"Living in Sin" is a power ballad by American rock band

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...

. It was written by lead singer

Jon Bon Jovi John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He ...

, and was released on October 7, 1989, as the fifth single from their fourth album ''

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

''. It also was the fifth single from ''New Jersey'' to chart in the Top 10, allowing Bon Jovi to hold the record for the most songs from a glam metal album to reach the Top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the ''Cash Box'' Top 100, peaking at #9 on both charts. It also reached #37 on the

Mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active ro ...

charts.

Song structure

The song features a slow beat, driven by a strong rhythm by then-bass guitarist Alec John Such. "Living In Sin" bears an delivery of emotional lyrics, driving guitars, and interspersed keyboards. The themes discussed are

cohabitation Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...

and that true love is stronger than anything, despite what other people may say ('I call it love, they call it living in sin'). When performed live, the band often play a short cover of "

Chapel of Love "Chapel of Love" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, and made famous by The Dixie Cups in 1964, spending three weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.Whitburn, Joel (2009). ''Top Pop Singles 1955-2008' ...

" during the outro of the song.

Music video

The music video for the song was filmed in all

black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

, just like "

Born to Be My Baby "Born to Be My Baby" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. It was released on November 24, 1988 as the second single from their fourth studio album ''New Jersey''. It peaked ...

". While the video does feature some shots of the band performing, primarily of

and

Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwri ...

, most of the video focuses on a fictional young couple and their struggle to sustain a relationship despite the disapproval of the girl's strict

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

parents. The promo is noted for several of its steamy romance/sex scenes, including on a beach, in a car, and in a hotel room. The final scene of the video shows the girl running away from home to meet up with her boyfriend, and then the girl's parents walking in on them sleeping together in a hotel room. They take her home, and the video ends when the boyfriend driving in his car to the girl's home, where she snap-decides to run away with him.

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Living In Sin 1988 songs 1989 singles Bon Jovi songs Music videos directed by Wayne Isham Song recordings produced by Bruce Fairbairn Songs written by Jon Bon Jovi Mercury Records singles Glam metal ballads