I really think that last part of your post sums up why there is such a negative response to this song, at least on this board.

"They promised a riff rock record. Where is it?" It's not out yet. It wont be out for another 2 and a half months. You can't judge what the album will be like based on one song, yet this seems to be what people are doing. I think everyone assumed Bon Jovi were going to release their hardest rocking album and since this song clearly isn't their hardest rock song ever people are jumping to the conclusion that the album will follow suit. Thus the extreme dissapointment and anger directed toward this song is actually a reflection of their dissapointment for what they think the forthcoming album will NOT be, rather then a true reflection on the quality of this individual song.

Now I am certainly not saying that someone who dislikes this song cannot dislike it based solely on the song itself, I just think that what I wrote before is adding significantly to the negative reaction to the song, and that's an irrational response since nobody has heard the album and as such knows if it will rock or not.

Also, Jon promised us a "riff-rock" album, not a riff rock first single. The singles are chosen ultimately by the record company in the hopes that they will appeal to widest number of people possible. How do you do that? Pick the most commercial sounding song on the album, preferably one that fits with what is currently on the radio and a song that sounds quintessentially like the iconic band yet still fresh. "We Weren't Born To Follow" pretty much fits the bill.

And who actually heard Jon saying that, in the knowledge that John Shanks was producing the album, and believed for sure that we will get a big-loud rock record? C'mon, we all know what Jon (and Obie) are like. We probably will get a big rock-record by Jovi's standards but it almost certainly wont be a big rock record like Metallica. Bon Jovi just aren't that kind of rock band. SWW and NJ are ridiculously pop sounding albums. Yes, they're big rock albums but they are both infused with a massive pop sound. Only These Days is devoid of that pop-production sound.

The negative reaction to WWBTF is way out of proportion to the quality of the song. Seriously, if it were the equivalant to I Got The Girl, it would be understandable. The general reaction to the song seems to be coloured by people subjective expectations rather then on an objective evaluation of the song itself.

Again, I'll go to pains to point out that I'm not saying you can't hate the song simply for what it is, cause I'm sure people will say that's what I'm doing, this is simply my guess for why there is such an extremely negative reaction to a song that really shouldn't engender such a response.

Completely agree and you sum up perfectly my take on the song.

I agree. It's just so ordinary. Bland. Plain. Mediocre. So so.

intelligent assessment........the album's gonna be awesome...dont worry,folks

No. It's just a shit song.

After 3 days of heavy rotation on my ipod, I gotta say that I like the song. The lyrics are surprisingly good and I love the spirit of the song.
I really hope it's a radio edit though and there is a proper solo on the album version.

WWBTF just played on Absolute FM
 

(formally Virgin fm) @ 1.34pm

For those (me) who wanted a solo put in.............there.......hasnt been!

Yeah heard it too, wonder what the reaction was?

Cool, you're entitled to your opinion. I disagree. Personally I think you're wrong too, and I know equally you'll think I'm wrong, which is fine. No worries.

Lets break it down though:

Lyrics: Lyrically the song is very, very good. The lyrics are intelligent, socially conscious, relevant to the times, optimistic and overall very well written. Lyrically, as far as I'm concerned, it's one of the best songs Jon and Richie have written this decade. The only criticism I'd have toward the lyrics is that they, very slightly, retread ground Bon jovi have walked many, MANY times before. They are not as fresh and origional as Work For The Working Man. But, it is the first single so to be expected. This is by far the strongest part of the song. 9.5/10.

Music: Musically it's pretty good. It's starts off great with a super intro. The chorus soars in a typical Bon Jovi fashion. It's all good. But therein lies the problem. It's only good. There's nothing special about it or unique or innovative. There's no soaring solo which the song screams for, Jon even screams for it, so because of that it never reaches it's full potential. Tico, Dave, Hugh and Richie are all there in time together but never even begin to show their full talent. It's a far cry from something like Dry County or These Days but as it is it's still good. 7/10.

Production: There's a big old hard rock song screaming to get out here but the production smothers it and castrates it into a pop-rock song, which does leave me slightly frustrated. I do however think that like Have a Nice Day, once it's played live, the chains will come off and some of it's full force will be unleashed. Now despite that, personally I do like a polished, modern sound and I think John Shanks can capture that while mainting a rock sound very well. Have a Nice Day and Last Man Standing are two great examples. Here though the balance isn't achieved 7/10

Vocals: Nothing taxing here or anything that displays Jon's power or highlights the massive improvements that were noticable during the later part of the Lost Highway tour but Jon sings it very well. He captures the feeling of the lyrics very well; there's an attitude in his voice and it sounds fresh and strong. 9/10

That's a fairly objective evaluation of the song. Now obviously you can disagree but hopefully in an objective way.

Overall, I'd rate the song as 8.5/10. I'd put it in the same bracket, quality wise, as things like I'd Die For You, BTBMB, ISWID, Two Story Town, The Distance, Any Other Day and Story of My Life. Not anywhere near the masterpieces they created but very, very good.

The DJ mentioned that they had a lot of Emails from people with good comments about the song, which is good news, I got to say i really like the song.