Let me set the picture, I’m a 76 year old man. I have a daughter who is 50. In the eighties when she was in her teens she had records of some guy named Bon Jovi, like a dad I said I don’t care, turn it down! Fast forward many years and one of my favorite shows is Deadliest Catch and the the opening theme song for years was Wanted Dead or Alive. I loved the song, so I looked it up and guess who sings it. So 45 years later as an old guy I discovered my teenage daughter’s music was great!
I had a poster of him in my room, and my dad just said he looked like a drug addict. Come to find out, Bon Jovi is and always has been one of the cleanest artists of the 80s, drug and alcohol wise.
@peppermintcrush5794 It's Jon's 1st solo album, but he didn't write it alone. Actually, "they" did write it....Jon Bongiovi and guitarist Aldo Nova. Lyrically, I suppose Jon wrote it, but the guitar riff was Aldo. I guess I shouldn't assume everyone knew what I meant by they.
Legendary song about life on the road. According to lore, written in Richie Sambora's mom's basement next to the washer and dryer in about 20 minutes! As an old-timer who embraced Bon Jovi early on, this tune has always fascinated me. The double entendres throughout; especially the last verse: "I play for keeps, cuz I might not make it back" and "I've seen a million faces, and I rocked them all" are particularly poignant. JBJ was once quoted as saying "Whenever we perform for an audience, it's a privilege. Whether it's in a club in front of 50 or a stadium of 100,000, it's humbling to know that the fans are so appreciative of what we do. I try to make eye contact with as many as I can during the shows as a way of letting them know that their being there really means a lot to us. Look them in the eye and NEVER, EVER, turn your back to(on) them". IMHO, a class act.
@@samhugh4965 I hear ya, I guess… was never a huge fan of the band, but they do have a few bangers…and if you noticed, I didn’t mention his guitar skills, only that his backing vocal on this particular song, are 🔥🔥
considering how Jovi's vocals are so high piched and incredible, to be able to give him high accompaniment is voice artistry at it's best. AND he is a great guitarist.
@@samhugh4965 OK, so you're not fan. But I hope you get how foolish you sound by disparaging someone who did 12 albums with Bon Jovi, 3 solo releases and is worth over $100M. People will remember his name. What have you done with your life?
Jon Bon Jovi is another of the (few) really good guys. He supports a number of charities and has even been found doing dishes in a shelter. A very caring man, he recently even helped talk a suicidal woman out of jumping off a bridge. I am not a huge fan of the band, but Jon is a good man.
I think music from the 60,70,80 will be popular for ever, and think none of the songs from now will never do that, because it was real music then, more real and genuine
@@chuckhouse5179 They asked Jon to put "Wanted Dead or Alive" on the Young Guns soundtrack. But, he did better and wrote "Blaze of Glory" as an original classic track for the flick...
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. aka Jon Bon Jovi is a humanitarian off stage. His JBJ Soul Kitchens don't have prices on their menus, you pay as little or as much as you can afford with a suggested donation of $20 to cover the cost of food and beverages. I've seen photos of him in an apron washing dishes in the back room.
I've seen that, too. I cried the day I saw him help the lady off the bridge where he was filming as well. He could have sent an assistant or something, but he personally went over and talked to her. I'm in admiration of the kind of person he is as well as his music.
Shoulda seen him during their club days. Jon, and the entire band, stayed around and talked with the people that showed up for their shows. That showing of simple kindness and appreciation was, and still is, rare in the entertainment business. I saw them a few times at some local clubs in the Philly metro area, before they got their well deserved break into Rock History. Always a fun and loving performer. I'll remember those days always. And the huge concerts I went to were phenomenal, and never ended on time.
One of the BEST!!! This is the band's anthem!! Jon said he was inspired by Bob Seger's "Turn The Page." It's all about life on the road. You are correct, it was intentional to draw the parallels to the Western idea of "Wanted Dead or Alive." Their fans want them no matter what! Bon Jovi is my absolute favorite band!! Jon is absolutely amazing and Richie is incredible. The two of them co-wrote most of their songs. And their voices harmonize perfectly! They were a magical duo! "I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all!!!!!"
I just can’t get BP’s comment that this is country! And what they are doing now and country music I can’t listen to it.... I’ve heard it described as country POP which seems more appropriate. But for me country are the original goats and those that do Bluegrass completely different animals. I grew up with Bon Jovi being one of the most popular bands in the states selling out areanas And they certainly weren’t identified as country. I try sometimes to listen to RAP, but there’s a big brick wall in front of me because a great majority continue to not really write anything new or even use instruments and they “sample“almost everything or you hear it on Guitar Hero.
