obsessive compulsiveness would not allow me to compile a list of my favorite versions of this song without first hearing each and every version available. A bit of "Knocking On Heaven's Door" overkill as you might imagine.

 

First I must say that Guns N Roses' version gets on my last nerve, and every time I hear Axl singing "Hey Hey Hey Hey" I want to barf.

 

1. Bob Dylan's original will always be the version that I hear in my head first when discussing this song.

 

2. Warren Zevon's version really works emotionally.

 

3. Mark Knopfler - This version was recorded in memory of the Dunblane Massacre in Scotland March 13, 1996 where 16 children and one adult were killed. An additional verse was written for this version.

 

 

4. Antony and the Johnsons' version hits an emotional reflective nerve with a lovely artistic yet haunting approach not heard in most versions. While I appreciate this piano driven effort, with the song already having a repetitive structure about it, this version, while interesting, tends to begin to drag and become dull as it carries on.

 

 

5. The Alarm - Nice timeless effort that doesn't feel buried in the 80's as one might expect.

 

Knockin' On Heaven's Door - The Alarm '86 LA - YouTube

 

6. Luciano - Pretty nice reggae version

 

 

7. Grateful Dead - Nice laid back version

 

 

8. Josh Turner - For being a no name Youtube cover dude, these guys nail the song very nicely including decent musicianship. I'd go as far as saying it's as good as any version out there.

 

I'd vote GNR.

 

Ditto

Clapton would get my vote for best cover. I love Dylan's original. GNR's version is horrific. I haven't heard Zevon's version.

Clapton would get my vote for best cover. I love Dylan's original. GNR's version is horrific. I haven't heard Zevon's version.

 

Save your ears and time. :lol2: I'm with @Wireman......WOW!