Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the Rolling Stones started out playing covers and were at the forefront of the British Invasion in 1964, becoming identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. They then found greater success with their own material, as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965), "Get Off of My Cloud" (1965), and "Paint It Black" (1966) became international number-one hits. Aftermath (1966) – their first entirely original album – is considered by The Daily Telegraph to be the most important of their formative records. In 1967, they had the double-sided hit "Ruby Tuesday"/"Let's Spend the Night Together" and experimented with psychedelic rock on Their Satanic Majesties Request. They returned to their rhythm and blues roots with hit songs such as "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968) and "Honky Tonk Women" (1969), and albums such as Beggars Banquet (1968), featuring "Sympathy for the Devil", and Let It Bleed (1969), featuring "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Gimme Shelter". Let It Bleed was the first of five consecutive number-one albums in the UK.
Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor. That year they were first introduced on stage as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World". Sticky Fingers (1971), which yielded "Brown Sugar" and included the first usage of their tongue and lips logo, was their first of eight consecutive number-one studio albums in the US. Exile on Main St. (1972), featuring "Tumbling Dice", and Goats Head Soup (1973), yielding the hit ballad "Angie", were also best sellers. Taylor was replaced by Ron Wood in 1974. The band continued to release successful albums, including their two largest sellers: Some Girls (1978), featuring "Miss You", and Tattoo You (1981), featuring "Start Me Up". Steel Wheels (1989) was widely considered a comeback album and was followed by Voodoo Lounge (1994), a worldwide number-one album. Both releases were promoted by large stadium and arena tours, as the Stones continued to be a huge concert attraction; by 2007 they had recorded the all-time highest-grossing concert tour three times, and as recently as 2021 they were the highest-earning live act of the year. From Wyman's departure in 1993 to Watts' death in 2021, the band continued as a four-piece core, with Darryl Jones playing bass on tour and on most studio recordings, while Steve Jordan became their touring drummer following Watts' death. Their 2016 album, Blue & Lonesome, became their twelfth UK number-one album.
The Rolling Stones' estimated record sales of 200 million make them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Billboard magazine and Rolling Stone have ranked the band as one of the greatest of all time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
Studio albums
The Rolling Stones / England's Newest Hit Makers (1964)
12 X 5 (1964)
The Rolling Stones No. 2 / The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)
Out of Our Heads (1965)
December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)
Aftermath (1966)
Between the Buttons (1967)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Let It Bleed (1969)
Sticky Fingers (1971)
Exile on Main St. (1972)
Goats Head Soup (1973)
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974)
Black and Blue (1976)
Some Girls (1978)
Emotional Rescue (1980)
Tattoo You (1981)
Undercover (1983)
Dirty Work (1986)
Steel Wheels (1989)
Voodoo Lounge (1994)
Bridges to Babylon (1997)
A Bigger Bang (2005)
Blue & Lonesome (2016)
Hackney Diamonds (2023)
can't you hear me knockin'
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, you got plastic boots
Y'all got cocaine eyes
Yeah, you got speed-freak jive
Can't you hear me knockin' on your window
Can't you hear me knockin' on your door
Can't you hear me knockin' down your dirty street, yeah
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Can you help me baby, ain't no stranger
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
Can't you hear me knockin', ah, are you safe asleep?
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, down the gas light street, now
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, throw me down the keys
Alright now
Hear me ringing big bell tolls
Hear me singing soft and low
I've been begging on my knees
I've been kickin', help me please
Hear me prowlin'
I'm gonna take you down
Hear me growlin'
Yeah, I've got flatted feet now, now, now, now
Hear me howlin'
And all, all around your street now
Hear me knockin'
And all, all around your town
The Rolling Stones's "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" is a sensuous, drug-infused rock and roll song about a man's pursuit of a woman. The opening lines "Yeah, you got satin shoes, yeah, you got plastic boots, y'all got cocaine eyes, yeah, you got speed-freak jive" aptly captures the allure of the woman he is after. He pleads with her to open up her window, door, and dirty street to him, but seemingly gets no response, leading him to question if she is asleep or can't hear him.
