“Bed of Roses” by Bon Jovi
This track gives us an insight into the inner workings of Jon Bon Jovi’s mind during the time he penned the song. Before we begin, it is worth noting that Jon wrote this song in a Los Angeles hotel room while recovering from a hangover! The person he is addressing in “Bed of Roses” is a lover who is not with him at the moment.
Chorus
And from the song’s chorus, what he is hoping he can do for her is to lay her down in a “bed of roses” despite the fact that he currently sleeps “on a bed of nails”.
Laying her down on a rose laden bed is apparently a metaphor for how much he wants to take care of her and make her happy. And he wants to make her happy despite the fact that he currently finds himself lying on a “bed of nails” (which is a metaphor for the torturous condition he finds himself in). Simply put, he might be suffering right now. However, in the midst of his suffering, he still thinks of nothing but making his woman happy.
First Verse
Jon begins this verse by letting his listeners aware that he is going through the very unpleasant experience of a hangover. He also drops a line “about movies they won’t make of me when I’m dead”, which was inspired by his watching the film “The Doors” which is centered on a real-life musician who died prematurely. This passage likely alludes to his negative mind state at that time. However, he concludes the verse by referring to his aforementioned love interest as “all that (he) needs”. Thus although not feeling particularly good about himself, he finds optimism in thinking about his woman.
Second Verse
In the second verse, we find that he is so much in love that he is willing to spend “a king’s ransom in dimes” just to pay for telephone calls to communicate with his boo. And overall, he is very much looking forward to being with her once again.
Third Verse
There isn’t much meat in the song’s third verse. That said, in this verse, the narrator (Jon) weaves a humorous tale of an apparently unattractive barkeeper who is “giving (him) the eye”.
Fourth Verse
In the fourth, he refers to the music industry as his “mistress” and once again reverts back to his depressed mind state by expressing that although he may be surrounded by people, that does not mean he is not “lonely”. But he concludes by once again bigging up his woman as the one he “would die to defend”.
In all, “Bed of Roses” centers on two central themes. One is Jon Bon Jovi’s overall depressing mindframe. The second is the deep love he has for his romantic partner. The latter is the sentiment that truly defines this song. And like mentioned at the beginning of this post, Jon penned this song in a hotel room while dealing with a severe hangover. The lyrics express exactly how he felt at that particular moment.
Facts about “Bed of Roses”
- This classic was written entirely by Jon Bon Jovi (frontman of Bon Jovi).
- Noted Canadian record producer Bob Rock produced this song.
- “Bed of Roses” came out as a single on the 26th of January 1993. It originally featured as the fifth track on the group’s 1992 album Keep the Faith. Aside Keep the Faith, you can also find this song on several albums of Bon Jovi. Some of these albums include Cross Road (of 1994), This Left Feels Right (of 2003), and Greatest Hits (of 2010).
- The video for this classic was directed by Wayne Isham. The live parts of this clip were shot at the Stabler Arena, in Pennsylvania.
Performance on the Charts
The track, after its release instantly became an international hit, placing at #1 in Spain. It also ranked among the popular 10 hit tracks on the national chart list of Canada, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands.
The song peaked at #10 on the Billboard’s Hot 100. Furthermore, the track also made it to the 13th spot on the UK Singles chart.
Covers
“Bed of Roses” has been covered by various singers, of which include:
- Cassadee Pope (in 2014)
- Toše Proeski (on his album, S ljubavlju od Toseta of 2011)
- Hinder (on their maiden album, entitled, Extreme Behavior).
Did “Bed of Roses” win a Grammy?
Despite being one of Bon Jovi’s biggest hits, this song never earned the band a Grammy.
This is my favorite song. I have listened to it over and over.
It is indeed a truly beautiful song, Lori.
If I had a dime for every time I’ve listened to this song, I could live in luxury for the remainder of my life. My guy and I fell in love because of\to this song back in 1993 and it was then and still is on constant repeat in my car. Just heard it on Hair Nation for the first time EVER and I thank Dangerous Darren for it. Shocked me so to hear that guitar riff that I had to sit for a moment to just absorb it. Still sob like a baby every time JBJ performs it live. He’s taken a lot of sh** over the years about the lyrics, but a song powerful enough to still move people after all these years seems to be standing the test of time, lyrics be damned.
Was this song written for his wife?
He wrote a song about confession
No it is not. The mistress is the music industry not about a woman. You don’t know much about
Jon’s love for his wife he has been with since he was 18. And the respect he has for her.
I absolutely love this song,that being said he expressed love and devotion to his love interest and yet in the 1st verse there maybe a blond ” still” in his bed and the verse about the bartender ” he might of said yes”. ..I find it a bit hypocritical.
