I think that Bon Jovi is a talented writer and poet
 

My friend and I were once discussing how poetic bon jovi's lyrics are. If you look at Wanted Dead or Alive or Bed of Roses especially, many of the lines are very symbollic which shows his intelligent/sensitive side. Which songs do you think show Bon Jovi's talent for writing?

One reason I love Jon's solo albums so much is that, aside from about three songs, he wrote all the songs himself and you do get to see what Jon himself writes and who he is as an individual artist. I think you get a clearer idea of who an artist really is when you have evidence of what he writes alone. Songs like you find on Blaze and Destination and then songs like Dry County, Bed of Roses, I Want You, I Believe, Fear, Something to Believe In, It's Hard Letting You Go are among the best lyrics you'll find in the Bon Jovi/BJ-related collection.

Jon and Richie have written some great stuff together too. They're a great team.

Even with other artists, I pay a little more attention to a song when the artist is the one who wrote it rather than a conglomerate of people (crap like All About Loving You).

Becky

Exactly - There are so many talented singers to appreciate, but when they also write the songs themselves it makes the songs more meaningful. The thing about bon jovi is that Jon and Richi do write a lot of their own music, but I wonder how much of it is from life experience. It so easy to jam to their songs, but when I pay attention to the lyrics, they are very good too. Some people see Bed of Roses as a love song about a man who cheats on his wife but his lifestyle keeps him from dedicating himself to the woman he wants to. Do you agree?

You also listed Dry County as one of the songs. I forgot about that one, but I think that song is one of the best examples of his talent for writing.

With Bed of Roses, I never saw the "mistress" as being another woman. I saw it as the road, the lifestyle. I know other people have different interpretations, but that's one of the things that makes the song great. If it's too cut-and-dry, there's no room left for thought.

The most profound song to me is Something to Believe In. Jon kept saying it was a postitive song and I kept wondering what he was smoking because on the surface it sounds so negative, then one day I heard it a little differently--same words, different stress, and the entire meaning changed. That one really made me think.

Dry County--to me, that song could inspire a book or a movie. The whole story is there with subplots. It's one of the crowing jewels in Jon's writing career.

Becky

Keep The Faith has allso powerfull lyrics...

Dyin aint much of a living is still my fav JBJ song, Dry County and I believe follow closely.

ktf
andi

Well, I think poetic is a too big word to define BJ lyrics...anyway there are many good ones, especially in the past stuff, and as Becky said in JBJ solo records.
To me the most poetic JBJ lyric is Miracle.

Indeed Miracle is really poetic. I think the song is great.

I think what Becky said about Something to believe in makes so much sense. My mom loves the song and I kept on wondering why but like Becky I understand it now.

I think my personal favourite looking at lyrics will be living in sin, so much a story of the hard parts of live.

I used to write the verse with "A man walks and a bird can fly..." all over my folders and stuff in high school. That, Santa Fe, Dying Ain't Much of Living and Bang a Drum all move me. Really, the whole Blaze CD does. I realize I start listing a few songs and can keep going and going.

Becky