Richie Sambora Discloses Inspiration Behind Lyrics Of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer”

During an appearance on the November 12 episode of the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora shared insight into the creation of the group’s hit single, “Livin’ on a Prayer.” When the tune was initially released in 1986, it topped the charts in the U.S., U.K., Canada, New Zealand, and Norway, becoming the group’s second consecutive No. 1 hit, following “You Give Love a Bad Name.” “A good song is a good song,” the 65-year-old musician recalls of the “Livin’ on a Prayer” sessions, which was written by Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi, and Desmond Child. Sambora revealed the inspiration for some of the memorable characters in the tune. “Tommy was actually my Uncle Sal, who got laid off and worked on the docks,” Sambora said. “And my dad was laid off at the same time in New Jersey. So it kind of morphed into a story about the economic times. I think it’s a lot of people’s story.” (People)