This song is not about a motorcycle. It’s about any vehicle they take. It’s about being on the road away from family. Wanted by everyone no matter how you feel and having to perform going place to place giving your all. You got it right relating it to the Wild West
It was actually a statement about being a cog in the wheel of big music companies. They didn’t care you were exhausted, missing home and needing a break. You were their meal ticket. The fans and idolatry was secondary. But you pretty much nailed it!
I love how Supernatural show brought in all the classics and Sam and Dean sang this, since they were wanted dead or alive. One of my favorite moments from the show. They also had a genius use of Styx’s Renegade.
“[“Wanted Dead Or Alive”] was directly inspired by our life on the road,” Jon Bon Jovi said in 2009. “Here we were… this young band of thieves, if you will, rising into town, stealing the money, the girls and the booze, and leaving before the sun came up. That was the lifestyle of every rock band.”
What I love about this video is it really follows the lyrics and explains what the song is about. It seems someone they trusted was allowed to get up close and personal.
@charliejg I am not from New Jersey but he is as close to God without actually meeting him that I know of . If Bon Jovi put his name in the ballot box for President he would have my vote .
OMG! Bon Jovi is my favorite rock of all time. When I was a teenager, we listened to them all the time! As a black female coming of age in the late 80's and 90's, I had a great mixture of friends. They introduced us to Bon Jovi , etc, and we introduced them to Dana Dane, etc. Lololol! We all drove together to our technical school every day, 10th, 12th and 12th grades!! Wonderful times!!!
I'm so glad you got to this one. You've talked often on your channel about being a touring performer so I knew you'd appreciate the meaning behind this song and that you totally would get it. This really is an anthem for anyone who has lived that life because it can speak across genres. Good choice man.
I can never hear this song without being reminded of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog interviewing them. One of the funniest things I've ever seen and made them so much cooler in my eyes.
I think this song describes how grueling it is for musicians on the road. The band members are exhausted and still the fans want more and more. The band is wanted "dead" or "alive" by their adoring fans and the music industry. It explains what a toll the lifestyle takes.
It's the Opening Song on Harley Davidson & Marlboro Man When Harley Gets on his Knockelhead and rides from LA to Vegas. On a Steel horse I ride is referring to a Bike.
By the time he released this song, he is still horse had wings on it, and he was flying to concerts. It was also featured in the movies Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, and Wild Hogs.
Thank you for that. Right now, I was 9 years again and in love with my very first fav band. Spot on about the interpretation, and since know has mentioned it in the last comments: the deliberate cowboy reference comes from JBJ being a true Western genre fan. Hence the whole soundtrack for Young Guns II, several times referenced below. Further, this reference portrays a very real aspect of Bon Jovi's reality in the 80s. Back in the days, their manager Doc McGee, never let them have a break; thus, they had been constantly touring and putting out records, which almost destroyed them in '89, after they played 232 shows in 1 1/2 yrs. About it being fresh, since COVID I noticed a lot of bands calling it quits after yrs of constantly touring. They toured before, but it appears, since the 2 yr-break in concerts, ppl have lost interest in the smaller shows. Many get cancelled. In addition, ticket prices went up and even small gigs are affected by that. In this age of social media and touring has become a luxury that bands cannot afford, this is the age of single stars. Bands are dying like flies. It's harder to make a living if you have to split the fee through 4 or 5 ppl. Furthermore, small acts have to play shows every day because everyday without a show means costs w/o earning fees. Even worse, most bands drive themselves, so, directly after exhausting themselves on the road, they have to perform. So this songs is such an epic hymn. As an artist, you know that yourself and I don't want to sound like a smartass. I just want to provide food for thought and hope bands won't die out. Especially Rock'n'Roll. ;-)
A steel horse is actually a motorcycle. For years, that's what they used to call a motorcycle was a steel horse. And since motorcycles have nowhere to put a guitar, the musician would flip the guitar around to his back ( a loaded 6-string on my back) to drive town to town performing.
This is my favorite song of all time. And that guitar solo, uffff, specially hearing it played live is something else. So cool the reference to the life of a cowboy as the life on the road for a rock band. Great lyrics.
Great song, my favorite from Bon Jovi. I think you're spot-on with the parellels between life as an outlaw and as a rock star. Theres also a bit of sad disconnect in this song, in that "dead or alive" seems to mean that real connections to people aren't part of life on the road, and its his star image that people want ... the man himself is not what sells tickets. All that adoration is superficial and based on what he does, not who he is off stage.
Funny story. When I was in high school, a classmate told me, "I saw you in that Bon Jovi video yesterday." I was like, "What?" He explained that there's concert footage in the latest Bon Jovi video and they captured me in it. Uh, I have never been to a Bon Jovi concert. My teenaged doppelganger is in this video (3:33 time code for this reaction video). That ain't me, but that is exactly what I looked like in the late 80s. It still doesn't make me a Bon Jovi fan...
