Lay Your Hands on Me
Encyclopedia
"Lay Your Hands on Me" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi
and Richie Sambora
and recorded by the American
rock
band Bon Jovi
. It was released in 1989 as the fourth single
from the band's 1988
album New Jersey
. It peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming the band's fourth single from New Jersey to chart in the Top 10 and it also charted at #20 on the Mainstream rock
charts.
and keyboard playing of David Bryan
as well as the chants of the crowd: "hey!", before going into a hard rock song, filled with loud guitar riffs by Richie Sambora
and the husky delivery of lyrics by Jon Bon Jovi
.
By Jon's own admission, this is one of the few Bon Jovi songs that was written from a guitar riff (Jon Bon Jovi's usual style is to begin writing a song with the title). It was written in the studio while they were recording the New Jersey album.
in Tacoma, WA
and the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR
during The Jersey Syndicate Tour. It was also released to home video on New Jersey: The Videos
and Cross Road: The Videos.
with one neck tuned to drop D
and the other tuned to Standard tuning
. Examples of this can be seen in the official video clip, as well as in the Live From London DVD. During the 2000s he began using a single-necked guitar, as can be seen in The Crush Tour
DVD. The song was performed a few times on the Lost Highway Tour.
During recent performances on the The Circle Tour
, the song has been performed with Sambora on lead vocals.
album. The new version is in a laid-back acoustic style, featuring Sambora playing the Mandocello
as the primary instrument. This version was performed at several concerts on the Have a Nice Day Tour
.
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...
and recorded by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Bon Jovi
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...
. It was released in 1989 as the fourth single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the band's 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
album New Jersey
New Jersey (album)
New Jersey is Bon Jovi's fourth album, released on September 19, 1988. The album charted at #1 on The Billboard 200. New Jersey was particularly notable for producing five Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles, the most top ten hits to date for a hard rock album.-Unreleased songs:The album was...
. It peaked at #7 on the 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...
, becoming the band's fourth single from New Jersey to chart in the Top 10 and it also charted at #20 on the Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
charts.
Song structure
The song runs 6 minutes, with a long intro focused on the drum beats of Tico TorresTico Torres
Hector Samuel Juan "Tico" Torres is an American drummer and percussionist for rock band classic, Bon Jovi. He also has taken lead vocals on a song on the box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, as well as backing vocals on a couple of the early Bon Jovi tracks, notably "Born to Be My...
and keyboard playing of David Bryan
David Bryan
David Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
as well as the chants of the crowd: "hey!", before going into a hard rock song, filled with loud guitar riffs by 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 the husky delivery of lyrics 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...
.
By Jon's own admission, this is one of the few Bon Jovi songs that was written from a guitar riff (Jon Bon Jovi's usual style is to begin writing a song with the title). It was written in the studio while they were recording the New Jersey album.
Video
The video for this song was culled from performances at the Tacoma DomeTacoma Dome
The Tacoma Dome is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.-History:...
in Tacoma, WA
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
during The Jersey Syndicate Tour. It was also released to home video on New Jersey: The Videos
New Jersey: The Videos
New Jersey: The Videos is a package featuring all the videos from Bon Jovi's New Jersey album, together with interviews and backstage footage...
and Cross Road: The Videos.
In concert
For live performances through the 80s and 90s, Sambora would use a double neck guitarDouble neck guitar
A multi-neck guitar is a guitar that has multiple fingerboard necks. They exist in both electric and acoustic versions. Although multi-neck guitars are quite common today, they are not by any means a modern invention...
with one neck tuned to drop D
Drop D tuning
Drop D tuning, also known as DADGBE, is an alternate, or scordatura, form of guitar tuning — specifically, a dropped tuning — in which the lowest string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D.- Uses of drop D tuning :In drop D the three bass strings...
and the other tuned to Standard tuning
Standard tuning
In music, standard tuning refers to the typical tuning of a string instrument. This notion is contrary to that of scordatura, i.e. an alternate tuning designated to modify either the timbre or technical capabilities of the desired instrument.-Bowed strings:...
. Examples of this can be seen in the official video clip, as well as in the Live From London DVD. During the 2000s he began using a single-necked guitar, as can be seen in The Crush Tour
The Crush Tour
The Crush Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi. This tour was in support of the bands multi-platinum selling album Crush. This was the bands first tour since their 1995-1996's highly successful These Days Tour. The band played to 1.1 million fans in 40 arena and...
DVD. The song was performed a few times on the Lost Highway Tour.
During recent performances on the The Circle Tour
The Circle Tour
The Circle Tour is a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi. The arena leg of the tour has finished and the stadium run has begun, starting off in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and then heading to East Rutherford, New Jersey for the grand opening of New Meadowlands Stadium...
, the song has been performed with Sambora on lead vocals.
'This Left Feels Right' version
"Lay Your Hands on Me" was re-recorded for 2003's This Left Feels RightThis 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...
album. The new version is in a laid-back acoustic style, featuring Sambora playing the Mandocello
Mandocello
The mandocello is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It has eight strings in four paired courses, tuned in 5ths like a mandolin, but is larger, and tuned CC-GG-dd-aa . It is to the mandolin what the cello is to the violin.-Construction:Mandocello construction is similar to the...
as the primary instrument. This version was performed at several concerts on the Have a Nice Day Tour
Have a Nice Day Tour
The Have a Nice Day Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi. It took place between November 2005 and July 2006 and commenced two months after the release of their ninth studio album Have a Nice Day....
.