Knocking at the Door

Album: Single release only (2017)
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Songfacts®:

  • Released on April 7, 2017, "Knocking at the Door" shot to #1 on the Canadian Rock Alternative charts, where it spent 14 weeks at the summit. It also became Arkells' first #1 Active Rock single in their native country.
  • The initial inspiration for the song was born from the Women's Marches that sprang up around the world in the wake of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president.

    At its core, the song is about "standing up for good, decent human qualities," frontman Max Kerman told CBC News.
  • The chorus has its origins in Arkells' early 2017 tour with Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls.

    That's me, I'm knockin' at the door
    I'm thirsty
    For more, for more, for more
    That's me, I'm knockin' at the door


    Arkells recalled in a Genius attribution: "We had this re-occurring bit on the Frank Turner tour that began to develop the lyric 'Knocking At the Door'. In the middle of Hung Up we'd launch into this James Brown vortex, 'I'll be knocking at the door 10 times!' followed by 10 sould band shots. If you went to that tour, you'll remember that."
  • "Knocking at the Door" has subsequently become a pump-up jam for athletes and a sports anthem played in stadiums and arenas across the world.

    "We know from experience it's hard to know what songs will resonate with people," Kerman said. "You just try to write good music, and hope that the culture gods smile at you. But there's something about the nature of [this song] lyrically — there's a fearlessness to it that I think a lot of sports fans and teams want to feel."

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