The chorus "Help me baby, ain't no stranger, can you help me baby, ain't no stranger, help me baby, ain't no stranger" could be interpreted as his plea for her to recognize that he's not a stranger to her and to give in to his advances. The second verse explores the singer's more primal instincts, with the line "hear me prowlin', I'm gonna take you down, hear me growlin', yeah, I've got flatted feet now" giving a sense of urgency to his pursuit of the woman.
Overall, the lyrics are suggestive of a drug-fueled, impulsive pursuit of a woman with a strong emphasis on sensuality and lust.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, you got satin shoes
You display a lavish lifestyle with expensive possessions, such as satin shoes.
Yeah, you got plastic boots
On the other hand, you also possess cheap items, like plastic boots.
Y'all got cocaine eyes
Your drug use is apparent in your dilated pupils, known as 'cocaine eyes.'
Yeah, you got speed-freak jive
Your drug use is further evidenced by your fast-talking, erratic behavior known as 'speed-freak jive.'
Can't you hear me knockin' on your window
I am attempting to gain your attention by tapping on your window.
Can't you hear me knockin' on your door
I am now knocking at your door, still trying to get your attention.
Can't you hear me knockin' down your dirty street, yeah
My search for you has led me to knock down your 'dirty' street in pursuit of you.
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
I am asking for your help, even though we may not be familiar with each other.
Can you help me baby, ain't no stranger
My plea for aid is repeated, emphasizing the fact that we are both strangers to each other.
Help me baby, ain't no stranger
I implore you again to assist me, reiterating that we are both unknown to each other.
Can't you hear me knockin', ah, are you safe asleep?
I continue knocking and wonder if you are asleep and unaware of my attempts to contact you.
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, down the gas light street, now
My knocking persists as I search for you down a specific street called the 'gas light street.'
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, throw me down the keys
I am asking you to throw the keys to me, possibly to enter your home or vehicle.
Alright now
I am indicating that time is of the essence, and action needs to be taken now.
Hear me ringing big bell tolls
I am making a loud noise, like a big bell, to attract your attention.
Hear me singing soft and low
I am changing tactics and trying to softly sing in the hopes of you hearing me.
I've been begging on my knees
I have resorted to begging on my knees, demonstrating the urgency of the situation.
I've been kickin', help me please
I have also tried forcefully kicking or hitting something to get your attention, but to no avail.
Hear me prowlin'
I am searching aggressively for you, like an animal on the prowl.
I'm gonna take you down
My intentions are to apprehend or catch you.
Hear me growlin'
I am making guttural sounds, like an animal, as I search for you.
Yeah, I've got flatted feet now, now, now, now
I have been walking or running for so long that my feet are sore and flat, indicating my determination to find you.
Hear me howlin'
I am making loud, mournful sounds, like a wolf, as I continue looking for you.
And all, all around your street now
My search has expanded outward and encompasses all the streets surrounding your location.
Hear me knockin'
I am still knocking, trying to get your attention and complete my mission.
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: KEITH RICHARDS, MICK JAGGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulajatherton
Rest in Peace Charlie Watts, great drummer, always elegant and without ego. End of an era.
@jessetombstone7773
Fantastic comment Paula...I can’t improve on that.
Elegant is the perfect word!!!
@pamelayandle5011
Absolutely! The backbone of RS
@lawrencefoster2120
WHAT?
@1BuckeyeRob
RIP Legend! Steve Jordan can rock too...will be hard to hear them this way tho.
@UkeleleMZL
By me, Cant You Hear Me Knocking - Ukelele - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2wNlxIFCoI - The end is amazing!
@maximpopov8651
One of the greatest guitar riffs in human history ❤️💙♥️
@mboyer68
Totally agree. I've been working on playing this for months now. It's mostly in the 7th 9th and 10th frets but he makes it sound like the entire guitar. It's complicated but sounds so simple. Lots of nuance. This live version was okay but the studio version is heavenly.
@ericlee2931
Mick Taylor
@teleman2157
Took me a month of Sundays to get that tone and the timing down