Backseat Driver

You can make any song be about anyone to be fair. Always took it to be about one of the string of high maintenance women he was dating in that era. Can't say I've heard the theory it was about Shanks but man there's a subsection of Richie fans that will watch that side burn so who knows.

I knew who'd be the first to respond to the Shanks accusation

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My google alert never fails!

I've never heard the Shanks theory before and like Cap, I always thought it was about a high maintanence girlfriend...but man, I love that Shanks theory and it DOES mostly fit.....

But it's probably just about one of his ex's...

Yep some parts definitly fit. I bet more than just one person/event/situation could have inspired the song.

It might be disguised a bit (like Jon's Staring At Your Window track on DA), but it could very well be about the situation with Shanks. Richie clearly was working off his demons on that album, we just didn't realize it at the time since the context hadn't been obvious to the fans yet.

What is the Shanks Story? My ex boyfriend (who used to post here also) received an Instagram PM once from a girl saying she was the 'mistress' of Shanks, he had lied to her blah blah and now she hated his guts and thanked my ex for once commenting on one of Shanks posts, saying that, unlike all other rhythm guitarists in the history of Bon Jovi who were pretty awful, Shanks can't even play so it makes him the worst...something along those lines. Apparently the comment had ****ed with his brain so much, he never got over it through their relationship and she had saved it to thank my ex )))) god damn rich people....

In terms of the actual song, I am pretty sure it's an older song that Richie re-wrote for Aftermath.

There's interviews with him where he says that, as soon as Cher moved into his place, one day he came back from the studio or something, and the furniture had been re-arranged and Cher brought all kinds of new furniture and stuff making the place hers without even consulting him. Something along those lines...sounds similar to the lyrics, doesn't it? Also has a Why Aren't You Dead sort of vibe to it. I am 100% sure he took it out of the vault and re-recorded it.

Oh cool, I didn't even realize he ever talked about that song specifically in interviews so if you ever remember where, let us know!

searching "backseat driver" + "cher" + "richie sambora" got nothing so I'd really like to find this.

I missed this one, what's the story or theory about it?