It's My Life (Bon Jovi song)
Encyclopedia
"It's My Life" is Bon Jovi
's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi
, Richie Sambora
, and Max Martin
. The song hit #1 across several countries (although it only reached #33 in the US). However, it has the distinction of being the only song from a band once classified as 1980s hair metal to reach the top 40 in the 21st century, a testament to how the song managed to introduce the band to a new, younger fanbase. The song is arguably their biggest post-1980s hit single and has been performed live at almost all shows since its release.
, and a line in the second verse "For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down" refers to Tommy and Gina, a fictional working class
couple that Bon Jovi and Sambora first wrote about in the 1986 classic "Livin' on a Prayer
."
"It's My Life" is also notable for its line referencing Frank Sinatra
: "My heart is like an open highway / Like Frankie said / I did it 'My Way
'." Jon Bon Jovi
and Richie Sambora
apparently had a disagreement over those lines, with Bon Jovi recalling:
. Will Estes
(as Tommy) and Shiri Appleby
(as Gina) are the two main characters (as it says in the lyrics "for Tommy and Gina, who never back down". At the beginning, Tommy is watching a video of a Bon Jovi concert on his computer. Gina calls, and during the whole video, Tommy runs through the streets of Los Angeles
up to the concert, getting chased by dog
s, running a marathon
, posing for pictures, and jackknifing a truck. The video was inspired by the movie Run Lola Run
. Jon Bon Jovi met Will Estes on the set of U-571 and chose him to be in the video. The music video features the 2nd Street Tunnel
as one of the main settings.
German CD Single Pt. 1 (562754)
(Released: May 23, 2000)
UK CD Single Pt. 1 (562752)
(Released: 2000)
Australian CD Single (562756)
(Released: May 23, 2000)
German CD Single Pt. 2 (562755)
(Released: May 23, 2000)
UK CD Single Pt. 2 (562768)
(Released: 2000)
Dutch CD Single (9815274)
(Released: January 26, 2004)
ballad
version of the song is featured on Bon Jovi's 2003 album This Left Feels Right
, a collection of their greatest hits that were readapted into new formats. This version was also released as a single.
Nominated:
|-
! Year (2000–2009)
! Position
|-
|German Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|53
|-
|-
!align="left"|Country
! style="text-align:center;"|Certification
! style="text-align:center;"|Sales/Shipments
|-
|align="left"|Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|70,000
|-
|align="left"|Austria
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|30,000
|-
|align="left"|France
| style="text-align:center;"|Silver
| style="text-align:center;"|125,000
|-
|align="left"|Germany
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|500,000
|-
|align="left"|Netherlands
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|40,000
|-
|align="left"|Sweden
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|20,000
|-
|align="left"|Switzerland
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|50,000
|}
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
, and Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
. The song hit #1 across several countries (although it only reached #33 in the US). However, it has the distinction of being the only song from a band once classified as 1980s hair metal to reach the top 40 in the 21st century, a testament to how the song managed to introduce the band to a new, younger fanbase. The song is arguably their biggest post-1980s hit single and has been performed live at almost all shows since its release.
Background
The song has many classic Bon Jovi features, such as Sambora's use of the talk boxTalk box
A talk box is an effects unit that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of the mouth...
, and a line in the second verse "For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down" refers to Tommy and Gina, a fictional working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
couple that Bon Jovi and Sambora first wrote about in the 1986 classic "Livin' on a Prayer
Livin' on a Prayer
"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band...
."
"It's My Life" is also notable for its line referencing Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
: "My heart is like an open highway / Like Frankie said / I did it 'My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
'." Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
and Richie Sambora
Richie Sambora
Richard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
apparently had a disagreement over those lines, with Bon Jovi recalling:
Response from fans
The song became an anthem that appealed to many fans. As Jon Bon Jovi later stated:Music video
The music video was directed by Wayne IshamWayne Isham
Wayne Isham is an American music video director who has directed music videos of many popular artists; such as Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Roxette, Mötley Crüe, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Whitesnake, David Cook, Simple Plan, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys,...
