Bon Jovi Were Born to be Followed

Bon Jovi has a new(ish) song called “We Weren’t Born to Follow”. It is about…well, it is not about conforming. It is about leading, following your dreams, keeping the faith. It’s about admiring those who do some remarkable stuff. Did any of these sound familiar? After all we are talking about a band that has had huge hits that talk about these topics.

Keep The Faith, Living on a Prayer, It’s my life, Everyday, Have a nice day, Undivided…

Sure, they have had massive hits with love songs but I’m not really concerned about those right now. The truth is, love songs are dime a dozen. Yes, Jon is a pretty front man with a lovely voice. But “love” is an overused theme. Sometimes I wish Bon Jovi would stop with the romantic songs. I will always appreciate a good one but it seriously gets boring when more than half the album is filled with them. Want to hear some genuinely heartfelt and under-appreciated Bon Jovi romantic songs? Listen to “(It’s) hard letting you go” from These Days and “You had me from Hello” from Bounce.

So did I strike as an odd Bon Jovi fan, then? Loving the faster songs than the sappy ones? Well, it is a rock-n-roll thing. It’s also a dreamer thing. I am a dreamer. That’s why Bon Jovi is my favorite band. They had faith in themselves and they made it. They have been around for like…well, actually in 5 years, it is going to be 3 decades. They also made some bad songs and choices but all in all, they are strong and they still rock. I guess I can’t blame them for slowing them. The youngest members already hit 47, not that they look it. But they didn’t change the attitude. They still believe in making a difference, following your heart. It’s about how you feel about yourself and not what others think is best for you. What better band to listen to when you need energy and motivation?

Is their sound formulated? Do their songs sound similar to each other? Maybe. For diversity, you can listen to their different albums. But the soul will always be there. Did Green Day ever have a song that you thought sounded like someone else? As creative as they are, I can smell a Red Hot Chilli Peppers song from a mile away. And it’s great. It’s style. It is unique to them. I am glad Bon Jovi does the dream theme. They do it better and more than anybody else. Somebody has to remind people that anything is possible, not forgetting the perfect guitar riff that goes with it. It is not just about love or depression, dancing or getting into the groove or relationships…

I haven’t given up on my dreams. I am getting closer to them. And if I feel like, I am far off…well, I have my medicine. It is called Bon Jovi. And they were definitely born to be followed.