Bon Jovi, You Give Love a Bad Name | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 99^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 99^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “You Give Love a Bad Name” performed by Bon Jovi.

“Shot through the heart and you’re to blame / Darling, you give love a bad name.” Ask yourself this question: Is there any need to say more about this Bon Jovi staple? The answer should be a resounding NO. “You Give Love a Bad Name” speaks for itself. The opening lyric, which eventually becomes part of the chorus, is iconic and never grows old.  Jon Bon Jovi and company secured one of the most memorable records – rock or any genre –  of the 1980s with “You Give Love a Bad Name.” It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. Bruce Fairbairn produced the no. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit from their diamond-certified album, Slippery When Wet.  

The premise of “You Give Love a Bad Name” is simple. The love, which seemed promising, is toxic.  “An angel’s smile is what you sell,” Bon Jovi sings in the first verse, continuing, “You promised me heaven, then put me through hell.” Damn! In the second verse, he describes her as “A school boy’s dream, you act so shy / Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye.” My, oh my! Also, worth noting, Jon calls her “a loaded gun” and, “there’s nowhere to run.” He sounds terrific, executing the memorable melodies like a – wait for it – rock star! Bon Jovi as a band kills it as well, rocking hard. Among the most noteworthy instrumental moments is the guitar solo by Sambora that precedes the outgoing chorus. “You Give Love a Bad Name” is the sugar honey iced tea. It is one of the best of the best from the legendary, Grammy-winning band.

Bon Jovi // Slippery When Wet // Mercury / UMG Recordings, Inc. // 1986

Bon Jovi, You Give Love a Bad Name: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 99 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Mercury / UMG Recordings, Inc.; OpenClipart-Vectors, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]