Livin' on a Prayer
Encyclopedia
"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's
second single from their Slippery When Wet
album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi
and Richie Sambora
with Desmond Child
, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation
at MTV
, giving the band their first #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The single also became Bon Jovi's second consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100
hit and has become the band's signature song
, topping fan-voted lists and re-charting around the world decades after its release.
The album version of the song fades out at the end, with a song length of 4:10. However, the version playable on the music video games Guitar Hero World Tour
and Rock Band 2
retains the original studio ending of the song, where the band revisit the intro riff and end with a talkbox solo. This version of the song ends at 4:53.
The song is also featured in the 2001 movie Rock Star
. The song was sung by Sri & David to a sold out house at Mint in San Francisco on 8/20/2011.
did not like the original recording of this song, which can be found as a hidden track
on 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong. Richie Sambora
convinced him the song was good, and they reworked it with a new bass line, different drum fills and the use of a talk box
to include it on their Slippery When Wet album. The song's verse melody closely resembles the verse melody of the song "Venus" by the band Shocking Blue
. It spent two weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
, from January 31–February 14, 1987, and four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100
, from February 14–March 7. It also hit number four on the UK singles chart
.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks
— in which New Jersey
was the second-hardest hit state after New York
, suffering hundreds of casualties among both WTC
workers and first responders—the band performed an acoustic version of this song for The Concert for New York City
. Bon Jovi performed a similar version as part of the special America: A Tribute to Heroes
.
's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. More recently, in New Zealand
, "Livin' on a Prayer" was #1 on the C4 music channel show's "U Choose 40", on the 80's Icons list. It was also #1 on the "Sing-a-long Classics List". After Bon Jovi performed in New Zealand on January 28, 2008 while on their Lost Highway Tour
, the song re-entered the official New Zealand RIANZ singles chart at number 24, over twenty years after the initial release.
Australian music TV channel MAX placed this song at #18 on their 2008 countdown "Rock Songs: Top 100". In 2009, the song returned to the charts in the UK, notably hitting the number-one spot on the UK Rock Chart
.
In 2010 the song was chosen in an online vote on the Grammy.com website over the group's more recent hits "Always
" and "It's My Life
" to be played live by the band on the 52nd Grammy Awards
telecast.
In the Billboard Hot 100 Anniversary 50, "Livin' on a Prayer" was named as 46 in the All time rock songs.
couple, Tommy and Gina, who struggle to make ends meet and maintain their relationship. Tommy "used to work on the docks" because "union's been on strike, he's down on his luck". Gina works at a diner, "workin' for her man".
While some have loosely interpreted the lyrics to be anti-labor, inferring that the striking labor union are the catalyst for the troubled chain of events for Tommy and Gina, others have pointed out that the song does not clarify the circumstances behind the strike, and the lone, vague reference does not equate with an anti-union political message. In fact, Jon Bon Jovi explained that he "wrote that song during the Reagan
era (1980-1988) and the trickle-down economics
are really inspirational to writing songs".
In the beginning of the video, Jon Bon Jovi has a harness attached, and later in the music video he soars over the crowd via overhead wires.
The music video was recorded at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles
, California
and was directed by Wayne Isham
.
series and a re-recorded version of the song, "Prayer '94", which appeared on U.S. versions of their Cross Road
hits collection. But the song has had a life of its own beyond the band, particularly in several dance music incarnations. The Audition recorded a version for Kerrang!
's CD Higher Voltage (June 7). Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered this song for their 2008 album Undeniable
. Stellar Kart
covered the song for their 2005 album All Gas. No Brake.
It has also been covered by Philmore
.
The song was sung by the female members of the Glee
cast as a mash-up with "Start Me Up
" by The Rolling Stones
for the episode "Never Been Kissed
."
Sophie Habibis covered the song during 'Rock Week' on the Eighth Series
of X Factor UK.
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
second single from their Slippery When Wet
Slippery When Wet
Slippery When Wet is the third studio album by Bon Jovi, released in August 1986 by Vertigo Records. Slippery When Wet was an instant commercial success. The album features songs that are today considered as Bon Jovi's most well-known tracks such as "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer"...
album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
and Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
with Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation
Heavy rotation
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time, however they are not completely shuffled, so as to avoid playing the same song again too...
at MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, giving the band their first #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The single also became Bon Jovi's second consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit and has become the band's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
, topping fan-voted lists and re-charting around the world decades after its release.
The album version of the song fades out at the end, with a song length of 4:10. However, the version playable on the music video games Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
and Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
retains the original studio ending of the song, where the band revisit the intro riff and end with a talkbox solo. This version of the song ends at 4:53.
The song is also featured in the 2001 movie Rock Star
Rock Star (2001 film)
Rock Star is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek and starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. It tells the story of Chris "Izzy" Cole, a tribute band singer whose ascendance to the position of lead vocalist of his favorite band was inspired by the real-life story of Tim...
. The song was sung by Sri & David to a sold out house at Mint in San Francisco on 8/20/2011.
Song history
Jon Bon JoviJon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
did not like the original recording of this song, which can be found as a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
on 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong. Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
convinced him the song was good, and they reworked it with a new bass line, different drum fills and the use of a talk box
Talk box
A talk box is an effects unit that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of the mouth...
to include it on their Slippery When Wet album. The song's verse melody closely resembles the verse melody of the song "Venus" by the band Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue
Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
. It spent two weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
, from January 31–February 14, 1987, and four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, from February 14–March 7. It also hit number four on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
— in which New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
was the second-hardest hit state after New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, suffering hundreds of casualties among both WTC
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
workers and first responders—the band performed an acoustic version of this song for The Concert for New York City
The Concert for New York City
The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert, featuring many famous musicians, that took place on October 20, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks...
