Who Says You Can't Go Home
Encyclopedia
"Who Says You Can't Go Home" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi
and Richie Sambora
for the American rock
band Bon Jovi
's ninth studio album Have a Nice Day
(2005). The song was produced by John Shanks
, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. It was released as the second single
in North America
in the first quarter of 2006
and reached the top 30 on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
singles chart, peaking at #23. Outside North America, "Welcome to Wherever You Are" was released as the second single with "Who Says You Can't Go Home" being released as the album's third release on June 12, 2006. The song reached #5 in the UK, becoming the band's second Top 10 single from the album. A version of the song was also shipped to country music
radio, featuring duet vocals from Jennifer Nettles
of the duo Sugarland and peaked at #1 on the Country charts.
roots. The song was used by the New Jersey
state tourism office in television advertisements.
format as a duet with Jennifer Nettles
, lead singer of the duo Sugarland.
The country music version was originally to have been recorded as a duet with Keith Urban
, who was also to play banjo on the song. After Jon Bon Jovi
decided that Urban's voice was too similar to his own, he asked a representative of Mercury Records
to recommend a female duet partner.
Arena Football League team owned in part by Jon Bon Jovi
, building homes for low-income families and was used to promote the organization while another version of music video features a man in a dog suit. It also received an award for Best Collaborative Video at the CMT Music Awards
in 2006.
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...
for the American 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...
's ninth studio album Have a Nice Day
Have a Nice Day (Bon Jovi album)
Have a Nice Day has mostly received mixed or unfavorable reviews by music critics. It was commonly commented that Jon Bon Jovi was "streching" his lyrical abilities, while the best rating the album has gotten is an 8 out of 10...
(2005). The song was produced by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. It was released as the second 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...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in the first quarter of 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
and reached the top 30 on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
singles chart, peaking at #23. Outside North America, "Welcome to Wherever You Are" was released as the second single with "Who Says You Can't Go Home" being released as the album's third release on June 12, 2006. The song reached #5 in the UK, becoming the band's second Top 10 single from the album. A version of the song was also shipped to country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
radio, featuring duet vocals from Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles is an American country music artist. She is known primarily for her role as lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush. Before Sugarland's inception, she also fronted Atlanta, Georgia-based bands called Soul Miner's Daughter and Jennifer Nettles Band...
of the duo Sugarland and peaked at #1 on the Country charts.
Content
The lyrics to "Who Says You Can't Go Home" reflect on lead-singer Jon Bon Jovi's own personal passion for his community and New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
roots. The song was used by the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
state tourism office in television advertisements.
Country music version
In the United States, a version of the song was released to the country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format as a duet with Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles is an American country music artist. She is known primarily for her role as lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush. Before Sugarland's inception, she also fronted Atlanta, Georgia-based bands called Soul Miner's Daughter and Jennifer Nettles Band...
, lead singer of the duo Sugarland.
The country music version was originally to have been recorded as a duet with Keith Urban
Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, who was also to play banjo on the song. After 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...
decided that Urban's voice was too similar to his own, he asked a representative of Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
to recommend a female duet partner.
Music video
The music video for the country version features Habitat for Humanity volunteers, including members of the Philadelphia SoulPhiladelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
Arena Football League team owned in part 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...
, building homes for low-income families and was used to promote the organization while another version of music video features a man in a dog suit. It also received an award for Best Collaborative Video at the CMT Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
in 2006.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Who Says You Can't Go Home".UK CD single #2
- "Who Says You Can't Go Home" (Radio edit)
- "Last Man Standing" (Live in Boston)
- "Raise Your Hands" (Live in Boston)
- "Who Says You Can't Go Home" music video (dog suit version)
Country version featuring Jennifer Nettles
| Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 7 |
Rock version
| Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 41 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 30 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 36 |
| German Top 100 | 54 |
Awards and achievements
- Won award for "Best Collaborative Video" at the CMT Music AwardsCMT Music AwardsThe CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
in 2006. - Won award for "Favorite Rock Song" at the 33rd People's Choice Awards33rd People's Choice AwardsThe 33rd People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2006, were held on January 9, 2007 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California...
in 2007 - Won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with VocalsGrammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with VocalsThe Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together...
in 2007. - Song has been chosen to group best Country songs of the year - "ASCAP Country Music Awards" in 2006
- Nominated for "Music Event Of The Year" at the Country Music AssociationCountry Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
Awards - Nominated for "Vocal Event Of The Year" at the Academy of Country MusicAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
Awards