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 at a diner all day
Working for her man
She brings home her pay
For love, 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

Oh, they're halfway there
Oh, living on a prayer
Take my hand
We'll make it I swear
Oh, living 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, it's tough
Gina dreams of running away
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

Oh, they're halfway there
Oh, living on a prayer
Take my hand
We'll make it I swear
Oh, living on a prayer
Living 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

Oh, they're halfway there
Oh, living on a prayer
Take my hand
And we'll make it I swear
Oh, living on a prayer
[repeat to end]



Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 04:11


Livin' On A Prayer song meanings
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74 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning: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.
    Flag callowaydon July 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:If you're from Jersey, you can't call yourself a true New Jerseyan if you don't have this song on your iPod. It's not just one of their best songs, it ranks up their alltime songs. The kind everyone knows when they hear the introduction.
    Flagged YankeeCowboy92on January 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:deep just deep
    Flag tipkidon November 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I remember hearing this song when I was just a little person. It makes me smile to hear it. Nice song...
    Flag BrokenPuppeton August 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:wow bon jovi sung it in 2 versions - fast one and slow one. lyric differ little.
    Flag agoonon June 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is my ultimate favorite 80s song ever!!!!!! They are absolutely fantastic! =]
    Flag aimeeurie55on March 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning: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".
    Flag brokensittingaloneon December 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:pretty obvious meaning to this song
    a family is low on money and they're trying to be thankful for what they have
    Flag musicismyboyfriend33on February 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Did he get there yet?? ^_^
    Flag ~Angel~on July 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i like how it says "it doesn't really matter if we make it or not" right next to "we'll make it i swear"

    but i love the song
    Flag lilpenguin5817on June 05, 2008   Link

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