How Jon Bon Jovi Allowed ‘Ms. Marvel’ To Use ‘Livin’ On A Prayer,’ The Director Explains
In a recent exclusive interview with PopSugar, ‘Ms. Marvel’s director Meera Menon revealed that she wrote Bon Jovi a letter to get permission to use the band’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ in the show.
Fans frequently hear their favorite songs played in some TV shows since music is also an essential part of screenwork. Many tracks came before the program they appear on, but some found further fame after being featured in a show. Popular songs are a powerful tool to convey specific emotions in certain scenes of TV shows and fill in the gaps where dialogues can’t.
Like the endless hype around the inclusion of Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets‘ in the final episode of the latest season of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things,’ Bon Jovi made an impression with its ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ making an appearance on ‘Ms. Marvel.’ The song appeared in a colorful wedding scene during episode three of the show. The fans highly praised the musical action scene through their social media posts.
The director of the show, Meera Menon said she was sure she wanted Bon Jovi songs in episode three, so she was ready to do her best to get permission from the band’s lead singer. Thus, she wrote a letter to Jon Bon Jovi explaining her massive admiration for the band.
She also wrote that Bon Jovi means a lot to immigrants from New Jersey who feel strongly connected to American culture and music. The director felt that using Bon Jovi’s music was necessary to deliver the story of the immigrants in the show thoroughly. Jon Bon Jovi was so impressed with the letter that he permitted the inclusion of ‘Livin’ on a Prayer.’
Meera Menon speaking on how she got permission from Jon Bon Jovi:
“We worked with the music supervisors on the show to figure out if we could get rights to Bon Jovi’s music. I wrote a little letter to Bon Jovi explaining how big of a fan I was. I went to his concerts at Giant Stadium when I was a teenager. I think he means a lot to people from New Jersey. But specifically, I wrote that he means a lot to immigrants.
The connection to American pop culture and American pop music that immigrants have is really strong and meaningful. Using his music in the show felt necessary to tell the story of this immigrant family from New Jersey.”
The director also said they thought about other Bon Jovi songs, but ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ was a perfect fit since the episode sees one of the leading female characters’ evolution as a hero.
You can listen to the song below.
