[Alphavictim]

I've always liked Secret Dreams. As stupid as the lyrics may be (sorry, but I fail to see how some of them are "mature", Hardest Part Is The Night probably but apart from that? IMO, Runaway has better lyrics than Price Of Love, too), they've actually hit me at a certain time. That chorus sure is catchy, too. To The Fire and (to a certain extent) Always Run To You never did anything for me, though.

Cranking up a bootleg from 1985 now... Walrus, as you obviously like that album, are you into the late 80s stuff from Survivor as well?

[Captain Walrus]

Originally Posted by Alphavictim

I've always liked Secret Dreams. As stupid as the lyrics may be (sorry, but I fail to see how some of them are "mature", Hardest Part Is The Night probably but apart from that? IMO, Runaway has better lyrics than Price Of Love, too), they've actually hit me at a certain time. That chorus sure is catchy, too. To The Fire and (to a certain extent) Always Run To You never did anything for me, though.

Cranking up a bootleg from 1985 now... Walrus, as you obviously like that album, are you into the late 80s stuff from Survivor as well?

The only Survivor I've heard is Eye Of The Tiger, what else would you recommend?

I guess I don't see maturity in songwriting as meaning it needs to be about weighty themes ... I'm guessing you tend to think that way, seeing as you list Runaway and Hardest Part Is The Night. In my opinion, a love song can have mature lyrics if they are developed and considered enough ... something like, for example ...

It was all so simple when
You were to be queen and I'd be your king
I guess those dreams got lost
Cause baby you're still you and I'm still me
Now letting go
It's always the hardest part to fight
When we both know
We're just two more victims of the night

... is pretty mature I reckon.

[Alphavictim]

The only Survivor I've heard is Eye Of The Tiger, what else would you recommend?

Burning Heart (I'm pretty sure you know that one as well - from Rocky IV)
Popular Girl
Broken Promises
Burning Bridges
Desperate Dreams
American Heartbeat

There are more good songs, but these have a feeling similiar to that album, even though the guitar is WAY tamer. If you can't find 'em anywhere, drop me a PM.

I guess I don't see maturity in songwriting as meaning it needs to be about weighty themes ... I'm guessing you tend to think that way, seeing as you list Runaway and Hardest Part Is The Night. In my opinion, a love song can have mature lyrics if they are developed and considered enough ... something like, for example ...

It was all so simple when
You were to be queen and I'd be your king
I guess those dreams got lost
Cause baby you're still you and I'm still me
Now letting go
It's always the hardest part to fight
When we both know
We're just two more victims of the night

... is pretty mature I reckon.

There are definitely songs about love that I think are mature, it's not because of that... it's just that with such a well-covered topic, it's easy to fall into the "meh, heard it all before" category. That's also why I listed the otherwise not THAT subtle Hardest Part Is The Night among the better ones.

Songs about love I like lyrically:

The Offspring - Denial, Revisited
Most of the Stones ballads
Skid Row - I Remember You
Guns & Roses - Don't Cry

And that being said, I still don't know. To me these lyrics are kinda... naive I guess? Now I know, they reek of desilusion and all, but isn't this kind of desilusion what most people face before they hit 17? It is something people can relate to, sure, but it's hardly original or cleverly put. Maybe I should add that I find most of BJ lyrics to be cheesy (no, I don't hate the band), especially some of the TD lyrics, because they just seem... melodramatic I guess? These make me go "Man, those metaphors sure are a bit pompous and cheesy, eh? King and queen?"

But I do agree that these lyrics are definitely better than, say, Get Ready. But they're on par with Shot Through The Heart.

[Captain Walrus]

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll have a look sometime

I'm not trying to say that these are the most mature lyrics they've ever written, just more so than the first album really. There's very little that hasn't been said already, and I find that it's those grand metaphors that tend to be more memorable, although things put in very plain black and white can be too, definetly

[sweet heart.]

Only Lonely is definitely one of my favorite Bon Jovi songs. Like you said, there's just so much pain and emotion poured into it, it just comes out so beautiful. What I like about this song is that it has to do with Jon and the band and not someone else. With that said it's obvious the story is more personal resulting in a better performed song. The

video

itself is also very beautiful. You see the emotion when Jon's singing into the mic.

There was actually an interesting interview that made reference to this album and Jon's relationship split with Dorothea:

here

I really don't understand why many people consider this album their weakest. Sure it wasn't there best, but there are some very powerful tracks on this album.... Oh well suppose it's all opinion.

Another great review Walrus. I love how you interpret the lyrics and the instruments every track contains. I'm going to go and read the Slipper When Wet review now.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by The Walrus

Hardest Part Is The Night – Opening up with a very short and simple, yet awesome riff which is completely unlike anything else on the album; this song is actually more synth heavy than the rest of the album, although it doesn’t come across as overdone: the synth and guitar manage to complement each other perfectly. The strength of this song is not only that it’s a great hard rock song (all traces of pop-metal have definitely vanished here), but also that it also manages to be dramatic and harrowing, in much the same way that Aerosmith’s Janie’s Got A Gun would be four years later. Two major highlights are the building, multi-layered guitar solo which sees Richie at his most experimental; and Jon’s wordless vocal outro. Driven by atmospheric synths, unflashy yet perfectly judged guitar, and a relentless bassline; and with lyrics that highlight both the difficulties (“a young boy hides the pain”) and lures (“darkness fades, he’s the prince of his city”) of street life, while possibly relating it to being in a touring band (“these four walls they could tell you some stories / about lying and dying and fame / there’s a price that you’ll pay for the glory”); this understated gem is absolutely an album highlight.

4/5

Yep, easily my favourite on the album!