. Bon Jovi performed a similar version as part of the special America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert created by the heads of the four broadcast networks. Joel Gallen was selected by them to produce and run the show Joel Gallen. Actor George Clooney wrangled the celebrities to performed and to man the telephone bank . The marketing and public...
.
Enduring success
In 2006, online voters rated "Livin' on a Prayer" #1 on VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. More recently, in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, "Livin' on a Prayer" was #1 on the C4 music channel show's "U Choose 40", on the 80's Icons list. It was also #1 on the "Sing-a-long Classics List". After Bon Jovi performed in New Zealand on January 28, 2008 while on their Lost Highway Tour
Lost Highway Tour
The Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi, that took place from October 2007 to July 2008 in support of their tenth studio album Lost Highway...
, the song re-entered the official New Zealand RIANZ singles chart at number 24, over twenty years after the initial release.
Australian music TV channel MAX placed this song at #18 on their 2008 countdown "Rock Songs: Top 100". In 2009, the song returned to the charts in the UK, notably hitting the number-one spot on the UK Rock Chart
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
.
In 2010 the song was chosen in an online vote on the Grammy.com website over the group's more recent hits "Always
Always (Bon Jovi song)
"Always" is a power ballad by Bon Jovi. It was released as a single from their 1994 album, Cross Road and went on to become their best selling single, with 1.5 million copies sold in the U.S. and more than 3 million worldwide. The song reached #4 in the U.S...
" and "It's My Life
It's My Life (Bon Jovi song)
"It's My Life" is Bon Jovi's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin. The song hit #1 across several countries...
" to be played live by the band on the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
telecast.
In the Billboard Hot 100 Anniversary 50, "Livin' on a Prayer" was named as 46 in the All time rock songs.
Lyrical interpretation
The song is about a fictional working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
couple, Tommy and Gina, who struggle to make ends meet and maintain their relationship. Tommy "used to work on the docks" because "union's been on strike, he's down on his luck". Gina works at a diner, "workin' for her man".
While some have loosely interpreted the lyrics to be anti-labor, inferring that the striking labor union are the catalyst for the troubled chain of events for Tommy and Gina, others have pointed out that the song does not clarify the circumstances behind the strike, and the lone, vague reference does not equate with an anti-union political message. In fact, Jon Bon Jovi explained that he "wrote that song during the Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
era (1980-1988) and the trickle-down economics
Trickle-down economics
"Trickle-down economics" and "the trickle-down theory" are terms used in United States politics to refer to the idea that tax breaks or other economic benefits provided by government to businesses and the wealthy will benefit poorer members of society by improving the economy as a whole...
are really inspirational to writing songs".
Music video
The video for the song features shots of the band rehearsing, then playing in front of a crowd. The first half of the video, featuring the rehearsal footage, is black and white, and the second half of the video, performing to the arena audience, is in color.In the beginning of the video, Jon Bon Jovi has a harness attached, and later in the music video he soars over the crowd via overhead wires.
The music video was recorded at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was directed by Wayne Isham
Wayne Isham
Wayne Isham is an American music video director who has directed music videos of many popular artists; such as Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Roxette, Mötley Crüe, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Whitesnake, David Cook, Simple Plan, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys,...
.
Covers
Bon Jovi have themselves reworked the song several times, including an acoustic live version that served as a precursor to the MTV UnpluggedMTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
series and a re-recorded version of the song, "Prayer '94", which appeared on U.S. versions of their Cross Road
Cross Road
Cross Road is a greatest hits compilation released by the American band Bon Jovi in 1994. The album contains hits from between Bon Jovi and Keep The Faith and two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer"...
hits collection. But the song has had a life of its own beyond the band, particularly in several dance music incarnations. The Audition recorded a version for Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
's CD Higher Voltage (June 7). Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered this song for their 2008 album Undeniable
Undeniable (Chipmunks album)
Undeniable is a 2008 album by The Chipmunks. Its release was connected to the version of the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise from the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks, but contains no music from the film...
. Stellar Kart
Stellar Kart
Stellar Kart is a Christian pop punk band from Phoenix, Arizona, USA . The band is signed to INO Records and released its first album in February 2005. Some of the singles from their debut album, All Gas. No Brake - including "Finish Last" and "Life Is Good" - have been played on Christian radio...
covered the song for their 2005 album All Gas. No Brake.
All Gas. No Brake.
All Gas. No Brake. is the first album released by Stellar Kart.- Track listing :# "Student Driver" – 2:34# "Second Chances" – 2:14# "Come Back Home" – 3:58# "Spending Time" – 2:50# "Livin' on a Prayer" – 3:09...
It has also been covered by Philmore
Philmore
Philmore was a Christian rock band that formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the late 1990s. At one point they were known for their t-shirts that said “Philmore is an OK band.” The lead singer, Justin Greiman, was also the lead guitarist; his guitar had the Union Jack on it . His brother Kayle played bass...
.
The song was sung by the female members of the Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
cast as a mash-up with "Start Me Up
Start Me Up
"Start Me Up" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on the 1981 album Tattoo You. Released as the album's lead single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the UK Singles Chart.-Writing and recording:...
" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
for the episode "Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed (Glee)
"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys...
."
Sophie Habibis covered the song during 'Rock Week' on the Eighth Series
The X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
of X Factor UK.
Chart performance
| Chart (1986-) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
4 |
| New Zealand RIANZ | 24 |