I agree with you, Kimberly. The blonde in his bed took the edge off what could have been one of the most romantic songs in music history. Drunkenness is no excuse for infidelity.
It’s a song about him, his wife Dorothea and his life on the road. I think it’s like a confession of him sleeping with other girls while they’re on tour. It is a romantic song, but bittersweet because of the cheating and betrayal that underlines the message.
no it is not about cheating. the mistress is the music industry. the spotlight is the media.
A blonde girl he slept with is still in his bed. Pretty sure even if the mistress is the music industry, he admits in the beginning he still has a real mistress in his hotel room. He also confesses he “might have said yes” to the barkeep but she was just ugly enough to laugh and say no. Clearly he has and would consider sleeping around on the road.
What is the ironclad fist French kissing the morning mean? Does it mean he yawns and it looks like a French kiss? Is the “morning” actually the blonde and he passionately kisses her to wake her up and get her out of the hotel but he hates what he did hince the fist?
This song is so great because lyrically their are so many interpretations. Imagine you aren’t JBJ, the mistress she calls to stand in her spotlight again could easily mean the previous fling that caused this whole breakup is calling to hook up again. The hotel could be not living on the road but living in the dog house or being homeless.
I’ve always loved the music more than the lyrics but man the lyrics might even be better than the musical composition.
No….his mistress is the music industry not another woman.
It’s not a confession of him cheating. Although you are right it’s a song about him, his wife, and life on the road.
Right! The “mistress” is the music industry I believe.
Very correct
I agree it feels like a confession of cheating. There is a vibe of major guilt and self-loathing and the need to be absolved and prove his righteousness.
sorry it is not a confession. the mistress is the music industry. the spotlight is the Media and them not leaving him alone. Taking private photos from far away.
why is my comment not on here ? I tried twice. it told me I had already commented
On it . but it is not showing
I feel it is about his life with music but I’ve always felt that he was singing it to his ex wife Valerie B.
So who, then, is the “blond who gave him nightmares, he thinks she’s still in his bed”?
The blonde is a woman who he slept with, he wrote it as a confessional. Jon doesn’t speak with words but only in his songs. Always was written for a movie. I’ll be there for you was written for Ritchie’s relationship with whoever he was with at that time. I know some of will start your crap and whine about “no it’s not” don’t bother, I heard this from Jon’s mouth on an interview so I’m not listening to you
Does anybody know a movie this song was used in? Thanks
This song is everything .. melts my heart as it brings me to my knees…& so much more
“Oh I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is” what’s the meaning of this line?
Jon and his wife are devout Roman Catholics. The Holy Ghost refers to God, and he’s saying in the song that he wishes he could be as close to his wife as God is, implying, through the context of the song, that he is a mere man and could never be as all-encompassing in her life as God.
We are just making our personal interpretation of what Jon actually mean. Only Jon can give the real meaning of the song. But my opinion on this masterpiece is that the woman here is not his girlfriend nor any other woman but the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The best above all other opinion and comment …..
The reviewer totally ignored the blonde that may still be in his bed, and didn’t even get the verses in correct order. The “mistress” in the lyrics is the music industry, but the blonde in his bed is almost certainly a groupie. The chorus is awesome and most of the lyrics are excellent, but this line negated the supposedly true love he has for the woman the song is directed toward. Jon had been married for over 3 years to his wife Dorothea when Bed of Roses was released. A bit unusual because I have heard time and again that he, unlike a lot of rockers, has always been faithful to his wife.
I love this song. I don’t see a conflict between the music industry mistress and the actual blonde mistress (of the night) to which he refers. He has both. I interpret the “iron clad fist” as rings on his fingers and have always wondered if the blonde’s name perhaps, was Dawn. He woke up and french kissed Dawn (aka the morning). Some people arrive at a place in their relationship where the love is so real and so deep that, while you don’t WANT infidelity to occur, it is not at all a threat to your bond. You know it’s circumstantial. I’m certainly not condoning it, but I had that kind of love. A deportation order separated us and being healthy, adult humans, we still had our needs. I wasn’t at all threatened by those meaningless encounters he had. I believe this is similar. He loves his wife and still lived a R&R lifestyle on the road.
For me the song is about the lifestyle; the liquor, the blonde who gave him nightmares, the demands of his mistress (the music industry)…sometimes it’s a bed of nails for him. He does it but isn’t always necessarily enjoying it. But he loves her so much that he’ll do anything to hear her voice,to talk to her and despite his pain, all he needs is her. All he wants is to make her happy & comfortable. Despite his lifestyle, he desires to honor her. To lay her down on a bed of roses.