Best Bon Jovi lyrics

BLASPHEMY! I do like I Want You and I love Stay, but BOR omg <3

The thing with BOR is, would you really express the feelings the song tries to evoke using those particular words? To me the most powerful lyrics are the ones that paint a picture in your mind. That’s why clichés are so used (and abused) when writing a song, you immediately associate a feeling, a state of mind, you don’t have to really listen to the lyric to react. But going to the other extreme and writing something too vague and/or poetical requires someone who can pull it off (Leonard Cohen was a freaking poet, he didn’t wake up one day and thought “let’s throw some big words in there”) and has made this kind of songwriting their trademark. You can’t simply grab a thesaurus and change some words and expect to sound sincere. You may fool some people, but at the end of the day it’s just an empty vessel. You could write this word to sound generic or this other word to sound more serious, but you are deliberately trying to achieve something, you are crafting a product, not sitting down strumming a guitar/playing a piano and putting YOUR feelings into YOUR words.

I’m probably not making any sense and I wasn't talking about BOR in particular, but about the whole "poetic lyrics are better because they sound much more serious" nonsense. Let’s see if I can explain myself better. I love big words. My favorite writer is Dostoievsky. I’ve read The Silmarillion a dozen times. When I used to write about the X Files, I did those waaaaay too long and waaaaay too pedantic reviews (I was 18 though, I grew out of it, but I still have a penchant for writing too much). But when it comes to music, I’ve always felt that the simplest lyrics usually sound the most sincere and make me react more than the elaborated ones. Even though I like songs with pretentious, poetic, elaborated lyrics, but I find it difficult to relate most of the time.

Take this

And I blame this world for making a good man evil
It's this world that can drive a good man mad
And it's this world that turns a killer into a hero
Well I blame this world for making a good man bad

Simple words, simple ideas, nothing too fancy. But you can feel the despair the lyrics are trying to convey. The delivery helps a lot I know, but you get what I mean. There are many BJ lyrics over the years that I love because I’ve felt and thought the same. You wouldn’t write an essay for most situations/feelings. You would have an emotional knee-jerk reaction. If you need to overemphasize said reaction, it’s probably not as pure and sincere.

I’m not saying BOR is insincere. I just think it’s a little bit too much sometimes, it walks the line and depending on my mood sometimes falls into the “trying way too hard” category. I could live without many of the lyrics. The saving grace is 1.Richie, 2.The period it was written which makes me believe they come from a pure place and 3.The totally 90s video

Compare BOR to Miss Fourth Of July. Same era. Similar themes. Vaguely similar artsy lyrics and melancholic atmosphere. But Miss Fourth uses this simple melody to frame very straightforward lyrics, you know what you are getting, but the song ends up sucking you in because you realize you relate to the feeling behind those simple words, you forge a connection, whereas BOR feels like it’s trying to tell you all the time what to feel and punctuating with big words because it’s a powerful feeling, as if you haven’t still realized.

I probably ended up making even less sense so feel free to ignore my crazy ravings

No, I understand exactly what you wanted to say and agree! It's the simple things that matter, and that everyone can relate to, not the elaborate stuff shoved down one's throat

My favorite lyrics that come to mind are from Nothing:

How could I live, why would I try? (that first line alone - pure genius!)
I could learn to live without you, but I would die!

But there are a whole lot of other ones, even from songs most people seem to dislike like The More Things Change or I Love This Town for example.

I just remembered something recent while browsing the other threads:

If it can break your heart it's real love

The light of love can blind you
Til you cover up your eyes
And you try to find a reason
Not to say goodbye
It's the curse of every sailor
Standing on dry land
Staring at you window
With a suitcase in my hand

That's one of my favorite verses.

I've just realised this song resembles in its lyrical content and imagery so many other BJ songs ;p

BON JOVI LYRICS
"Letter To A Friend"

I'll be there to hold you by the hand
When you need someone to walk you home
You know that I'll be there to understand
When you call me on the phone

And I'll be there to watch you when you sleep
When you close your eyes at night
And I'll be there to keep your secrets kept
Cross my heart, hope to die, I swear each word is true
There's only one thing I wouldn't do

I'll be there when you need a real friend
I'll be there to listen to your secrets
I'll be there and give you all I've got
I'll be there when you paint your masterpiece

And I'll be right beside your every move
I'll give you my eyes so you can see
And I'll help you to find the things you've lost
When you're busting at the seams

I swear each word is true
There's only one thing I wouldn't do
I ain't gonna love you
I ain't gonna love you

Nobody wants you like I want you
Nobody needs you like I need you
You know I would beg and plead, get down on the knees
I'd do most anything it's true but I ain't gonna love you, I ain't gonna love you

Because I love you

I'll be there to love the things you love
I'll be the one who knows your middle name
Be the only one that you can trust
I'll give you the blood that's in my veins

I swear these words are true
There's only one thing I wouldn't do
I ain't gonna love you

'Cause nobody wants you like I want you
Nobody needs you like I need you
You know I would beg and plead, get down on my knees
Do most anything for you, but I ain't gonna love you, I ain't gonna love you

Because I love you
Because I love you

Thanks for reminding me of that one. That's one of my favorite Bon Jovi lyrics. So simple yet so relateable, it's quite brilliant to be honest. I tend to believe that everyone has felt that feeling sometime in their lives, to love someone so much that the only thing you can't risk is to love the other person.
Makes so little sense, but still so much.

You're welcome Some say this song is about this bad dreaded friendzone, others claim it's about a relationship which is impossible, sort of forbidden. For me what's revealing is the imagery in the lyrics e.g painting the masterpiece:

"Pictures Of You"

I feel just like Picasso
And you're my masterpiece
I painted you a lifetime
Now what's left are memories
Oooh

"Story Of My Life"

I gonna write the melody
That's gonna make history,
And when I paint my masterpiece I swear I'll show you first
There just ain't a way to see who and why or what will be
Till now is then
It's a mystery, it's a blessing and a curse
Or something worse

***

This is even more meaningful for me because you remember Jon and Richie sharing the moment on stage then Damn, I miss those times.

Was listening to The One That Got Away today and love this bit:

Well I told you a joke and you laughed,
And when I asked you to dance,
You said “There’s no band, there’s no radio”,
I got up real slow, started singing real low,
And when I was melting in your arms, I had to let go.

That verse to me is pure perfection. Beautifully phrased, creates such powerful images and is romantic as hell.

That's actually a great verse and Jon also delivers it so well.
I always liked the lyrics (and the whole song) of Nobody's Hero. Simple, but effective and just powerful.