‘I Hear You Knocking’ (or ‘I Hear You Knockin'’) is a rhythm and blues song written by Dave Bartholomew. New Orleans rhythm and blues singer Smiley Lewis first recorded the song in 1955. The song is about a guy whose ex-lover returns to him. When she left, he begged her to come back, but now the tables are turned and he won't even answer the door.
Welsh singer and guitarist Dave Edmunds recorded ‘I Hear You Knocking’ in 1970. He had originally planned to record a cover of ‘Let's Work Together’ by Wilbert Harrison, but had to reconsider when he heard a version that had been recorded by Canned Heat. He later recalled: “Then an album of Smiley Lewis was released on United Artists in Britain, and they played ‘I Hear You Knocking’ on the radio in Britain while I was driving along. I thought, "hang on", the two songs have identical format. You could use the same backing track for both songs. It's just a simple 12-bar thing. So I thought, I'll do that.”
Edmunds recorded the song at Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Monmouthshire. He plays all the instruments (except possibly bass guitar) and AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine suggests that the song "has a mechanical rhythm and a weird, out-of-phase vocal that qualifies as an original interpretation". Edmunds uses fills and a solo played on slide guitar, and during the instrumental break he shouts out the names of several recording artists: "Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Chuck Berry, Huey Smith."
The recording was the first single to be released on MAM Records. In December 1970, ‘I Hear You Knocking’ reached number one in the UK, where it remained for six weeks, and became a Christmas number one. In his famous Lennon Remembers interview for Rolling Stone, John Lennon commented, "Well, I always liked simple rock. There's a great one in England now, 'I Hear You Knocking'." It eventually sold over three million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The single also placed in the top 10 in several other countries, including number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. In 1972, the song was included on Edmunds' first solo album Rockpile.
Label – MAM
Songwriter – Dave Bartholomew
Producer – Dave Edmunds
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]You went away and left me long time ago
And now you're knockin' on my door
[Chorus]
I hear you knockin'
But you can't come in
I hear you knockin'
Go back where you been
[Verse 2]
I begged you not to go but you said goodbye
And now you're tellin' me all your lies
[Chorus]
I hear you knockin'
But you can't come in
I hear you knockin'
Go back where you been
Ah, yes
[Bridge]
Ooh-hoo, ooh
Child, rave it up
Fats Domino
Smiley Lewis
Chuck Berry
Huey Smith, oh
Let's do it
[Verse 3]
You better get back to your used-to-be
'Cause your kind of love ain't good for me
[Chorus]
I hear you knockin'
But you can't come in
I hear you knockin'
Go back where you been
[Verse 4]
I told you way back in '52
That I would never go with you
[Chorus]
I hear you knockin'
But you can't come in
I hear you knockin'
Go back where you been
Yes
[Outro]
Ooh-hoo, ooh
Yes
That's a gal of gal
Ah, yes