. Will Estes
Will Estes
Will Estes is an American actor best known for his role as JJ Pryor, on the NBC drama American Dreams. In 2010, he joined the cast of Tom Selleck's new CBS police drama Blue Bloods...
(as Tommy) and Shiri Appleby
Shiri Appleby
Shiri Freda Appleby is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her leading role as Liz Parker in the television series Roswell...
(as Gina) are the two main characters (as it says in the lyrics "for Tommy and Gina, who never back down". At the beginning, Tommy is watching a video of a Bon Jovi concert on his computer. Gina calls, and during the whole video, Tommy runs through the streets of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
up to the concert, getting chased by dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, running a marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
, posing for pictures, and jackknifing a truck. The video was inspired by the movie Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run is a 1998 German crime thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtreu as Manni. The story follows a woman who needs to obtain 100,000 German marks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend's life...
. Jon Bon Jovi met Will Estes on the set of U-571 and chose him to be in the video. The music video features the 2nd Street Tunnel
2nd Street Tunnel
The 2nd Street Tunnel is a widely filmed and photographed tunnel on 2nd Street under Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has been described as "the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have never heard of"...
as one of the main settings.
Track listings and versions
Major formats released for "It's My Life":German CD Single Pt. 1 (562754)
(Released: May 23, 2000)
- "It's My Life" (Main version) — 3:46
- "Hush" (Demo version) — 3:48
- "You Can't Lose at Love" (Demo version) — 4:44
- "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" (Enhanced Video Clip)
-
- Recorded live at the Sanctuary II, New Jersey Web Concert on February 10, 1999. Directed by Tony Bongiovi.
UK CD Single Pt. 1 (562752)
(Released: 2000)
- "It's My Life" (Main version) — 3:46
- "Hush" (Demo version) — 3:48
- "You Can't Lose at Love" (Demo version) — 4:44
-
- Includes Poster.
Australian CD Single (562756)
(Released: May 23, 2000)
- "It's My Life" (Main version) — 3:46
- "Hush" (Demo version) — 3:48
- "You Can't Lose at Love" (Demo version) — 4:44
- "I Don't Want to Live Forever" (Demo version) — 4:27
- "Someday I'll Be Saturday NightSomeday I'll Be Saturday Night"Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" is a single by American Rock band Bon Jovi. It is taken from their greatest hits album Cross Road and reached #7 in the UK Top 40.-Lyrical content:Someday I'll Be Saturday Night is about optimism in the face of adversity...
" (Enhanced Video Clip)
-
- Recorded live at the Sanctuary II, New Jersey Web Concert on February 10, 2000. Directed by Tony BongioviTony BongioviTony Bongiovi is a record producer and recording engineer with expertise in Electrical & Acoustical Engineering. He helped to remodel an old building in Manhattan—once a power plant for Edison, and later a television studio—into the Power Station recording studio in 1977.Bongiovi was born in the...
.
- Recorded live at the Sanctuary II, New Jersey Web Concert on February 10, 2000. Directed by Tony Bongiovi
German CD Single Pt. 2 (562755)
(Released: May 23, 2000)
- "It's My Life" (Dave Bascombe Mix) — 3:44
- "Temptation" (Demo version) — 3:48
- "I Don't Want to Live Forever" (Demo version) — 4:27
- "Livin' on a PrayerLivin' on a Prayer"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band...
" (Enhanced Video Clip)
-
- Recorded live at the Sanctuary II, New Jersey Web Concert on February 10, 2000.
UK CD Single Pt. 2 (562768)
(Released: 2000)
- "It's My Life" (Dave Bascombe Mix) — 3:44
- "Temptation" (Demo version) — 3:48
- "I Don't Want to Live Forever" (Demo version) — 4:27
- "It's My Life" (Enhanced Video Clip)
Dutch CD Single (9815274)
(Released: January 26, 2004)
- "It's My Life" (Acoustic version) — 3:41
- "Wanted Dead or AliveWanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)-Music Video:The video for the song is black and white and features footage from the band's massive 1986-1987 world tour, including shots from Chicago's UIC Pavilion, Rochester, Minnesota's Mayo Civic Center, Denver, Colorado's McNichols Arena, Pittsburgh, PA F. Pitt Tunnel and Pittsburgh Skyline...
