The Surprising Meaning of Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’

One of the most overexposed classic rock songs ever is Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” — and yet, some fans miss its meaning. Jon Bon Jovi revealed the tune was inspired by one of the defining political ideas of the 1980s. On top of that, “Livin’ on a Prayer” was influenced by the singer’s romantic life.

How Ronald Reagan inspired Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’

On the surface, “Livin’ on a Prayer” is a song about a couple trying to make a life for themselves while they don’t have much money. It’s easy to understand the tune as a simple self-empowerment anthem. However, Jon Bon Jovi himself connected it to the political milieu of the 1980s.

The BBC reports that the singer said “Livin’ on a Prayer” was about the economic policies of President Ronald Reagan. “I wrote that song during the Reagan era and the trickle-down economics are really inspirational to writing songs,” he said. Despite this, Bon Jovi did not consider “Livin’ on a Prayer” to be a protest song. That’s not surprising considering that protest songs were more of a 1960s phenomenon than a 1980s phenomenon.

Jon Bon Jovi’s wife inspired the song too

“Livin’ on a Prayer” was co-written by Desmond Child, a songwriter known for writing classic rock songs such as Kiss’ “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” Alice Cooper’s “Poison,” and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” During a 2014 interview with The Tennessean, Child was asked if the song’s narrative was autobiographical. “Well, to me,” he replied.

“But I think that each person, there was something autobiographical — for Jon with his relationship with [wife] Dorothea, because they were high school sweethearts,” he added. “In my case, I had a girlfriend that I started my first band [with], called Desmond Child & Rouge. Her name was Maria Vidal. I stayed home writing songs, and she worked as a waitress at a place called Once Upon a Stove. They called her Gina because she reminded them of Gina Lollobrigida. So we started the song off with Johnny and Gina because Johnny was my original name. 

“And (Jon) said, ‘I can’t be singing about Johnny. My name’s Johnny,'” Child recalled. “It was like, ‘OK … Tommy then. Tommy and Gina.’ And that’s where Tommy and Gina were born.” The use of specific names in the song is a small touch but it makes the tune’s narrative feel more realistic.

‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ was a monster hit

“Livin’ on a Prayer” became one of the biggest hits of Bon Jovi’s career. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. None of the band’s other No. 1 singles topped the chart as long as “Livin’ on a Prayer” did.

The tune appeared on the album Slippery When Wet. That album topped the Billboard 200 for eight weeks, lasting on the chart for 118 weeks. The album produced two more top 10 hits: “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” remain some of the band’s most well-known songs.

Everyone knows “Livin’ on a Prayer” is a fun rock song but not everybody knows that it has an interesting political edge.