It was one of the soundtracks for movie- Young Guns, the story of Billy the Kid. The other song Blaze of Glory is another soundtrack for the movie and you should listen to that as well- soooo gooood.
I think the show Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel used this song for the opening. Which is great show if you’ve ever done seeeeent it before. This songs amazing. Glad you’re checking this beast out!
@@brandonpuckrin7514 um... you're linking it to the video, clearly, but "steel horses" was a known term rockers used for their motorcycles back then (and a while before). the lyrics were written, probably, with him on a bike in mind - and then for the video it was decided to use the tour bus and plane instead, to make it about the whole of the band.
Jon Bon Jovi has always been a fan of country western music and it showed on 'Wanted dead or alive' in 1986... His 1990 solo album 'Blaze of Glory' was the soundtrack album for the cowboy western movie 'Young Guns II'... Decades later, Bon Jovi released a country album 'Lost Highway' in 2007... after the band scored a crossover country hit in 2005 - "Who says you can't go home" feat. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.
Man, the Memories this song brings! I was 14 the summer it was released and went to Hawaii with the Junior High School I attended. What a great time to be Alive, the 80's were AWESOME. I get the same chills and feeling in my gut every time I hear this song played, a flood of Wonderful Memories with many Great Friends, many who have since left this life. Thanx Hermano, for doing this one!
Jon wrote this as an ode to the outlaws of the Old West and also out of inspiration from Turn the Page by Bob Seger. It was not in Young Guns ii despite what folks misremember. Emilio Estevez wanted it for the film but Jon said it didn't fit and wrote Blaze of Glory for it instead.😊
This might be my favorite Bon Jovi song. My friend and I were at a Bon Jovi concert and ended up in Circus Circus nagazine in a photo from the concert. It was so cool back then. Couldn’t care less now though. 😂
If you have not done a reaction to it yet, Jon Bon Jovi as a solo act has a song and video "Blaze of Glory" that is in the same vein and really awesome.
This was one of favorite bands growing up and I have shared it with my daughters and my youngest is obsessed with their song you give love a bad name and has their slippery when wet album
There's nothing better than being in a stadium on a clear blue sky evening, with 30,000 people screaming this song back to the band being complimented by Bon Jovi that it felt like a concert in his home town, some 14,000 km away. A special evening, even if I had ringing ears for a day or two after.
It's a double entendre for sure. Oh, and the "steel horse" they refer to is a motorcycle (most likely a Harley), and the outlaw bikers who ride them. Great song, great reaction. Peace out! ✌😎
Bon Jovi has been my favorite since I heard his first song. My husband and I bonded because I told him that I loved the song It's My Life and he pulled out the CD to play for me in his truck on our first date. Dead or Alive is among his best songs, but I also love Living on a Prayer, Bad Medicine, You Give Love a Bad Name, Have a Nice Day, and Who Says You Can't Go Home. That's still just a few.
Thanks for this whole new appreciation for the song. I thought this was from young guns but it’s blaze of glory. Love the way this describes the rock and roll lifestyle and toll it can have
Love me some Bon Jovi, this is a great tune from an incredibly talented group! So many hits, this is a band that worked their tails off, and it paid them back in spades! There is an old VH1 Behind The Music video on them you should check out! Thanks B.P.👍💕
Very successful band!! Each of these guys brought their incredible talents to the table!! They put on an Awesome live show. It was absolutely everything I expected and more. Love me some Jon and Richie harmonizing. They sound great together!! Ignore the haters and enjoy what you love! Life is too short to be bitter, jealous, hateful and angry all the time.
I love that you got that "Steel Horse - Plane, Tour Buses, Vans, Cars, even the Elevator, LOL. I always imagined that he was sitting backstage after a show and the manager or the promoter is telling him to hurry up because they had to get to the next city, and Bon Jovi is like I am dying here (exhausted) and the manager says to him it doesn't matter they want you dead or alive. As he calmly walks out the door. Thus a song was born, lol.
That actually seems pretty plausible. Similar to how “Life in the Fast Lane” came up from the Eagles. Story goes Glen Frey was riding with their dealer at the time and was speeding through the streets in LA and when Glen asked him what he was doing the guy just grinned and said “Life in the fast lane baby, life in the fast lane.”
One of the best rock songs ever! Richie (lead guitar) & Jon played this acoustically on the MTV awards and from it came the show UNPLUGGED! Seeing these guys live was an experience. So great live and such a fantastic show. Check out Richie Sambora solo with a song called - "Ballad of Youth". People don't understand the contribution of Richie to this band. Jon gets a lot of the credit, which he deserves, but Richie was a partner in the song writing and his backing vocals & harmonies make these songs special, just like Michael Anthony did for Van Halen. Bon Jovi has not been the same since Richie left the band.
