For Jim Adams’ Thursday Inspiration prompt this week, we can use the prompt word heaven, or going with the above picture, or by means of the song ‘Pump It Up,’ or by going with another song by Elvis Costello, or anything else that you think fits.
I think the perfect fit for both the word “heaven” and for the picture is Bob Dylan’s song, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Dylan wrote the song for the 1973 Western film, “Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid.” It was written from the perspective of a dying sheriff and plays while Sheriff Colin Baker is dying from his gunshot wounds. The song features two short verses, the lyrics of which comment directly on the scene in the film for which it was written: the death of a frontier lawman who refers to his wife as “Mama.”Dylan cameos in the movie as the character, Alias.
The song was released as a single two months after the film’s premiere, it became a worldwide hit, reaching the Top 10 in several countries. The song became one of Dylan’s most popular and most covered.
Mama, wipe the blood off of my face
I can't see through it anymore
I need someone to talk to in a new hiding place
Feel like I'm looking at heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Note: corrected lyrics.
This, That, and the Other 
This is a great song Fandango, thanks for joining in with this. It describes what it is like for a man that is dying, as it is getting too dark for Sheriff Colin Baker to see. Your lyrics are a bit different from the ones that I am used to.
Mama, take this badge off of me
I can’t use it anymore
It’s gettin’ dark, too dark to see
I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can’t shoot them anymore
That long black cloud is comin’ down
I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door
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That’s interesting. I used the lyrics from the Songfacts site, but as I listened to the video I attached to my post, the lyrics were those you noted. Damn. Betrayed by Songfacts. 😡
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This is one of my favorite Dylan songs, so I knew most of the lyrics without looking them up. Those other lyrics fit in and perhaps Dylan was thinking about using them to make the song longer.
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I updated the post with the correct lyrics. Thanks for letting me know.
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Did you get to watch the Stephen Colbert Christmas cartoon?
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Yes, an d thanks for sharing it.
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I have always liked this song! 🙂
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I very apt song 😊
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I see the video follows my lyrics, not the ones that you posted. Where did you get them from?
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Songfacts. A usually trusted source.
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How (while I’ve certainly heard it) did I not know that this was written for a movie? Good song!
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I didn’t either!
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Oh!
I might look for the movie.
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Interesting, I had no idea it was written for a movie.
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