You Give Love a Bad Name (song)
Encyclopedia
"You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi
, Desmond Child
, and Richie Sambora
about a woman
who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy
, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi
. The track was released as the first single
from the album Slippery When Wet
and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
on November 29, 1986, Bon Jovi's first number one hit. The song reentered the charts at #29 after Blake Lewis
performed it on American Idol
. In 2009 it was named the 20th-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1
.
Some critics say that the song has the same chorus structure as "If You Were A Woman And I Was A Man
" by Bonnie Tyler
. The Tyler song was also cowritten by Desmond Child. Desmond Child has stated that the song is effectively a reuse of the musical structure of the earlier song.
The album version of the song ends with the title being repeated until it fades.
Some say the song has to do with Diane Lane
's break up with Jon Bon Jovi.
It is believed to be a reuse of the subject matter or even a tribute to "Shot Through the Heart" on their 1984 debut album. Many instances exist where the songs titles are confused.
for the song used all-color concert footage (the only all-color video song from Slippery When Wet) and photogenic shots primarily of Jon Bon Jovi as well as other band members in concert. This video was filmed at the Olympic auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
singer Mandaryna
released her dance version of "You Give Love a Bad Name" as the second single from her number one album mandaryna.com2me. The song reached #1 on the Polish Singles/Airplay Chart, #11 on German Singles Chart and #5 on Austrian Airplay Charts.
In 1989 Bananarama
did a live version of this song during their World Tour
.
The song was also covered by the metalcore
band Atreyu
and is available on the Japanese Version of their 2004 album The Curse. It was covered on the Kerrang!
CD, High Voltage. It is frequently played during their shows even though it was voted one of the year's biggest rock atrocities in Total Guitar
.
The song was made playable in the music video game, GuitarFreaks
6th Mix/Drummania
5th Mix, as well as Lego Rock Band
, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
, and Guitar Hero 5
. The Guitar Hero version retains the original studio ending with no fade out, with a song length of 4:07. The song was released as downloadable content for Rock Band 3
on November 9, 2010.
Dwight Schrute plays this song in The Office on a recorder
.
In the How I Met Your Mother
episode "The Limo", Barney Stinson plays this song as part of his Get Psyched Mix and can also be seen on his blog.
The song was used as background music in the Fall/Winter 2006 Christian Dior
goth-metal-rock-themed ready-to-wear
fashion show.
In an issue of Thunderbolts
, Deadpool
starts singing the song after literally being "shot through the heart" by Black Widow.
The song was featured in the "Youth in Revolt" trailer.
KickBend evokes the "angel's smile" lyric in their song "Gone'" from the album faith.hope.love (2009).
Cultural icon Scooter Livingston maintains that the song was written about his ex-girlfriend Pam Hardy. "It fits her perfectly," he says.
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...
, Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
, 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...
about a woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy
Loverboy
Loverboy is a Canadian rock group formed in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the 1980s, the band accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records...
, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi
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...
. The track was released as the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album 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"...
and hit 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...
on November 29, 1986, Bon Jovi's first number one hit. The song reentered the charts at #29 after Blake Lewis
Blake Lewis
Blake Colin Lewis is an American singer-songwriter and beatboxer who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released....
performed it on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. In 2009 it was named the 20th-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1
VH1
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...
.
Composition
The song was written with several catchy repeated lines and associated hooks to appeal to mainstream audiences including the chorus as well as several bridges.Some critics say that the song has the same chorus structure as "If You Were A Woman And I Was A Man
If You Were a Woman and I Was a Man
"If You Were a Woman " is a song that was written and composed by Desmond Child and recorded by Bonnie Tyler.Produced by Jim Steinman, the dramatic, rock-leaning song was released as the first single from her 1986 album Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire...
" by Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
. The Tyler song was also cowritten by Desmond Child. Desmond Child has stated that the song is effectively a reuse of the musical structure of the earlier song.
The album version of the song ends with the title being repeated until it fades.
Some say the song has to do with Diane Lane
Diane Lane
Diane Lane is an American film actress.Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at the age of 13 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film A Little Romance, starring opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. Soon after, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine...
's break up with Jon Bon Jovi.
It is believed to be a reuse of the subject matter or even a tribute to "Shot Through the Heart" on their 1984 debut album. Many instances exist where the songs titles are confused.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song used all-color concert footage (the only all-color video song from Slippery When Wet) and photogenic shots primarily of Jon Bon Jovi as well as other band members in concert. This video was filmed at the Olympic auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
Other versions
In 2005, PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
singer Mandaryna
Mandaryna
Marta Katarzyna Wiktoria Wiśniewska a.k.a. Mandaryna, born in Łódź 12 March 1978 as Marta Mandrykiewicz is a Polish singer, dancer and actress.- Career :...
released her dance version of "You Give Love a Bad Name" as the second single from her number one album mandaryna.com2me. The song reached #1 on the Polish Singles/Airplay Chart, #11 on German Singles Chart and #5 on Austrian Airplay Charts.
In 1989 Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
did a live version of this song during their World Tour
World Tour (Bananarama)
The World Tour is the second concert tour by British girl group, Bananarama. The first tour was a "warm up" under the name of "Lovekids Tour 1988" and was only performed in Japan...
.
The song was also covered by the metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
and is available on the Japanese Version of their 2004 album The Curse. It was covered on the 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...
CD, High Voltage. It is frequently played during their shows even though it was voted one of the year's biggest rock atrocities in Total Guitar
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
.
In pop culture
Ranked Number 20 in VH1's "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs".The song was made playable in the music video game, GuitarFreaks
GuitarFreaks
is a music video game series produced by Konami. The player uses a controller to simulate the playing of an electric guitar. The game consists of music predominantly from rock and roll and J-Pop genres, and is now in its 19th version, GuitarFreaks V8, which was released in March 28, 2011...
6th Mix/Drummania
DrumMania
is a music video game series produced by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., where colored notes travel down the screen which correspond with color coded parts of an electronic drum set...
5th Mix, as well as Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band is a music video game and part of the Rock Band series developed by Harmonix Music Systems, but also incorporates elements from other Lego video games as developed by Traveller's Tales. The game is published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games...
, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
Guitar Hero: On Tour series
Guitar Hero: On Tour is a series of music video games based on the Guitar Hero series for the Nintendo DS handheld game system. The series is developed by Vicarious Visions and distributed by RedOctane and Activision...
, and Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
. The Guitar Hero version retains the original studio ending with no fade out, with a song length of 4:07. The song was released as downloadable content for Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
on November 9, 2010.
Dwight Schrute plays this song in The Office on a recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
.
In the How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
episode "The Limo", Barney Stinson plays this song as part of his Get Psyched Mix and can also be seen on his blog.
The song was used as background music in the Fall/Winter 2006 Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
goth-metal-rock-themed ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is the term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame. Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items which are not clothing.Ready-to-wear has...
fashion show.
In an issue of Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
, Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
starts singing the song after literally being "shot through the heart" by Black Widow.
The song was featured in the "Youth in Revolt" trailer.
KickBend evokes the "angel's smile" lyric in their song "Gone'" from the album faith.hope.love (2009).
Cultural icon Scooter Livingston maintains that the song was written about his ex-girlfriend Pam Hardy. "It fits her perfectly," he says.
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Polish Singles Chart | 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... |
1 |
| German Singles Chart | 11 |
| Austrian Airplay Charts | 5 |