Bon Jovi’s First Hit Was a Bonnie Tyler Song

Origins of “You Give Love a Bad Name”

Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi and Alec John Such performing at a 1986 concert. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

In 1986, American songwriter and producer Desmond Child wrote “You Give Love a Bad Name” — a song about a woman who jilted her lover. “You Give Love a Bad Name” became New Jersey rock band Bon Jovi’s first hit.

“You Give Love a Bad Name” propelled Bon Jovi to stardom and gave rise to the glorious “hair metal” scene.

However, the song Child initially wrote was for the husky-voiced Welsh songstress, Bonnie Tyler.

The original version of “You Give Love a Bad Name”, released three months earlier, had different lyrics and a different title — “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)”.

Rather than being a song about a woman leading on a man, Tyler’s version was about a woman who wanted to swap gender roles with her male lover.

The release of If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)

Music producer Jim Steinman worked with Tyler on her hugely successful fifth studio album, 1983’s Faster Than the Speed of Night. This album featured the megahit and everyone’s favourite karaoke tune, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”.

For her sixth album, Steinman had something specific in mind.