by Terri Gibbs · 2024
The song “Somebody’s Knockin'” by Terri Gibbs is about a woman struggling with temptation, personified as the devil in the form of an alluring stranger, and her internal conflict over whether to give in to his seductive advances.
This song has been Shazamed over 143,344 times. As of this writing, Somebody’s Knockin’ is ranked 198
Somebody’s Knockin” by Terri Gibbs is a song about temptation, mystery, and the internal struggle between right and wrong. We’ll break down the lyrics, the mood, and what makes this classic tune so unforgettable. ⬇️
The song’s atmosphere is thick with nighttime intrigue, like an old movie where shadows dance on the wall and every creak in the house could mean trouble. Gibbs crafts a world where desire and danger quietly mingle, her voice trembling between curiosity and caution.
The chorus—”Somebody’s knockin’, should I let him in? Lord, it’s the Devil, would you look at him?”—hits like a shiver down the spine. We’re thrown right into that split-second decision: do we open the door to what’s tempting us, even if we know it’s risky? The Devil here isn’t some horned monster, but a blue-eyed stranger in blue jeans, proving that sometimes, trouble looks awfully charming.
In the verses, details sneak in: “He must have tapped my telephone line, he must have known I’m spendin’ my time alone.” Suddenly, loneliness becomes a doorway, and temptation takes the form of flirtatious whispers and late-night invitations. There’s a feverish push-pull—she’s getting weaker as temptation grows stronger, and the ordinary becomes charged with possibility and peril.
At its core, the song is a clever metaphor for the seductive power of the forbidden, dressing up age-old anxieties in denim and a dazzling smile. It’s the classic tug-of-war between yearning and conscience, where the Devil’s not outside in the cold, but tapping right at the threshold of our wants and weaknesses.
So, Terri Gibbs leaves us with that haunting question echoing in our heads: when somebody’s knockin’, will we open the door, or keep it firmly shut?
Writer(s) of Somebody’s Knockin’: Edward Joseph, Jr. Penney, Jerry Gillespie
