#105 - I'd Die For You

Artist: Bon Jovi
Album: Slippery When Wet
Other Versions: Acoustic Yokohama 1996
Era: Late 80s "hair metal"

I fell in love with this one right from the first time I heard it. It's got prominent keyboards, anthemic sing-a-long-able vocals, strong backing vocals, pounding drumming, and just a touch of pretentiousness. Good deal.

This is some of David's best keyboard work, hands down. It's vaguely reminiscent of "Runaway", but updated a little, toned down a little, so you get that cool recognizable synthy keyboard sound but not so over-the-top. It's very definitely 80s, but it isn't "haha this is terrible" 80s.

This pre-chorus is some of the best writing they've ever done. It's so big and singable, and it gets that way without resorting to cheesy simplicity. It's a bit smarter than the average hair metal sing along song, but not so smart as to sound like they're trying. It's different and creative and the backing vocals are excellent. Great, great fling your arms out and belt it chunk of song.

Lyrically, the chorus is terrible. "Hey, let's rhyme lie, die, and cry. No one's done that, right? And just for kicks, we'll rhyme you, you, and you." Simplicity is fine, but that's so overkill. The thing is, it doesn't negatively affect the song too much, because that pre-chorus gets you singing so much you don't even notice what utter crap you're singing next.

I have a hard time listening to the acoustic version of this for the same reason I have a hard time listening to "Wanted Dead or Alive" - David. Not that the piano ruins the songs for me, far far from it. It's atmospheric and it gets right to me and really I have a hard time focusing on anything else. And then I get thinking about how fucking talented David is, how integral he is to the Bon Jovi sound - subtle as his parts are sometimes, there are very few songs where you wouldn't notice at all if the keyboards were completely removed - and what a raw deal he gets. And that's no one's fault, it's the nature of the beast. Rock keyboardists just don't garner that much attention. It's just a shitty situation - if fame were doled out based on sheer talent, so much more attention would be paid to him. It's a minor injustice, in the scheme of things, but it bugs me. I'd love for a song David co-wrote to become a huge hit, I'd love for him to release a solo album that makes people go "holy shit that keyboard guy is awesome", but it's not likely to happen. Feh.

Bitching aside, the acoustic version is gorgeous, and this is a song I never would have thought would lend itself to that kind of mellow slowness well. It works, because there's honest emotion in the lyrics and when it's stripped down that all comes through very clearly. At the heart of this synth keyboard/weedly wee guitar/poundy drum/hollered vocals rock anthem is a very simple, very sweet love song.

My Rating: 9/10

Yeah, I just did a solo song yesterday, and a semi-solo song a couple days before that. But eh, I'm obviously in a David mood.

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