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#45 Blood on Blood
| life lessons in Bon Jovi songs

Welcome back, Jovi friends!
Life lessons in Bon Jovi songs continues with Blood on Blood

Blood on Blood is the fifth song on Bon Jovi’s fourth album;
New Jersey (1988).
Which was the one released after their biggie, Slippery When Wet.
Bon Jovi were now the biggest rock stars on the planet, and the band had to deliver.
And they did.

Unfamiliar with the song?
🎶🎧watch and listen to Blood on Blood here

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context: DOUBLE NEW JERSEY

New Jersey would (and definitely “should”!) have been a double album, if it had been up to the band.
The record company blocked it, on grounds that they didn’t think fans would be able to pay for the higher price.
You can listen to all unreleased Bon Jovi outtakes here:
Rolling List of Hidden Bon Jovi Gems 1985 – current day
The extra songs from New Jersey start at “Love is War” all the way to Bon Jovi’s secret gem “Let’s Make It Baby”.
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video recorded Monday 9 March 2026

In this video:

1. Welcome to another episode 00:00
With probably the easiest song in this entire series, because the life lesson in this song is obvious.

2. About Blood on Blood 00:35
It is the fifth song on the album New Jersey (1988). And if you have it on vinyl then it’s the final song on side A, so it’s also a bit of a closer.
It was a staple on the tour that followed the album, and has been a regular to be played live ever since.

3. Meaning of the song 01:22
Blood on Blood is about youth, friendships, youth in general and about when you go through it you don’t really appreciate it as much.
Jon Bon Jovi included the names from his real friends in the song, and painted the picture each going their different ways, with him becoming the rock star.
“And me, I’m just a singer, in a longhaired rock n roll band.”

4. Looking back at 26 years old 02:44
Jon Bon Jovi was the youngest member of the band Bon Jovi.
In 1988, when he wrote this song, he was still only 26 old.
This meant that the connection to his teenage years was still relatively strong.
He had risen to fame and had been on the road since 1984 (not 1985 as I say in the video).
And had also become a superstar.

The years Blood on Blood looks back on represent not just his youth, but also the final moment when things had still been normal, and he was a regular guy.

Although the theme of Blood on Blood is a universal one, it had more weight for Jon Bon Jovi because he had chosen an unconventional path and had succeeded at it.

5. The Extended Runtime Live 05:24
It was one of those songs that became twice as long as on the album, when performed live during the Tour.
The 1989 Rotterdam concert has been labeled by YouTube channel @hAnD90 as being the best live performance of Blood on Blood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_b0-z1F0ZE

6. The Friends Named In The Song 07:45
Bobby, Danny, and Steve who did not quite make it to the story;
These were all real people.
Contrary to Tommy and Gina from the song Livin’ on a Prayer, who were characters which were created for the song.

7. Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi 09:56
During this song, the theme of friendship within the band was also pushed.
Richie Sambora left the band, giving this song and the performances a bit of an edge, in retrospect.
Which could lead us to a final lesson in this song;

Maybe being 26, you’re still innocent just for believing the friendships will survive.

Twenty years down the road, and the phase where you looked back on your teenage years so convinced the friendships would last, then becomes its own reason to look back on.
That your twenties are marked by an optimism, that would ultimately disappear.

Next stop:
Homebound Train!

~Suzanne Beenackers
🇳🇱 Tikkie
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THIS SERIES
All videos, of Life lessons in Bon Jovi songs (playlist):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiGoDE3C06SeCKg4jvR2EoVHBOfXzHm_R

SOURCES for this series:

1. OUTTAKES
Handmade list with rare Bon Jovi songs
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiGoDE3C06SfkAr0Ll4wz-GlGnZJNZDYh
Rolling List of Hidden Bon Jovi Gems 1985 – current day

2. RANKED
My favorite Bon Jovi article and indispensable for this series:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bon-jovi-songs-ranked/
By Tony Kuzminski.
List also covers any outtakes from the 2004 box set.

3. QUOTES
https://twostorytown.com/new-jersey-quotes
full page of quotes EVERYTHING anybody ever said about the 4th Bon Jovi album

4. BJ TOURS
https://bjtours.jimdofree.com/the-albums/1988-new-jersey/

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