Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London, in 1968. They are co… Read Full Bio ↴Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London, in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock but their musical approach has changed over the years.Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple (together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath) have been referred to as the "unholy trinity" of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies. They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and were broken up for eight years from 1976 to 1984, with drummer Ian Paice being the band's only constant member. The first four line-ups, which constituted the band's original 1968–1976 run, are officially indicated as Mark I (1968–1969), Mark II (1969–1973), Mark III (1973–1975) and Mark IV (1975–1976). Mark I comprised the founding members of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Rod Evans (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Paice (drums) and Nick Simper (bass), while Mark II was the most commercially successful line-up, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover replacing Evans and Simper respectively. Mark III saw David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes replace Gillan and Glover respectively, while Mark IV featured Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore. The band split in July 1976 and Bolin died from a drug overdose five months later. In 1984, Deep Purple reformed with the Mark II line-up, which remained in place until Joe Lynn Turner replaced Gillan in 1989. Gillan rejoined in 1992, with Blackmore leaving for the second and final time the following year. He was replaced temporarily by Joe Satriani and then permanently by Steve Morse. In 2002 Don Airey replaced Jon Lord, which saw Deep Purple settle into its longest running line-up, unchanged for the next twenty years, until Morse announced his departure from the band in 2022. His place was taken by Simon McBride. Paice, Glover, Gillan, Airey and McBride comprise the current line-up of Deep Purple.

Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme] and a poll on radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the "most influential bands ever". The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards. Deep Purple (specifically Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan, Glover, Coverdale, Evans, and Hughes) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Deep Purple Lyrics

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Sweet Lucy was a dancer
But none of us would chance her
Because she was a samurai
She made electric shadows
Beyond our fingertips
And none of us could reach that high

She came on like a teaser

I had to touch and please her
Enjoy a little paradise
The lock was in my pocket
When Lucy met the rocket
She never knew the reason why

I can't deny it
With that smile on her face
Oh, it's not the kill
It's the thrill of the chase

Feel it coming
It's knocking at the door
You know it's no good running
It's not against the law
The point of no return
And now you know the score
And now you're learning
What's knockin' at your back door

Sweet Nancy was so fancy
To get into her pants we
Had to be the aristocracy
The members that she toyed with
At her city club were something in diplomacy

So we put her on the hit list
Of a common cunning linguist
A master of many tongues
And now she eases gently
From her Austin to her Bentley
Suddenly she feels so young

I can't deny it
With that smile on her face
Oh, it's not the kill
It's the thrill of the chase

Feel it coming
It's knocking at the door
You know it's no good running
No, it's not against the law
The point of no return
Now how you know the score
And now you're learning, aha
What's knockin' at your back door

Sweet Lucy was a dancer
But none of us would chance her
Because she was a samurai
She made electric shadows
Beyond our fingertips
And one of us could reach that high

I can't deny it
With that smile on my face
Oh oh, it's not the kill
It's the thrill of the chase

Feel it coming
Knocking at your door
You know it's no good running

Now it's knocking at your door
Ah ha, knockin' at your back door

Overall Meaning

The song "Knocking at Your Back Door" by Deep Purple can be interpreted as a story about two women, Lucy and Nancy, who are pursued and seduced by different men. The song begins with Lucy, who is described as a dancer and a samurai, making electric shadows that are beyond the reach of anyone around her. The singer describes his attempts to please her and enjoy a little paradise with her. However, when Lucy meets the rocket, she doesn't know why things turn out the way they do. The singer says that he can't deny the thrill that comes with the chase of a woman like Lucy.

After Lucy's story, the song moves on to Nancy, who is described as being fancy and only interested in aristocracy. The singer and his group put her on their hit list, and Nancy is pursued by a cunning linguist who speaks many languages. He seduces her and she goes from driving an Austin to a Bentley, feeling young and free. The point of the song seems to be that the thrill of the chase is what's important, even if it leads to eventual disappointment.

Overall, "Knocking at Your Back Door" is a song about the pursuit of women and the thrill of the chase. Both Lucy and Nancy are pursued and eventually seduced by men, but the song suggests that it's the chase that's important, not the eventual outcome.

Line by Line Meaning

Sweet Lucy was a dancer
Lucy was a talented dancer

But none of us would chance her
No one dared to approach Lucy

Because she was a samurai
Lucy was tough and unapproachable

She made electric shadows
Lucy's dance moves were very powerful

Beyond our fingertips
No one was able to match her skills

And none of us could reach that high
No one was able to reach her level of talent

She came on like a teaser
Lucy was very flirtatious

I had to touch and please her
The artist was attracted to her and wanted to impress her

Enjoy a little paradise
The artist was looking to have a good time

The lock was in my pocket
The artist had a chance to be with Lucy

When Lucy met the rocket
When Lucy encountered someone even more exciting

She never knew the reason why
Lucy didn't understand why the artist lost interest

I can't deny it
The singer can't hide the truth

With that smile on her face
Lucy was very charming

Oh, it's not the kill
It's not about winning

It's the thrill of the chase
It's about the excitement of the pursuit

Feel it coming
Something exciting is happening

It's knocking at the door
An opportunity is presenting itself

You know it's no good running
Running away won't solve anything

It's not against the law
It's perfectly legal

The point of no return
A decision must be made

And now you know the score
Now you understand the situation

And now you're learning
You're gaining knowledge and experience

What's knockin' at your back door
What opportunity is presenting itself

Sweet Nancy was so fancy
Nancy was very attractive

To get into her pants we
The singer and his friends were trying to have sex with her

Had to be the aristocracy
Had to be wealthy and privileged

The members that she toyed with
The men she played with at her club

At her city club were something in diplomacy
Were highly skilled in socializing and politics

So we put her on the hit list
They made a plan to have sex with her

Of a common cunning linguist
A skilled talker

A master of many tongues
A skilled speaker of different languages

And now she eases gently
Nancy is now relaxed and comfortable

From her Austin to her Bentley
Driving fast cars makes her feel young and alive

Suddenly she feels so young
Driving fast cars makes her feel youthful

Now how you know the score
Now you understand the situation

And now you're learning, aha
You're gaining knowledge and experience

Knocking at your door
An opportunity is presenting itself

Now it's knocking at your door
The opportunity is getting closer

Ah ha, knockin' at your back door
What opportunity is presenting itself

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN GILLAN, RITCHIE BLACKMORE, ROGER D GLOVER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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