I Hear You Knocking

Album: Rockpile (1970)
Charted: 1 4
Play Video
  • You went away and left me long time ago
    Now you're knocking on my door
    I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
    I hear you knocking, go back where you been

    I begged you not to go but you said goodbye
    And now you're telling me all your lies
    I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
    I hear you knocking, go back where you been, oh yeah

    You better get back to your used-to-be
    'Cause you're kinda love ain't good for me
    I hear you knocking, but you can't come in
    I hear you knocking, go back where you been

    I told you way back in Fifty-two
    That I would never go with you
    I hear you knocking but you can't come in
    I hear you knocking, go back where you been Writer/s: Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

  • Tony D from Vero Beach, FlThis is one of those recordings where, if you just heard it randomly played, you'd guess it was more contemporary than it is. The filtered vocal really throws it, time-wise. The music this fits in with belongs to the later-seventies, at the earliest.
  • Clyde Mcelroy from Austin, TxOK Dave Edmunds wrote it but did he or Smiley sing it first?
  • Robert from UkThe credited co-writer was not guitarist Earl King - it was Dave Bartholomew's wife, Pearl King (they married in 1942 - she died in 1967). She's credited as a co-writer on several of Bartholomew's other songs, including "One Night" and "Witchcraft", but it's not clear exactly what her writing contribution was.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 20th 1970 "I Hear You Knocking" by Dave Edmunds entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 7th, 1971 it peaked at #4 (for 2 weeks) and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
    And on November 29th, 1970 it reached #1 (for 6 weeks) on the United Kingdom Singles chart...
    Mr. Edmunds will celebrate his 70th birthday come next April 15th.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 4th 1961, "I Hear You Knocking" by Fats Domino entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a two week stay, peaking at #67..
    The record's flip-side, "Jambalaya (On The Bayou", also charted, it reached #30 and spent 7 weeks on the Top 100 (peaked at #41 in the U.K)...
    Mr. Domino will celebrate his 86th birthday in two months on February 26th, 2014.
  • Jim from Santa Monica, CaDave Edmunds played a couple of solo shows in Los Angeles in small venues in 2007. He was performing the old songs and selections from "Hand Picked: Musical Fantasies", demonstrating his ability to get a lot of sound from a single guitar.
  • Kevin from Reading , PaDave Bartholomew was Fats Domino's songwriting partner, and you can tell that with this song. I can hear Fats singing it in my mind, though I don't know if he ever did a cover of this song.
  • Jeff from Liverpool, Englanddave edmunds had a uk#4 hit with elvis costello's girls talk in 1979
  • Dave from Portsmouth, NhActually, Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe were in a band together for quite some time, along with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams, called Rockpile. They released an album stateside called Seconds of Pleasure which spawned a minor hit, "Teacher, Teacher". The personnel of Rockpile were responsible for playing on solo albums by both Lowe and Edmunds as well: Labour of Lust and Repeat When Necessary, I recommend both highly.
  • Pat from Albuquerque, NmDave Edmunds toured with Nick Lowe in the late 70s; I sw them in concert along with Elvis Costello and the late Willy de Ville. Lowe and Edmunds did several of Lowe's songs, but also played "I Hear You Knocking" and "I Knew the Bride". Excellent concert.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.