The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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, mmm, for love
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"
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Tommy's got his six string in hock, now he's holding in
When he used to make it talk so tough, ooh, it's tough
Gina dreams of running away
When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers
"Baby, it's okay, someday"
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
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Livin' on a prayer
Oh, we've gotta hold on, ready or not
You live for the fight when that's all that you've got
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh
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, mmm, for love
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"
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Tommy's got his six string in hock, now he's holding in
When he used to make it talk so tough, ooh, it's tough
Gina dreams of running away
When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers
"Baby, it's okay, someday"
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
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Livin' on a prayer
Oh, we've gotta hold on, ready or not
You live for the fight when that's all that you've got
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoa oh
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by bigthiccboi
Livin' On a Prayer Lyrics as written by Desmond Child Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I think its about 2 people who are in love, but they both are struggling in the life financially but its ok as long as they still have each other.
@quesoman Exactly what i believe
This is there best song, and Bon Jovi is my favorite band.
Nothin like "Livin on a Prayer" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" when the girls get sloppy drunk at a party, the girls get up on the table and clothes go flying... ah I love life :)
Thanks Jon, you've got me laid quite a few times with your cheesy 80s rock, I appreciate it more then you'll ever know
Me and my friend Kenny are notorious for cranking this up at any party we're at. Bon Jovi has always been one of my favorite bands and I think will forever be because there's nothing better than cheesy 80's rock that gets you pumped. Long live the Jersey pride baby!
This song is about a friend that Jon knew who got a baseball scholarship, and one day he got a call from his girlfriend saying that she was pregnant. Then Jon says the guy had to 'hang up the cleats'... I'm twelve and I know that...lol... And I got that from the story that Jon told at the MTV Video Awards in 1989.
This song is about a couple with little money, but not about them "livinon a prayer that they'll make it through the hard times'. The song is about Tommy trying to make it big with his "six-string", which as anyone with even very little knowledge about the music industry is the slang term for a guitar. And thorughout the course of the song, Gina tells Tommy "we gotta hold onto whatwe've got cause it doesnt make a difference if we make it or not for love we'll give it a shot" which says to me that whether he makes it or not they've got each other and love is really all that you need to be happy. As the beatles said "I don't care so much for money cause money can't buy me love".
I love this song even though it's cheesy 80's shit. It's obviously about a couple with little money, livin' on a prayer that they'll make it through the hard times. Maybe, Jon Bon Jovi is trying to suggest that it's autobiographical, but I'm not sure, and it doesn't matter anyway.
the acoustic version of this song is the best, check it out
so what? he's labeled as Jon Bon Jovi
this is such an amazing song, one of the best party songs, one of the better Bon Jovi songs (and aj, it's Jon Bongeovi -- the band is Bon Jovi)