“Knock on Wood” is a Classic Soul Song with a Fascinating History:

by Dan J. Harkey

Share This Article

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-KWX26Dwv8

Original Version (1966)

Written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper
Originally recorded and released by Eddie Floyd
Became a major R&B hit, reaching #1 on the R&B charts and #28 on the Billboard Hot 100
Featured the iconic Stax Records sound with its punchy horns and driving rhythm

Most Famous Cover (1979)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MFM6LMexr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKuJUxGntRI

Amii Stewart’s disco version became the most commercially successful

Reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide disco anthem
Transformed the song from Southern soul to high-energy disco

The song’s theme about gratitude and hope (“I don’t want to lose this good thing that I got”) is tied to the superstitious practice of knocking on wood, a tradition believed to ward off bad luck and reflect cultural beliefs about protection and luck.

Meet Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Giving back to the real estate community and helping others is a proven method of developing lasting and sustaining relationships and friendships.

Dan brings a wealth of knowledge spanning back to 1972. In addition to a life teaching credential, and has owned and operated a successful real estate sales company, mortgage company, escrow company, general insurance brokerage, and property management company.

Dan J. Harkey is a distinguished real estate consultant and educator who has given 350 seminars and written hundreds of insightful articles, all designed to improve the lives of his student partners.