Much More Music: Jon Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer (1987)

I suppose it's a guilty pleasure of sorts. I actually liked Bon Jovi probably up until somewhat after the release of the New Jersey album (which was still a good album, in my opinion).

What I didn't like was when some local concert producer brought Bon Jovi over here in the early- or mid-90's (probably even on two different occasions, not sure), and milked their commercial success for all its worth. So you heard them everywhere- not just radio stations and music video channels, but also on noontime TV. You know a song's getting dangerously over-exposed once its hit noontime TV- especially in the form of a contest, or a recurring theme or something.

In any case, "Livin' On A Prayer" remains as one of the greatest rock anthems to come out of the eighties. It was the second single released from the Slippery When Wet album- Bon Jovi's third album (if I'm not mistaken). Originally, the album cover was supposed to feature a close-up shot of a pair of -well, wet and slippery female breasts, which was apparently inspired by the group's visit to a stripclub at some point.

At least that was the idea until some government moral board found out about it, and so in the interest of sales, Slippery When Wet had since then, graced a more decent album cover than the aforementioned female mammaries- giving us the album cover we know so well these days.

So here's "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi- lyrics, music vid, and a whole lot of fun. Enjoy!

Bon Jovi
"Livin' On A Prayer" (1987) 
Em C D ...

(Once upon a time, not so long ago ....)

Em                                 Em/F# (022002)
Tommy used to work on the docks
Em
Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck
  C      D           Em
It's tough,   so tough.

Gina works the dinner all day
Working for her man, she brings home her pay
For love, for love.

                   C   D                Em
She says we've got to hold on to what we've got.
C                 D                           Em
It doesn't make a diff'rence if we make it or not.
   C        D                 Em        C
We've got each other and that's a lot, for love.
  D
We'll give it a shot.

Em  C           D           G                 D7sus4
Woooh, we're halfway there, wo-oh, livin' on a prayer.
Em       C          D
Take my hand we'll make it, I swear
G  C  D7sus4
Wo-oh, livin' on a prayer

Tommy's got his six string in hock,
now he's holding in, when he used to make it talk
So tough, it's so tough.

Gina dreams of running away
She cries in the night, Tommy whispers:
Baby it's okay, someday.

                   C   D                Em
She says we've got to hold on to what we've got.
C                 D                           Em
It doesn't make a diff'rence if we make it or not.
   C        D                 Em        C
We've got each other and that's a lot, for love.
  D
We'll give it a shot.


Em  C           D           G                 D7sus4
Woooh, we're halfway there, wo-oh, livin' on a prayer.
Em       C          D
Take my hand we'll make it, I swear
G  C  D7sus4
Wo-oh, livin' on a prayer
C
Livin' on a prayer.


Solo: Em, C, D, G, C, D ...


Em                    C   D             Em D
Oo-oh, we've got to hold on, ready or not
  C                           D
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.


Bb   Eb        Fsus4     F
Woooooh, we're half ---- way there
Bb   Eb  F7sus4
Wo---oh, livin' on a prayer
Gm      Eb             F
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Bb  Eb F7sus4
Wo-oh, livin on a prayer

For more information on Bon Jovi, get to know the band more on their official website here, or read more about them on Wikipedia. Cheers!