" (Demo version) — 3:42 - "Joey" (Live version) — 5:03
-
- Recorded live on January 19, 2003 in Yokohama ArenaYokohama Arenais an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
- Recorded live on January 19, 2003 in Yokohama Arena
- 4. "Wanted Dead or Alive" (Enhanced Video Clip)
Official versions and remixes
The following versions and remixes were commercially released.- Main version — 3:46
- Acoustic version — 3:41
- Dave Bascombe Mix — 3:44
Acoustic version
A much slower, acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
version of the song is featured on Bon Jovi's 2003 album This Left Feels Right
This Left Feels Right
UK Bonus TracksJapan Bonus TracksBrazil Bonus Tracks-New songs:Two new songs, "Last Man Standing" and "Thief of Hearts", were written and recorded for inclusion of the album. "Last Man Standing" was a song revealing lead singer Jon Bon Jovi's anger toward the state of the music industry...
, a collection of their greatest hits that were readapted into new formats. This version was also released as a single.
Awards
Won:- "Video Of The Year" at the VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
My Music Awards - Chosen as one of the greatest songs of the year at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards
Nominated:
- "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" at the Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s - "Best Rock Song" at the Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s
Weekly charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
1 |
| Belgian (Flemish) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
1 |
| Belgian (Wallon) Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
6 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
17 |
| Dutch Singles Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
1 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 1 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 6 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
14 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
2 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 |
| Italian FIMI Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
33 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Top 40 | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 11 |
Annual charts
| Country | Position | Weeks on chart |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 24 | 16 |
| Austria | 2 | 34 |
| Belgium (Flanders) | 8 | 21 |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 19 | 19 |
| France | 29 | 38 |
| Germany | 5 | 31 |
| Sweden | 5 | 21 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 33 |
Decade-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
! Year (2000–2009)
! Position
|-
|German Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|53
|-
Certifications
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
!align="left"|Country
! style="text-align:center;"|Certification
! style="text-align:center;"|Sales/Shipments
|-
|align="left"|Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|70,000
|-
|align="left"|Austria
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|30,000
|-
|align="left"|France
| style="text-align:center;"|Silver
| style="text-align:center;"|125,000
|-
|align="left"|Germany
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|500,000
|-
|align="left"|Netherlands
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|40,000
|-
|align="left"|Sweden
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|20,000
|-
|align="left"|Switzerland
| style="text-align:center;"|Platinum
| style="text-align:center;"|50,000
|}
Cover versions
- Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
covered the song on his 2005 album Rock SwingsRock SwingsRock Swings is an album by Paul Anka. Recorded in November 2004 and released on May 31, 2005 in Canada and June 7, 2005 in the United States, it contains swing jazz covers of popular rock and pop songs from the 1980s and 1990s....
. - Live version of the song appears on UkrainianUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
pop singer Ani LorakAni LorakKarolina Miroslavivna Kuiek, , popularly known as Ani Lorak , born 27 September 1978, Kitsman, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, is a famous Ukrainian pop singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and former UN Goodwill Ambassador...
's 2007 album 1515 (Ani Lorak album)15 is the tenth album by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ani Lorak, released by Lavina Music.-Track listing:# S Pervogo Vzglada # Sem Vetrov # Ukpadi ...
. - The song was performed by the male cast in an episode of the TV series GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, as a mashupMashup (music)A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
with Usher'sUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
"Confessions Part IIConfessions Part II"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album Confessions. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregnated mistress, a continuation of "Confessions Part I"...
". - Ella ChenElla ChenChen Chia-Hwa , more commonly credited as Ella, is the oldest member of the Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. Her name 'Ella', which means courage, was given after the personality test given by HIM Management Co....
, a member of Taiwanese girl band S.H.E, performed it on their N-Age Genesis Concert in Tainan N-age (美麗新世界演唱會) on August 24, 2002 - This was used in a Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
commercial in the south Asian countries
External links
- Bon Jovi — Official Website.
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