Every day, I wake up with my back against the wall
Anytime, you get up someone wants to see you fall
If you’re afraid to lose it all, you’re never gonna win
I’ll be giving you the finger
Sticking out my chin
Boom, boom, boom
Here comes the boom, boom, boom
Here comes the knockout
My time is right now
Turning your lights out
I’m throwing down
Here comes the knockout
Until the last round
I’m throwing down
Go start a fire, go start a fight
No regrets, this is your life (Hey!)
Here comes the knockout
My time is right now
I’m throwing down
Are you living in a nightmare?
Are you living in a dream?
Do you stand for something?
Will you fall for anything?
It’s easier to count me out, but you can count me in
‘Cause I’m giving you the finger
And sticking out my chin
Boom, boom, boom
Here comes the boom, boom, boom
Here comes the knockout
My time is right now
Turning your lights out
I’m throwing down
Here comes the knockout
Until the last round
I’m throwing down
Go start a fire, go start a fight
No regrets, this is your life (Hey!)
Here comes the knockout
My time is right now
I’m throwing down, down, down
Down, down
Throwing down, down, down
Down, down
Did you really live your life
Or did it pass you by?
What’s it take to tell yourself
You really were alive
Look me in the eye
Here comes the knockout
My time is right now
Turning your lights out
I’m throwing down
Here comes the knockout
Until the last round
I’m throwing down
Go start a fire, go start a fight
No regrets, this is your life (Hey!)
Here comes the knockout
My time is right now
I’m throwing down
Resilience and Defiance: The Spirit of “Knockout”
Bon Jovi’s “Knockout” is a high-energy anthem that channels the spirit of resilience and unyielding determination. The lyrics evoke the feeling of being perpetually challenged—waking up with your “back against the wall”—and the relentless pressure to defend oneself from critics or adversaries. Yet, at its core, the song is about refusing to be counted out. Phrases like “giving you the finger” and “sticking out my chin” illustrate a bold, rebellious attitude, while the repeated “boom, boom, boom” and “here comes the knockout” reinforce a sense of unstoppable momentum. The call to “start a fire, go start a fight” is less about violence and more about seizing life with passion and living without regrets, urging listeners to take control and live authentically.
Song Credits
Artist: Bon Jovi
Release Year: 2016
Label: Island Records
Songwriters: Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon