Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer

“Livin’ On A Prayer” is a single released on October 31, 1986, from their third album Slippery When Wet. The music video was filmed on September 17, 1986, at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and was directed by Wayne Isham.

The follow up to Bon Jovi’s #1 hit “You Give Love A Bad Name,” this song tells the story of Tommy and Gina, two kids working to make it on their own despite constant hardships. It struck a chord with America’s youth, especially the ones from New Jersey. The characters in the song relate to the working-class fans Bon Jovi played to: Tommy works on the docks, while Gina works in a diner (of which there are many in Jersey).

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote this with Desmond Child, a prolific songwriter who was brought in by the record company to give them a more commercial sound like he did for Kiss on “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.”

The characters Tommy and Gina were based on a real life situation Desmond encountered in the late ’70s with his then-girlfriend, Maria Vidal, whom he was living with. According to the notes in his Desmond Child & Rouge: Runners In The Night album, Desmond was a New York taxi cab driver and Maria was a singing waitress in a diner. Vidal was nicknamed Gina by her fellow employees due to a physical resemblance to Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida.

On VH1’s The Greatest Songs of the ’80s special, this was voted the best song of the decade.

“Tommy” in this song was originally “Johnny,” named for Desmond Child’s birth name, John Barrett, and because it alliterated with “Gina.” That name was too on-the-nose for Jon Bon Jovi, so they made it Tommy.

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Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer (Official Music Video)04:09

Lyrics

Once upon a time not so long ago
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 working for her man
She brings home her pay, for love, for love
She says, we’ve got to 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
Woah, we’re half way there
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Tommy’s got his six-string in hock
Now he’s holding in what he used to make it talk
So tough, it’s tough
Gina dreams of running away
When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers
Baby, it’s okay, someday
We’ve got to 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
Woah, we’re half way there
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Livin’ on a prayer
Oh, we’ve got to hold on, ready or not
You live for the fight when it’s all that you’ve got
Woah, we’re half way there
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Woah, we’re half way there
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Woah, we’re half way there
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear
Woah, livin’ on a prayer

Songwriters: Desmond Child / Jon Bon Jovi / Richard S Sambora
Livin’ on a Prayer lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

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