Who Says You Can't Go Home by Bon Jovi

Album: Have a Nice Day (2005)

Charted: 5 23

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This song is about remaining true to your roots no matter where life takes you. For Bon Jovi, their home is New Jersey, where they are a great source of pride. Despite their travels, that is always their home and they will always be welcomed back.

In 2008, Jon Bon Jovi talked about the song after Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin used it at some of her campaign stops in middle America. He said: "We wrote this song as a thank you to those who have supported us over the past 25 years. The song has since become a banner for our home state of New Jersey and the de facto theme song for our partnerships around the country to build homes and rebuild communities. Although we have not asked, we do not approve of their use of 'Home.'"

Jon Bon Jovi is a committed Democrat, who having already hosted a $30,000-per-person fundraiser for Barack Obama at his New Jersey home, was understandably annoyed by the Republicans appropriating his song.
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote two versions of the song, and both are on Have a Nice Day. One version is just the band and was a hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. The other is a country version featuring Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland. At the time, Sugarland wasn't well known, but when this song became a hit, so did their album Twice The Speed Of Life, which was packaged with the single and video of this song and sold at Target stores.
At first, Jon Bon Jovi wanted Keith Urban to sing with him on the country version and play the banjo. It didn't work out since their voices were so similar and the banjo didn't sound right, so they used Nettles. The song went to #1 on the Country charts, the first time a rock band has done that.
Bon Jovi has some experience with country music. Jon Bon Jovi has made trips to Nashville to work with the songwriters there, and the band hit the Country singles chart in 1998 with "Bang The Drum," a duet with Chris LeDoux. Bon Jovi's song "Wanted Dead Or Alive" was covered by country singer Chris Cagle on his 2005 album Anywhere But Here.
This won a Country Music Television (CMT) award for Best Collaborative Video.
The video shows Habitat for Humanity volunteers building homes for low-income families.
The state of New Jersey used this in tourism ads. >>
Suggestion credit:
Donovan Berry - El Dorado, AR, for above 3
This is the first song written by a rock band to hit #1 on the Country charts.
Jennifer Nettles admitted in an interview with The Colorado Springs Gazette that she was anxious about hooking up with the rocker. She said: "I had his New Jersey posters on my door when I was in the seventh or eighth grade. It made me nervous because the last thing I would want is to ruin a Bon Jovi song."

Comments: 14

Deethewriter from Saint Petersburg, Russia FederationMore Songs That Mention or Relate to Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin:

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The Ballad of Sarah Palin by Mason Storm
Sarah Palin The Hockey Mom by James Larson
Me and Sarah Palin by Ellie Maybe
Sarah Palin I'm in Love With You by Ben Sheehan
I Picked a Girl by Bam Bam KaBoosh
Sarah Palin's Song by Rich & Mario
Sarah Palin vs. The Flobots by Robert Lund
Sarah Palin Really? by Sean Kent
Ode To Sarah Palin by Ralph Buckley
Sarah Palin Album Intro by Julie Brown
A Sarah Palin Christmas by Capitol Steps
Sarah Palin Battle Hymn by Gary McVay
The Ballad of Sarah Palin by Conquistador Incorporated
Sarah Palin by Killifax
The Sarah Palin Song by Zach Stockdale
Sarah Palin by Rainfire
Sarah Palin, Queen of the Wild Frontier by George Elliott
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Marc from New York City, NjI live in New Jersey, not to far from the Rumson area where Jon Bon Jovi has his residence. Recently, though, he and his wife moved into Manhattan. Not sure how often he gets back to NJ...but the song still gets a nice message across.
Keeri from Airdrie, Absulistiya, AREMA, Indonesia you are very wrong. I Love This Town was actually written about Nasheville. If you watched the interviews from the Lost Highway DVD you would know that. The song I Love this town was about his experiences in Nasheville and how much he loved that town. It turned into a great crowd pleaser and also found its way into a lawsuit. The two songs are compairable if you dont know the meanings behind them
Ray from Lodi, NjActually there is a phrase "You can never go home" meaning that you leave home, go into the world and come back changed from your experiences therefore never being 100% comfortable in the place you started. That's the theory. Here he's saying that he saw the world and home is still the only place that suits him best . Jon still lives in his hometown don't forget and he loves it.
Sulistiya from Arema, IndonesiaLove this song. Its quite same like his song That's Why I Love This Town. It tells about HOME SWEET HOME..how far you go you always long to get back to your place where you were born.And that's true. Bon Jovi is awesome!
Doug Thomson from Chichester, --This was Bon Jovi's 'trial version' of sounding like a cowboy...it was a big hit so they released the Lost Highway album
Brendan from Derwood, MdThis song is so stupid. No one says you can't go home. Also, The expression is that you can take a boy from his home, but not the home from the boy..meaning even if he leaves (as he did in this song) the home will always be a part of him. Bon Jovi puts it backwards.Clearly, he is wrong in saying you can't take the boy from his home because he's been gone all this time, proof why he sucks and Jersey should stick to Springsteen exclusively
Michael from Morris County, NjGreat song about going back to Jersey.
Paul from Athens, GreeceBon Jovi had a long time to write such a song. This is how to grow up and suddenly you realise that the only thing that matters is your "home", the place and the people that grew up with you ...
Mark from Lancaster, OhJennifer Nettles is great on this. She can do anything with her voice, and I'd like to hear her collaborating with others from the rock side of music.
Susan from Telemakr, NorwayThis song is so great, Bon jovi forever!
Darrell from Eugene, United StatesI am planning on hightailing out of Eugene before the (possibly nonexistent) huge earthquake hits and driving to New Mexico or Arizona, and since I hate it here, Jon Bonjovi and Richard Sambora are not completely right about going home.
Matt from Atlanta, United StatesI too was born and raised in Jersey. I take great pride in hailing from a State full and Bad Boys and Pretty Women. No song has ever made me as homesick as this one. All I need when I hear it is a Hoagie, a six pack, and my Old Lady (OK, we're married, but Old Lady reminds of all those nights before we had the Kids!!!)

"Who says you can't go home..."

Matt (born and raised in Moorestown, NJ)
Caitlin from Upper Township, NjI luv this song. I'm a born jersey girl, so this song is meaningful to me!Bon Jovi rocks regardless!

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