Login
Login

Hey God

{{Short description|1996 single by Bon Jovi}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Hey God

| cover = Hey God (Bon Jovi single - cover art).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Bon Jovi

| album = These Days

| B-side =

| released = {{start date|1996|6|24}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Rock

| length = 6:11

| label = Mercury

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = These Days

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Real Life

| next_year = 1999

| misc =

{{External music video|{{YouTube|2XFqkkBM1eE|"Hey God"}}|header=Music videos}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|_hlcUMNeBc0|"Hey God" (Long Version)}}|header=no}}

}}

"Hey God" is a song from American rock band Bon Jovi's sixth studio album, These Days (1995), released as the album's fifth and final single on June 24, 1996. Although it did not chart in the United States, it became a moderate hit in Canada and several European countries.

Background

As with most of the songs on These Days, "Hey God" is one of Bon Jovi's darker songs. It brings together different stories of people living on the edge of breakdown and despair, such as a father who claims his family are "two paychecks away from living out on the street", a single mother with a wayward son who has been convicted of killing a police officer, and a young man growing up in the ghetto. Throughout the course of the song, each of these characters cries out for spiritual help.

Richie Sambora said that his inspiration for the song came when he was sitting in his limo and made eye contact with a derelict huddling in a cardboard box on the pavement. Sambora's sense of guilt at this was immense and discussed the incident with Jon Bon Jovi, who was inspired by the view out of the window from 57th St. and Broadway in New York, where a man wearing an Armani suit was next to a man who's sleeping on the street. They then wrote the song in Jon's basement.

Chart performance

The song charted at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart.

Live performances

"Hey God", like most of the songs from the album, is rarely played live by the band. A performance of the song can be seen as part of the encore from the Live From London DVD. In 2008, the song made a comeback in some of the band's concerts during their Lost Highway Tour.

Track listings

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

UK CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=JOVCD 21, 578 259-2}}

  1. "Hey God" (edit) – 4:47
  2. "The End" – 3:39
  3. "When She Comes" – 3:29
  4. "Hey God" (live from South Africa) – 7:17

UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=JOVCX 21, 578 261-2}}

  1. "Hey God" (edit) – 4:47
  2. "House of the Rising Sun" (live) – 4:00
  3. "Livin' on a Prayer" – 4:12

UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Mercury Records|id=JOVMC 21}}

  1. "Hey God" (edit) – 4:47
  2. "Lie to Me" (remix) – 4:40

European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=578 212-2}}

  1. "Hey God" (edit) – 4:47
  2. "These Days" (live) – 5:57

{{col-2}}

European maxi-CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=European maxi-CD single liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=578 213-2}}

  1. "Hey God" (edit) – 4:47
  2. "When She Comes" – 3:29
  3. "The End" – 3:39
  4. "These Days" (live) – 5:57

Japanese CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=Japanese CD1 liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=PHCR-8371}}

  1. "Hey God" (LP version) – 6:10
  2. "Fields of Fire" (demo) – 4:10
  3. "Mrs. Robinson" (live) – 3:21
  4. "I Thank You" – 3:14
  5. "Let's Make It Baby" (demo) – 6:19

Japanese CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=Hey God|others=Bon Jovi|year=1996|type=Japanese CD2 liner notes|publisher=Mercury Records|id=PHCR-8372}}

  1. "Hey God" (edit) – 4:47
  2. "Crazy" (live) – 3:29
  3. "Tumblin' Dice" (live) – 4:17
  4. "Heaven Help Us" (live) – 4:34

{{col-end}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (1995–1996)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|44|chartid=2729|access-date=March 30, 2018|rowheader=true|refname="can"}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-07-13.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=28|page=20|date=July 13, 1996|access-date=June 9, 2020}}

|58

{{single chart|Finland|18|artist=Bon Jovi|song=Hey God|access-date=November 3, 2012|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2943279#page/n33/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (27.7. – 2.8. '96)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=42|date=July 27, 1996|access-date=October 2, 2019}}

|35

{{single chart|Dutch40|37|year=1996|week=26|access-date=March 30, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|27|artist=Bon Jovi|song=Hey God|access-date=November 3, 2012|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Scotland|14|date=19960706|access-date=March 30, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|13|date=19960706|access-date=November 3, 2012|rowheader=true|refname="uk"}}
{{single chart|UKrock|1|date=19960706|access-date=August 27, 2019|rowheader=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|June 24, 1996

|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|rowspan="2"|Mercury

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-06-22.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=June 22, 1996|access-date=June 27, 2021}}

scope="row"|Japan

|October 5, 1996

|CD

|align="center"|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/156479/products/186986/1/|title=ヘイ・ゴッド {{!}} ボン・ジョヴィ|trans-title=Hey God {{!}} Bon Jovi|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=August 29, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/156479/products/186985/1/|title=ヘイ・ゴッド {{!}} ボン・ジョヴィ|trans-title=Hey God {{!}} Bon Jovi|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=August 29, 2023}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Bon Jovi}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Bon Jovi songs

Category:1995 songs

Category:1996 singles

Category:Mercury Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Collins (record producer)

Category:Songs written by Jon Bon Jovi

Category:Songs written by Richie Sambora

Category:Songs about religion