Knock on Wood is a 1966 soul song by Eddie Floyd, written with Steve Cropper. It was released as a single by Stax on July 25, 1966, and later became the title track of Floyd’s debut album Knock on Wood (1967). The track was recorded July 13, 1966 at Stax Studios in Memphis with Booker T. & the MG’s and Isaac Hayes, produced by Jim Stewart. The song’s story comes from a Lorraine Motel writing session during a thunderstorm, with lyrics that compare love to thunder and lightning and vow to keep the romance alive by knocking on wood. It was originally written for Otis Redding, who turned it down, so Floyd recorded it himself. The single reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Soul Singles chart, later earning a Gold certification in 1995. It has been covered by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas (1967), David Bowie (1974), and Amii Stewart (1979), whose disco version became a global hit.