This was the music I grew up with!!! Bon Jovi, guns and roses ect... Axel Rose from guns and roses actually went to a high-school only 35 miles from where I live in Indiana.
Bon Jovi admitted what was its motivation of this song was Bob Seger Turn the page about being on the road. Also Deadliest Catch uses the guitar intro, and mtv show unplugged was created thom there mtv acustic performance of this song.
Man this takes me back. 'Slippery When Wet' was one of the best albums of all time!!
It was!!
@xxlordbelxx1368 No Question about that and the Slippery When Wet concert was one of my favorite life experiences .
Crazy thing is it could've been even better if they included Edge of a Broken Heart (which Jon already apologized for not doing so) & Borderline.
i am sittin here in tears brings back memories i was at that tour one of only about 11 black ppl there but wow what a show what a memory
That release was INSANE! I don’t know anyone that didn’t have that album.
Let me set the picture, I’m a 76 year old man. I have a daughter who is 50. In the eighties when she was in her teens she had records of some guy named Bon Jovi, like a dad I said I don’t care, turn it down! Fast forward many years and one of my favorite shows is Deadliest Catch and the the opening theme song for years was Wanted Dead or Alive. I loved the song, so I looked it up and guess who sings it. So 45 years later as an old guy I discovered my teenage daughter’s music was great!
I, too, love that show, Deadliest Catch! Yes, this song is used as the opening theme song! Perfect song used for it!
I had a poster of him in my room, and my dad just said he looked like a drug addict. Come to find out, Bon Jovi is and always has been one of the cleanest artists of the 80s, drug and alcohol wise.
Emilio Estevez wanted to put this in Young Guns but they thought the lyrics were inappropriate. They wrote Blaze of Glory for it instead.
Not they. Blaze of glory is one of Jon's solo projects.
@peppermintcrush5794 It's Jon's 1st solo album, but he didn't write it alone. Actually, "they" did write it....Jon Bongiovi and guitarist Aldo Nova. Lyrically, I suppose Jon wrote it, but the guitar riff was Aldo. I guess I shouldn't assume everyone knew what I meant by they.
That's probably his best song
@berinmind I agree. It's crazy he wrote it after reading the script. It was meant for the movie for sure.
Blaze of glory was for young guns 2
Legendary song about life on the road. According to lore, written in Richie Sambora's mom's basement next to the washer and dryer in about 20 minutes!
As an old-timer who embraced Bon Jovi early on, this tune has always fascinated me. The double entendres throughout; especially the last verse: "I play for keeps, cuz I might not make it back" and "I've seen a million faces, and I rocked them all" are particularly poignant.
JBJ was once quoted as saying "Whenever we perform for an audience, it's a privilege. Whether it's in a club in front of 50 or a stadium of 100,000, it's humbling to know that the fans are so appreciative of what we do. I try to make eye contact with as many as I can during the shows as a way of letting them know that their being there really means a lot to us. Look them in the eye and NEVER, EVER, turn your back to(on) them". IMHO, a class act.
I thought it was “Living on a Prayer” was the washing machine song. The one Jon thought would be a flop. 😁
Jon Bon Jovi married his wife in 1989 and has 4 children. They were high school sweethearts.
Lucky gal...
It’s fukn Wild how Richie Samboras backing vocals still give me goosebumps after 40yrs of jamming the absolute fuk outta this song
Sambora is incredibly overrated.
@@samhugh4965 I hear ya, I guess… was never a huge fan of the band, but they do have a few bangers…and if you noticed, I didn’t mention his guitar skills, only that his backing vocal on this particular song, are 🔥🔥
considering how Jovi's vocals are so high piched and incredible, to be able to give him high accompaniment is voice artistry at it's best. AND he is a great guitarist.
@@samhugh4965 OK, so you're not fan. But I hope you get how foolish you sound by disparaging someone who did 12 albums with Bon Jovi, 3 solo releases and is worth over $100M. People will remember his name. What have you done with your life?
And so good looking !
"Living on a Prayer" was the Bon Jovi song that made me a fan & "Runaway" made my 13 year old girl's heart go pitter patter for Jon BonJovi..lol
I was a little older seeing the video for Runaway.
It's a western rock song. He wrote another one that was for the movie Young Guns 2 called Blaze Of Glory and he also had a small part in the movie.
No man has ever aged better than Jon Bon Jovi. He is still incredibly handsome at 62.
Oh yeah!❤❤
Totally in agreement!!!
Victor Newman.
And randomly saves people trying to jump off bridges.
@@HeavyTopspin I saw that!! And he was so lowkey about it.
Jon Bon Jovi is another of the (few) really good guys. He supports a number of charities and has even been found doing dishes in a shelter. A very caring man, he recently even helped talk a suicidal woman out of jumping off a bridge. I am not a huge fan of the band, but Jon is a good man.
