Livin’ On A Prayer
Bon Jovi * Track #3 On Slippery When Wet
Download "Livin’ On A Prayer"
Album Slippery When Wet
Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
Release Date
Performed by
Bon JoviProduced by
Bruce FairbairnWrited by
Desmond Child & Richie Sambora & Jon Bon JoviAbout
According to co-writer Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi originally considered not including “Living On A Prayer” on the band’s third album Slippery When Wet:
After Bon Jovi did the demo, Jon wasn’t sure about putting it on the album because he felt it was a bit sentimental and didn’t fit with the hard-e...
Livin’ On A Prayer Lyrics
[Intro]
Once upon a time, not so long ago
[Verse 1]
Tommy used to work on the docks
Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck
It's tough
So tough
Gina works the diner all day
Workin' for her man, she brings home her pay
For love
Mm, for love
[Pre-Chorus]
She says, "We've gotta hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We've got each other and that's a lot for love
We'll give it a shot"
[Chorus]
Woah, we're halfway there
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
[Verse 2]
Tommy's got his six-string in hock
Now he's holdin' in, when he used to make it talk
So tough
Ooh, it's tough
Gina dreams of runnin' away
When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers
"Baby, it's okay
Someday"
[Pre-Chorus]
We've gotta hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We've got each other and that's a lot for love
We'll give it a shot
[Chorus]
Woah, we're halfway there
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer, livin' on a prayer
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge]
Ooh, we gotta hold on, ready or not
You live for the fight when that's all that you've got
[Chorus]
Woah, we're halfway there
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Woah, we're halfway there
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Woah, we're halfway there
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer
Livin’ On A Prayer Q&A
Who wrote Livin’ On A Prayer's ?
Livin’ On A Prayer was written by Desmond Child & Richie Sambora & Jon Bon Jovi.
Who produced Livin’ On A Prayer's ?
Livin’ On A Prayer was produced by Bruce Fairbairn.
When did Bon Jovi release Livin’ On A Prayer?
Bon Jovi released Livin’ On A Prayer on Fri Oct 31 1986.
Who are Tommy and Gina?
They are two fictional characters struggling to make ends meet and are having a tough time coping with it; one might even consider them “faith departed.”
Lead vocalist Jon Bon Jovi talks about how many people internalized the characters; that wasn’t his intention. Watch he explain it more in this 2...
Are Tommy & Gina mentioned in any other Bon Jovi's songs?
Yes.
Bon Jovi alludes to them in three other songs:
1) “It’s My Life”, in which the band gives a shoutout to the “faith departed,” and later includes these lyrics:
This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down
2) “99 in the Shade”
Somebody tells me even T...
What did Bon Jovi say about "Livin’ On A Prayer"?
In a 2014 interview with The Tennesseean, Desmond Child said,
We started writing this story song about Tommy and Gina … I think that each person, there was something autobiographical. For Jon with his relationship with [his wife] Dorothea, because they were high-school sweethearts. In my case, I ha...