The story of one song - "Living On A Prayer" from the legendary Bon Jovi
Содержание
"Living On A Prayer" is a legendary Bon Jovi hit from their third album Slippery When Wet! The song is credited to three pals: Jon Bon Jovi himself, guitarist Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. "Living On A Prayer" was released as a single in 1986 and instantly captivated audiences of all ages and musical preferences! It became a big hit on both pop and rock radio, and its music video was widely distributed on MTV! Even after decades, this composition does not cease to get into various world charts and ratings of the best songs... What is the secret of success of the hit of the 80s? Let's find out!
Background and prerequisites
The most interesting and at the same time sad thing is that this hit could never have happened! The original version of this song (which today can be found on the 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong compilation) was rejected by Bon Jovi... However, the situation was saved by Richie Sambora: he convinced the band leader that it was a great record that just needed a little reworking. And thankfully they did!
https://youtu.be/uAMJpKjoVB4
The story of the famous hit originates in the New York flat of Child, a famous American musician, songwriter and producer: it was there that Sambora, Bon Jovi and guest Desmond Child composed the insightful story of Tommy and Gina, which left no listener indifferent... Child would later say:
"Each of us made this song autobiographical in our own way... For me, it's about me and Maria Vidal, my first girlfriend, with whom we founded Desmond Child & Rouge: I remember sitting at home for days on end writing songs, while she worked as a waitress to give us something to live for... For John, the song epitomises his and Dorothy's relationship, which started in high school..."
The lyrical meaning of the composition...
Living On A Prayer" tells the touching story of a couple in love - Tommy and Gina: both working class, both dreaming of a better life... But, as is often the case in real life, our heroes are forced to make ends meet... The song is even more poignant given that its plot is inspired by real events... Notably, Gina was inspired by Child's first girlfriend: The song's heroine got her name because of Maria's external resemblance to Italian actress and photographer Gina Lollobrigida.
"This song tells the story of Tommy and Gina, two teenagers who face life's adversities but never stop believing in a bright future... Their great love and ambition help them through it all. And these characters really epitomise real people, as well as their destinies based on real events..." - Bon Jovi notes. The Bon Jovi leader also added that the song was written during the Reagan era... The music video for "Living On A Prayer" was filmed in California, at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Towards the end of the song's performance, Bon Jovi literally soars above the crowd...
This song became an instant hit. It remains so to this day... And - "Living On A Prayer" is loved by everyone: children and old people, women and men... But what is the secret of success? One of the songwriters, Richie Sambora, shares his guesses:
"I think it's all about the message, the meaning, the story that is close to each person... It's a very sincere song, and what it's about is familiar to a lot of people... This is our first song where we used real characters... Tommy and Gina remind me of my parents: they were hard workers too, and sometimes - we hardly had enough money... And this Tommy and Gina can be anyone! Everyone goes through difficult stages in life, but only faith in each other can lead you to the desired result...".
Graduation and worldwide success!
"Living On A Prayer" was released as a single towards the end of 1986: the track instantly caught the attention of the general public, and very soon became the number one song in seven countries! Subsequently, the song about Tommy and Gina became an integral attribute of Bon Jovi's live performances. Already in the new century this hit was included in many prestigious lists, such as "100 greatest songs of the 80's" according to VH1 or "greatest rock hits" according to All time. Later, "Living On A Prayer" became available for download: as of November 2014, almost 3.5 million digital copies have been sold in the States alone... And that's after so many years since its release... Today, "Living On A Prayer" is often referred to as one of the key tracks in music history.
Interesting facts
- "Living On A Prayer" is not the only song with Tommy and Gina! The much-loved characters will also appear in "It's My Life" from 2000....
- After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, Bon Jovi performed an acoustic version of "Living On A Prayer", and a year later the famous composition was performed at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
- In autumn 2013, the 80s hit conquered the Billboard Hot 100 once again: the upbeat track made its way steadily to No. 25 on the chart...
