If you grew up listening to Bon Jovi in the 80s, you probably remember one of their best songs from that time, Livin’ on a Prayer. This song went on to become the band’s signature song. It was released in 1986 and this quote is part of the chorus of the song. It’s very catchy and was one of my favorites growing up.
One of the interesting sounds in this song is in the beginning of the song. If you watched the video above, it begins at 0:23. This sound is made with a talkbox. In the song, the guitarist, Richie Sambora has the talkbox attached to his guitar. The guitar sound goes through the talkbox, which has a speaker and amplifier. A tube is attached to the box and the guitar signal runs up it. Richie then puts the tube into his mouth and is able to create the guitar sound we hear by using various shapes of his lips. The sound is then fed through a regular microphone.
Livin’ on a Prayer was written by Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. What I love about it is the idea of being down on your luck and just having each other. It reminds me of my husband and I went we first met. We were both really young, broke and we always joked that we would just live on love because it was all we really had.
Interestingly, this is more of a semi-autobiographical story about Desmond Child than Jon or Richie. Although Jon married his high school sweetheart and has been married to her since 1989 – which is refreshing. More Hollywood marriages fail than last. But about Desmond.
The song tells a tale of a couple named Tommy and Gina who struggle to make ends meet. When Desmond had his first band, Desmond Child & Rouge, he had a girlfriend named Maria. Her coworkers called her Gina because she reminded them of the Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida. She worked as a waitress at a restaurant named Once Upon a Stove. Desmond was trying to pave his way as a musician and would spend most of his time writing songs and practicing. Originally the song was about Johnny and Gina. But Jon said he couldn’t use the name Johnny, so Desmond switched it to Tommy.
I think many of us can relate to going through financial hardships. And pursuing our passions, even when our financial situations didn’t align with doing so. When you have the right person or people around you, you feel more hopeful that you will be able to make it through it okay. And it’s because they are there with you, fighting the fight.
