#20 - Ride Cowboy Ride

Artist: Bon Jovi
Album: New Jersey
Other Versions: No official ones, although on Access All Areas the lyrics are slightly different
Era: late 80s "hair metal"

Lyrics

This is a good song to get stuck in your head. It's short and the lyrics are fairly simple and easy to remember. That's always a good thing.

At first I thought this song was awfully out of place on the anthemic power-party-rock album that is New Jersey, even placed as it was leading into the other cowboy song, Stick to Your Guns. For those of you keeping score at home, that's 3 cowboy songs on two albums so far. I'd invent the "Jon Bon Jovi Cowboy Fetish" drinking game but I don't ever want Blaze of Glory to be fatal.

But it makes sense when you look at the broader picture of Bon Jovi's whole career. They have, since Slippery at least, tried very hard to not get pigeonholed as simply a fun hair metal band with no substance like many of their counterparts. This is one of those attempts to back up their claims - something with meaning, substance, and real musical ability.

In my opinion, they succeeded. It's a nice song, really well put together lyrically, and the simpleness of the two acoustic guitars shows they don't need the synths and screaming to be good. Points off for the faux poor quality, though. It makes it a bit less enjoyable for me to listen to.

My Rating: 7/10

Edited 3/25/06: Added lyrics