#72 - Novocaine

Artist: Bon Jovi
Album: Have A Nice Day
Other Versions: None
Era: Current "power pop rock"

Lyrics

(I didn't even sleep a full two hours. Oh well. Now I'm full of Advil and empty promises to myself to go find a dentist to prescribe me something nice and strong and to not try solid foods again for a couple days)

My second favorite song on HAND. I still can't decide if the reason my top three are the ones connected to David because I'm so in love with David I refuse to like anything better (subconsciously) or if it's a coincidence and David just rocks that hard.

Part of the appeal of HAND to me is it isn't as content as Crush and Bounce. When those two were written, everyone was all happy and in love and there were no huge tragedies in their love lives or other aspects of their lives. That tends to make for boring songwriting, especially for a band whose best work tends to be about heartbreak and optimism in times of not-so-good-ness. There wasn't any not-so-good-ness going on (actually I'm not 100% sure when Tico divorced Eva but I think it was before they started work on Crush because I think he married Maria Alejandra in 2000). Then it comes time to write songs for HAND and David's got some not-so-good-ness going on in his love life and Jon's pissed about politics and I think it charged up the album. I think that's why I like this and "Last Cigarette" most, I know they're rooted in real, honest pain and emotion.

As a general rule I don't like when the vocals are right there at the beginning. I like a nice instrumental build-up to the first verse and then the first verse building into a big chorus. It's the logical part of me, it enjoys the progression. This is an exception. I don't know why, but I really do like the way it starts so suddenly with Jon. Part of it is the absolute brilliance of the "you can take back all the secrets/we'll divide up all the lies" lyric. That's just...mmmm good work.

The use of backing vocals on this one is superb. I love it in the second verse ("let's get things straight" "that's not okay!") and I really love it near the end when they say "walk away" in such a tone that it's almost a taunt.

I like the guitar in the end when Jon's talking (where I have no idea what he's saying. "21st century man gotta get in touch with his...feminine side [mumble mumble mumble] I gotta do [mumble mumble mumble]) because it's the same as in the beginning up to "laugh and cry/live and die/every night" and it hits that logical part of me. And the way the guitar builds up in the chorus, it's like this representation of the pain building up as he's trying harder and harder to convince himself he's not hurting and he keeps failing. So so good.

I didn't pay attention to the drumming until just now trying to write this. I think the instrumentation works as a whole in this one, I don't pick it out as much. But now, paying attention to it, I'm liking it. It's a steady backbone and what's interesting about it is it's a very danceable beat. I like the way this song works as a more fun composition against the very not-fun message. The lyrics are tongue-in-cheek sometimes and it's a not-so-bleak look at a very bleak situation. And even through the tongue-in-cheek-ness, that comes across. This is brilliant, brilliant songwriting. That dancey drumming underscores the cute lyrics, while the guitar underscores the pain. Fucking genius composition.

I'd like to point out that at first I thought this was about Tommy and Gina getting divorced because of the "livin' on a prayer" line. I thought it was an interesting twist in the "saga of Tommy and Gina", but it was just me misreading. Eh, I'm happier with them as a couple than divorced. Wouldn't that be a kick in the ass?

I listened to HAND a lot in the dorm after I got it. This is the only song that stuck with one of my roommates. Stuck with her as in "dammit H(real name censored to keep up the mystique) that freaking Novocaine song is in my head again."

My Rating: 10/10

No real rhyme or reason to tomorrow's vote

• It's My Life
• No Regrets
• Damned
• Save A Prayer

Suggestion: If, when you vote, there's a tie, don't feel obligated to be a tie breaker. Vote for what you want, and add a little note that if it stays a tie you'd prefer Song A. Something like that.

On the to-be-edited list:
Last Cigarette
I Believe
Sleep When I'm Dead
The Answer

Just note it in a comment if there's anything else you'd like to see me expand on more than I did. Some of those older entries (most of them) I did while not listening to the song (now I listen to it three or four times while I'm writing) so there's not as much there.