Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)
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| "Wanted Dead or Alive" | ||
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| Single by Bon Jovi | ||
| from the album Slippery When Wet | ||
| B-side(s) | "Never Say Goodbye"/"I'd Die For You" | |
| Released | 1987 | |
| Format | CD Single | |
| Recorded | 1986 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 5:08 | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Writer(s) | Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora | |
| Producer(s) | Bruce Fairbairn | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Bon Jovi singles chronology | ||
| "Livin' on a Prayer" (1987) | "Wanted Dead or Alive" (1987) | "Never Say Goodbye" (1987) |
Wanted Dead or Alive is a song from Bon Jovi's 1986 album Slippery When Wet. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and was released in 1987 as the album's third single. It was directly inspired by the Ratt song Wanted Man.[citation needed] The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the third single from the album to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100.
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[edit] Lyrical Interpretation
The song is about the band's ups and downs of life on the road and in the public eye, as evidenced by lines such as "Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days/the people I meet always go their separate ways."
The song's title pays homage to Jon's admiration for Old West heroes, and how he identifies with them as being both liked (wanted alive) and hated (wanted dead). On the band's Behind the Music special on VH1, it is even revealed that the band had originally planned to do an Old West-themed album in the 1980s, but scrapped the idea.
[edit] Video
The video for the song is black and white and features footage from the band's massive 1986-1987 world tour, including shots from Chicago's UIC Pavilion, Rochester, MN's Mayo Civic Center, and other venues. The video strongly captures the grueling life-on-the-road feeling, with several shots of the exhausted band members on their mammoth 1986-87 Sippery When Wet World Tour.
[edit] Post 9/11 Significance
After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the song became a patriotic American anthem, as President George W. Bush declared Osama bin Laden "wanted dead or alive." The song was performed as part of a medley in The Concert for New York City.
[edit] Notable Covers
In 2006, the song was covered by Chris Daughtry on the the fifth season of American Idol and later by Daughtry on the American Idol Season 5: Encores CD. His version went to #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 the first week of its release. He had also managed to beat out Taylor Hicks' version of "Takin' It to the Streets" which debuted at #69 that same week.
Chris Cagle also performed a cover of the song on his 2005 album "Anywhere But Here". The song was also covered in a bluegrass genre on the 2005 album "Wanted: Pickin' on Chris Cagle - A Bluegrass Tribute".
Montgomery Gentry covered the song on the 2001 album "Dancin' With Thunder: The Official Music of the PBR".
[edit] Trivia
- The song is also the theme song for the Discovery Channel documentary series "Deadliest Catch".
- Due to its amazing popularity, Jon Bon Jovi declares this song to be their national anthem in some of their concerts today.