That was at his own foundation, Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. He's very hands on there and that's where he's been seen doing the dishes.
I read he’s actually trained in talking people off the ledge. I forget the exact term.😊
I think music from the 60,70,80 will be popular for ever, and think none of the songs from now will never do that, because it was real music then, more real and genuine
Absolutely!!
Popular music from the 2010s are already being forgotten. 20th century music always pops up in movies & TV.
Jon Bon Jovi's lyrics were always stellar, and that voice. Fantastic reaction! 💜
I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all.
my favorite line
Yes! I play guitar, have played this a thousand times, heard it maybe 10,000, and still love it when he sings this line!
He at one time said “fu$&ed” them all. Late 80’s great concerts.
This song always makes me want to watch Young Guns again 😁❤️🔥✌🏻🤭
Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man movie where it is the opening credits
Calling in sick now, need to watch 1 & 2 followed by if Billy the kid really died documentaries
Why? Blaze Of Glory was the Young Guns song.
Me too
@@chuckhouse5179 They asked Jon to put "Wanted Dead or Alive" on the Young Guns soundtrack. But, he did better and wrote "Blaze of Glory" as an original classic track for the flick...
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. aka Jon Bon Jovi is a humanitarian off stage. His JBJ Soul Kitchens don't have prices on their menus, you pay as little or as much as you can afford with a suggested donation of $20 to cover the cost of food and beverages. I've seen photos of him in an apron washing dishes in the back room.
He's a genuinely awesome human being on the level of Keanu Reeves.
I've seen that, too. I cried the day I saw him help the lady off the bridge where he was filming as well. He could have sent an assistant or something, but he personally went over and talked to her. I'm in admiration of the kind of person he is as well as his music.
If only more people were like that. Sometimes, it only takes a little bit to make a big change in someone's life.
Shoulda seen him during their club days. Jon, and the entire band, stayed around and talked with the people that showed up for their shows.
That showing of simple kindness and appreciation was, and still is, rare in the entertainment business.
I saw them a few times at some local clubs in the Philly metro area, before they got their well deserved break into Rock History. Always a fun and loving performer.
I'll remember those days always.
And the huge concerts I went to were phenomenal, and never ended on time.
"a steel horse I ride" is a reference to riding a motorcycle. Edit*This video is about their life on the road so he might be referring to the tour bus
Or the tour bus.
Or a bicycle. This came out in '86 which was the height of the BMX craze so he's probably referring to that.
Or an airplane
I think it’s a limo, bus, plane or motorcycle in his case.
Anything that gets ya there...
Iron Horse is the specific reference to a motorcycle, in rock and roll terms
One of the BEST!!! This is the band's anthem!! Jon said he was inspired by Bob Seger's "Turn The Page." It's all about life on the road. You are correct, it was intentional to draw the parallels to the Western idea of "Wanted Dead or Alive." Their fans want them no matter what! Bon Jovi is my absolute favorite band!! Jon is absolutely amazing and Richie is incredible. The two of them co-wrote most of their songs. And their voices harmonize perfectly! They were a magical duo! "I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all!!!!!"
I just can’t get BP’s comment that this is country! And what they are doing now and country music I can’t listen to it.... I’ve heard it described as country POP which seems more appropriate. But for me country are the original goats and those that do Bluegrass completely different animals.
I grew up with Bon Jovi being one of the most popular bands in the states selling out areanas And they certainly weren’t identified as country.
I try sometimes to listen to RAP, but there’s a big brick wall in front of me because a great majority continue to not really write anything new or even use instruments and they “sample“almost everything or you hear it on Guitar Hero.
This song is not about a motorcycle. It’s about any vehicle they take. It’s about being on the road away from family. Wanted by everyone no matter how you feel and having to perform going place to place giving your all. You got it right relating it to the Wild West
I'm here for any Bon Jovi you want to react to. These guys are amazing!❤❤❤❤
The so called "hair bands" made some fantastic music.Bon Jovi a favorite.
Don't forget Ritchie Sambora's backup vocals and his awesome electric and acoustic guitar playing.
He’s overrated.
Wanted dead I feel is in tribute to those that have passed, but their music lives on.
It was actually a statement about being a cog in the wheel of big music companies. They didn’t care you were exhausted, missing home and needing a break. You were their meal ticket. The fans and idolatry was secondary. But you pretty much nailed it!
Love this tune!!! Huge Bon Jovi fan!!!
Side note: It was Jon Bon Jovi who gave Steve Perry, formerly with Journey, the designation “The Voice”!
"a loaded 6-string on my back" is a great line
He saved a girl from jumping off a bridge a few weeks ago, there is a video on YT. Right place right time.
I saw Bon Jovi at least 20 times in different states back in the 80's. This song was my favorite of all ❤ Love Bon Jovi forever and ever!!
