Jon Bon Jovi discussed the stories behind the band’s biggest hits and revealed a disagreement with former guitarist Richie Sambora over a lyric in “It’s My Life” that references Frank Sinatra, speaking on Before The Moment with Nile Rodgers.
Bon Jovi explained how his songs draw from universal human experiences. He focused on how “Living on a Prayer” and “It’s My Life” both became anthems because listeners saw themselves in the stories.
“So why is Living on a Prayer Living on a Prayer?” Jon Bon Jovi said. “I can tell you why. Because it’s an age-old story that’s Shakespearean, boy meets girl, boy, you know, aspires to Romeo and Juliet and how to find it and make it work. And then anyone, everyone that’s ever heard that song goes, that’s me, right?”
He then turned to “It’s My Life” and its connection to Sinatra’s classic “My Way.” “You know, ‘It’s My Life’ did the same kind of thing,” Bon Jovi continued. “_It’s my life now or never_. And it becomes those characters. I say like Frankie said it was Mr. Sinatra, right? Like ‘Frankie said, I did it my way and I’m going to live while I’m alive cuz it’s my life,’ right? And I fought with Richie over that line. And Richie Sambora, who was the guitar player, he said, ‘No one’s going to know that you’re talking about Frank Sinatra.’ I said, ‘I have to sing it every night.’ And he says, ‘Touche.'”
Bon Jovi explained why the Sinatra reference mattered to him. “And I knew what it was about. And the bottom line is that the audience made Frank not Frank Sinatra but their buddy, their brother, them and when people wrap themselves in those characters and it becomes some kind of a rallying cry. Magic happens. So it’s good storytelling.”
These reflections came as Bon Jovi talked about what makes his band’s most successful songs resonate with audiences around the world.
The Sinatra reference held deep personal meaning for Bon Jovi, who is from New Jersey like the legendary singer. When Bon Jovi recorded the album Crush, Frank Sinatra had recently passed away, and Bon Jovi saw the singer as his role model. He insisted on including the reference despite Sambora’s concerns that audiences would not care about Sinatra.
“It’s My Life” was co-written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin and released on May 23, 2000, as the lead single from the band’s seventh studio album. The song became a defining hit that revived their career and broadened their audience, reaching number one across many countries. The track also references the same fictional working-class couple, Tommy and Gina, that Bon Jovi and Sambora had written about in 1986’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
Sambora remained with the band for over a decade after “It’s My Life” became a hit. In 2013, he suddenly left the group hours before a scheduled performance in Calgary. In the documentary “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” Sambora later said, “I don’t regret leaving the situation, but I regret how I did it, so I want to apologize fully right now to the fans, especially, and also to the guys.” Phil X took on the role of guitarist after Sambora’s departure.
