Yes, yes I know, Bon Jovi aren’t exactly credible. They’re not great art. They haven’t the integrity of a Radiohead or the originality of a David Bowie. They’re not even a rock band (no really, listen to them closely, even their most ‘glam metal’ songs are actually country).
They are however, masters at creating a ‘by-the-numbers’ song that ticks all the boxes those interminable songwriting books and websites say you should tick.
What’s more, despite the cheesiness, there are some genius ideas in some of their work.
Here’s the video for ‘Lie to Me’, from ‘These Days,’ their best and most blatantly country album.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHEw_oPgT80]
One fantastic detail about this song is how it’s arranged. There’s something new happening in almost every section. Here’s a list:
Intro/verse one.
Obviously everything’s new here. Keys and Vox, but then a guitar strum halfway through.
Into verse two:
Bass and drums, plus a little backing vocal motif.
Chorus:
Harmony vocals, but still low in Jon Bon Jovi’s register.
Into vere 3:
Backing ‘Hey’s and a guitar fill, then a backing vocal line from Sambora
Chorus 2:
Now Jon’s at the top part of his register. He always sings up here, especially in these ‘heartfelt’ moments.
Bridge:
Break for the keys, and then into a Sambora solo. Its actually okay. Sambora has a habit of not quite bending to the note in his solos, but I like this.
Middle section:
A bit more rocky than the rest of the song, a very effective contrast
Last chorus:
Those voices are really straining with emotion now. Oh, and its a double chorus!
Outro
This video doesn’t have the full outro, but you get the idea: no new material except for semi-improv repetitions of the phrase ‘lie to me’.
On the whole, whatever you think of the song, you can’t deny that it’s arranged well and always has something new for you to listen to. I particularly like how the voices change octave from the first chorus to the second. Its a simple idea, but one worth trying out yourself.
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