Jon and Richie were a great songwriting and performing duo. Love them. The unplugged version of this with just the 2 of them is dope.
I'm not a massive fan of Bon Jovi but I adore this song. It's a timeless classic.
I love how Supernatural show brought in all the classics and Sam and Dean sang this, since they were wanted dead or alive. One of my favorite moments from the show. They also had a genius use of Styx’s Renegade.
I saw these guys back in '89 in St. Louis! Jon was "flying" across the audience! One of the best concerts I ever attended!!!
“[“Wanted Dead Or Alive”] was directly inspired by our life on the road,” Jon Bon Jovi said in 2009. “Here we were… this young band of thieves, if you will, rising into town, stealing the money, the girls and the booze, and leaving before the sun came up. That was the lifestyle of every rock band.”
I saw Bon Jovi in concert when they were the opening act for the Scorpions in Nashville. Best concert ever.
What I love about this video is it really follows the lyrics and explains what the song is about. It seems someone they trusted was allowed to get up close and personal.
Bon Jovi as a band truly lived the rock star life. They were bigger than life to so many fans. And, if you're from New Jersey Jon is God!!
@charliejg I am not from New Jersey but he is as close to God without actually meeting him that I know of . If Bon Jovi put his name in the ballot box for President he would have my vote .
I heard this song for the first time in a ‘Miami Vice’ episode featuring Willie Nelson. Fell in love with it right then and there.
Oh, the 80s power ballad. Love it!
OMG! Bon Jovi is my favorite rock of all time. When I was a teenager, we listened to them all the time! As a black female coming of age in the late 80's and 90's, I had a great mixture of friends. They introduced us to Bon Jovi , etc, and we introduced them to Dana Dane, etc. Lololol! We all drove together to our technical school every day, 10th, 12th and 12th grades!! Wonderful times!!!
I'm so glad you got to this one. You've talked often on your channel about being a touring performer so I knew you'd appreciate the meaning behind this song and that you totally would get it. This really is an anthem for anyone who has lived that life because it can speak across genres. Good choice man.
I can never hear this song without being reminded of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog interviewing them. One of the funniest things I've ever seen and made them so much cooler in my eyes.
I think this song describes how grueling it is for musicians on the road. The band members are exhausted and still the fans want more and more. The band is wanted "dead" or "alive" by their adoring fans and the music industry. It explains what a toll the lifestyle takes.
Saw them in concert with Cinderella back in the day. 😊
Bon Jovi gave Cinderella a shoe box of a stage and Cinderella still blew them away in stage presence.
I did too!
Same. I was in 8th grade
I saw them open for Ratt.
@lisacook9482 I went to that concert back in the day when they hit Va. That concert was one of my favorite nights of my life .
It's the Opening Song on Harley Davidson & Marlboro Man When Harley Gets on his Knockelhead and rides from LA to Vegas. On a Steel horse I ride is referring to a Bike.
By the time he released this song, he is still horse had wings on it, and he was flying to concerts. It was also featured in the movies Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, and Wild Hogs.
Deadliest Catch tv show had this playing on their intro. It really fit the show. Love Bon Jovi.
Thank you for that. Right now, I was 9 years again and in love with my very first fav band. Spot on about the interpretation, and since know has mentioned it in the last comments: the deliberate cowboy reference comes from JBJ being a true Western genre fan. Hence the whole soundtrack for Young Guns II, several times referenced below.
Further, this reference portrays a very real aspect of Bon Jovi's reality in the 80s. Back in the days, their manager Doc McGee, never let them have a break; thus, they had been constantly touring and putting out records, which almost destroyed them in '89, after they played 232 shows in 1 1/2 yrs.
About it being fresh, since COVID I noticed a lot of bands calling it quits after yrs of constantly touring. They toured before, but it appears, since the 2 yr-break in concerts, ppl have lost interest in the smaller shows. Many get cancelled. In addition, ticket prices went up and even small gigs are affected by that. In this age of social media and touring has become a luxury that bands cannot afford, this is the age of single stars. Bands are dying like flies. It's harder to make a living if you have to split the fee through 4 or 5 ppl. Furthermore, small acts have to play shows every day because everyday without a show means costs w/o earning fees. Even worse, most bands drive themselves, so, directly after exhausting themselves on the road, they have to perform. So this songs is such an epic hymn.
As an artist, you know that yourself and I don't want to sound like a smartass. I just want to provide food for thought and hope bands won't die out. Especially Rock'n'Roll. ;-)
Jon is an amazing lyricist. The entire band is so talented. As others have said, I recommend checking out "Blaze of Glory," Jon's solo project.
The entire album is great, I never skipped a song.
This song has been the theme song for 'Deadliest Catch' since the show started.
I became a fan when I heard their first album in 1984. My all time favorite band!!! I absolutely love the Guitar player, Richie Sambora!
