The Story Behind: "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, released in 1973 on his twelfth studio album and his first soundtrack album made for the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which was released the same year as the album.  

Backstory

Bob Dylan’s acquaintance Rudy Wurlitzer (scriptwriter for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid) asked Dylan if he was up for providing a couple of his songs for the movie that they were making. He wrote the lyrics of the song from the perspective of a dying sheriff living his last moments. Later, after performing “Billy” for the director of the movie, he also got an acting part in the movie, where he makes a cameo as the character Alias. His family moved to Durango, Mexico in 1972, where the filming of the movie was taking place.   

The album itself was filmed in January 1973 at CBS Discos Studios in Mexico City. The first day of the recording saw the recording of songs “Billy”, “Under Turkey”, “Billy Surrenders”, “Goodbye Holly” and “Pecos Blues”. Later the following month, other songs were recorded too, including "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". Since all the Bob Dylan songs are copyrighted on Youtube, I can only show you the scene in the movie where the song is playing in the background.  

Covers

The also song saw a good number of covers by famous artists, most famously the ones done by Eric Clapton and Guns N’ Roses. The Eric Clapton cover was recorded and released as a single in 1975, arranged in a more of a reggae style, while the Guns N’ Roses version of the song is done in a hard rock style and released in 1991 on their foruth studio album Use Your Illusion II.