My favourite ever Bon Jovi song, seen them live in Manchester when I was a kid, it was incredible
My absolutely favourite band. No one say anything bad about them. 💙💙
YES!!! This was one of my song suggestions! Bon Jovi had so many big hits. This is one of my favorites!
A steel horse is actually a motorcycle. For years, that's what they used to call a motorcycle was a steel horse. And since motorcycles have nowhere to put a guitar, the musician would flip the guitar around to his back ( a loaded 6-string on my back) to drive town to town performing.
I am 53 years old. Bon Jovi and Def Leppard have always been my favorite bands. I think you should react to "Lay Your Hands on Me".
The video shows the energy from their live shows. And its a great song!
I think at 53, we are the ones who got the best of Bon Jovi, right from the beginning.
@@blonette828 I saw them open for Ratt on the 7800' tour, then for 38 Special on the first leg of the SWW tour.
This is my favorite song of all time. And that guitar solo, uffff, specially hearing it played live is something else. So cool the reference to the life of a cowboy as the life on the road for a rock band. Great lyrics.
Great song, my favorite from Bon Jovi. I think you're spot-on with the parellels between life as an outlaw and as a rock star. Theres also a bit of sad disconnect in this song, in that "dead or alive" seems to mean that real connections to people aren't part of life on the road, and its his star image that people want ... the man himself is not what sells tickets. All that adoration is superficial and based on what he does, not who he is off stage.
Funny story. When I was in high school, a classmate told me, "I saw you in that Bon Jovi video yesterday." I was like, "What?" He explained that there's concert footage in the latest Bon Jovi video and they captured me in it. Uh, I have never been to a Bon Jovi concert. My teenaged doppelganger is in this video (3:33 time code for this reaction video). That ain't me, but that is exactly what I looked like in the late 80s. It still doesn't make me a Bon Jovi fan...
Wow. You really put a lot of thought into that. I've always loved Bon Jovi's music, but I've never really thought any deeper into the song.
It was one of the soundtracks for movie- Young Guns, the story of Billy the Kid. The other song Blaze of Glory is another soundtrack for the movie and you should listen to that as well- soooo gooood.
I think the show Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel used this song for the opening. Which is great show if you’ve ever done seeeeent it before. This songs amazing. Glad you’re checking this beast out!
For many years this was the theme song to the "Deadliest Catch" A show on Crab boat fishing on Discovery channel. Very fitting
One of my favorite Bon Jovi tracks ever. A cool tale of life on the road as an artist...especially via the lyrics.
Steel horses are motorcycles.
Really? Thought they were Tour Busses as they take them from City to City with the whole band.
Where'd ya get motorcycles from?
The engine under the hood of a vehicle has a reference to horse power. His metaphor is correct any way you look at it.
In this song it was limos, airplanes, steel elevators.....
@@brandonpuckrin7514 um... you're linking it to the video, clearly, but "steel horses" was a known term rockers used for their motorcycles back then (and a while before). the lyrics were written, probably, with him on a bike in mind - and then for the video it was decided to use the tour bus and plane instead, to make it about the whole of the band.
Iron Horse is the old term in rock and roll for motorcycles. Thinking Motörhead's song 'Iron Horse'
Jon Bon Jovi has always been a fan of country western music and it showed on 'Wanted dead or alive' in 1986... His 1990 solo album 'Blaze of Glory' was the soundtrack album for the cowboy western movie 'Young Guns II'...
Decades later, Bon Jovi released a country album 'Lost Highway' in 2007... after the band scored a crossover country hit in 2005 - "Who says you can't go home" feat. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.
"I've seen a million faces, and I rocked them all" - one of the most memorable lines ever.
Just a side comment. Jon Bon Jovi was the father in the movie Pay it forward. Good movie.
This is the song that is used as the opening song on "Deadliest Catch" Awesome.
I was in the regiment at this time and this song was hitting hard at front street and all over America...😉
Man, the Memories this song brings! I was 14 the summer it was released and went to Hawaii with the Junior High School I attended. What a great time to be Alive, the 80's were AWESOME.
I get the same chills and feeling in my gut every time I hear this song played, a flood of Wonderful Memories with many Great Friends, many who have since left this life.
Thanx Hermano, for doing this one!
I loved going to concerts back in the 80s and 90s. I don’t know if they’ll ever be concerts like that again.
Jon wrote this as an ode to the outlaws of the Old West and also out of inspiration from Turn the Page by Bob Seger. It was not in Young Guns ii despite what folks misremember. Emilio Estevez wanted it for the film but Jon said it didn't fit and wrote Blaze of Glory for it instead.😊
They did an acoustic version at either the Grammys or the AMA awards. It's worth a listen
That accoustic MTV performance was the inspiration for the MTV Unplugged series.
This might be my favorite Bon Jovi song.
My friend and I were at a Bon Jovi concert and ended up in Circus Circus nagazine in a photo from the concert. It was so cool back then. Couldn’t care less now though. 😂
If you have not done a reaction to it yet, Jon Bon Jovi as a solo act has a song and video "Blaze of Glory" that is in the same vein and really awesome.
This was one of favorite bands growing up and I have shared it with my daughters and my youngest is obsessed with their song you give love a bad name and has their slippery when wet album
There's nothing better than being in a stadium on a clear blue sky evening, with 30,000 people screaming this song back to the band being complimented by Bon Jovi that it felt like a concert in his home town, some 14,000 km away. A special evening, even if I had ringing ears for a day or two after.
It's a double entendre for sure. Oh, and the "steel horse" they refer to is a motorcycle (most likely a Harley), and the outlaw bikers who ride them. Great song, great reaction. Peace out! ✌😎
Bon Jovi has been my favorite since I heard his first song. My husband and I bonded because I told him that I loved the song It's My Life and he pulled out the CD to play for me in his truck on our first date. Dead or Alive is among his best songs, but I also love Living on a Prayer, Bad Medicine, You Give Love a Bad Name, Have a Nice Day, and Who Says You Can't Go Home. That's still just a few.
It's one of the greatest rock songs ever made.
I was so in love with Jon Bon Jovi! One of the greatest groups with banger after banger! We had such great music!❤
One of my all-time Bon Jovi songs!! There's soo many to pick from!! ❤ I always thought the steel horse was the tour bus? Or an airplane??
Thanks for this whole new appreciation for the song. I thought this was from young guns but it’s blaze of glory. Love the way this describes the rock and roll lifestyle and toll it can have
Love me some Bon Jovi, this is a great tune from an incredibly talented group! So many hits, this is a band that worked their tails off, and it paid them back in spades! There is an old VH1 Behind The Music video on them you should check out! Thanks B.P.👍💕
The documentary on Hulu is OUTSTANDING. 4 episodes of pure nostalgia and emotion.
@@woodrowdixon1543 Thanks! Have you seen the Behind the Music that I mentioned here?
This song is amazing live!!!!!!! Loved Bon Jovi for 40 yrs!!!!
Very successful band!! Each of these guys brought their incredible talents to the table!! They put on an Awesome live show. It was absolutely everything I expected and more. Love me some Jon and Richie harmonizing. They sound great together!! Ignore the haters and enjoy what you love! Life is too short to be bitter, jealous, hateful and angry all the time.
I think your assessment of the lyrics is spot on!!!
Bon Jovi is a great band they have some fantastic songs
One of the all time greats.
How could you never hear this? Lol
I have literally heard this thousands of times without even meaning to😆
My favorite Bon Jovi song❤❤❤❤
Discovery's Deadliest Catch used this for the show....and MAN IT FIT!!!!!!
Bon Jovi is an absolutely incredible artist. I like basically everything of his I’ve heard of his.
I love that you got that "Steel Horse - Plane, Tour Buses, Vans, Cars, even the Elevator, LOL. I always imagined that he was sitting backstage after a show and the manager or the promoter is telling him to hurry up because they had to get to the next city, and Bon Jovi is like I am dying here (exhausted) and the manager says to him it doesn't matter they want you dead or alive. As he calmly walks out the door. Thus a song was born, lol.
That actually seems pretty plausible. Similar to how “Life in the Fast Lane” came up from the Eagles. Story goes Glen Frey was riding with their dealer at the time and was speeding through the streets in LA and when Glen asked him what he was doing the guy just grinned and said “Life in the fast lane baby, life in the fast lane.”
One of the best rock songs ever! Richie (lead guitar) & Jon played this acoustically on the MTV awards and from it came the show UNPLUGGED! Seeing these guys live was an experience. So great live and such a fantastic show. Check out Richie Sambora solo with a song called - "Ballad of Youth". People don't understand the contribution of Richie to this band. Jon gets a lot of the credit, which he deserves, but Richie was a partner in the song writing and his backing vocals & harmonies make these songs special, just like Michael Anthony did for Van Halen. Bon Jovi has not been the same since Richie left the band.
Glad you got to this on your channel. This and
" My Life" are his best!
This song is the team song for the TV show "The Deadliest Catch".
This was the music I grew up with!!! Bon Jovi, guns and roses ect... Axel Rose from guns and roses actually went to a high-school only 35 miles from where I live in Indiana.
Bon Jovi admitted what was its motivation of this song was Bob Seger Turn the page about being on the road. Also Deadliest Catch uses the guitar intro, and mtv show unplugged was created thom there mtv acustic performance of this song.
You nailed it! You picked up the meanings and double entendres of the lyrics! Awesome
My favorite Bon Jovi song.
Their best by far imo 👌