"Wanted Dead or Alive" is a power ballad by American glam metal band Bon Jovi. It is from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and was released in March 3, 1987 as the album's third single. During a February 20, 2008 encore performance in Detroit, Jon Bon Jovi told the crowd about running into Bob Seger at a Pistons game. As he introduced his song "Wanted Dead or Alive", he said it was inspired by Seger's "Turn the Page" hit and called the song the band's anthem.
The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #13 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, making it the third single from the album to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100. As a result, Slippery When Wet was the first glam metal album to have 3 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2001 a live version from the album One Wild Night Live 1985–2001 was released as a single featuring a promotional music video. In 2003 a new version was released on the album This Left Feels Right and this version was also released as a single with a promotional video.
Lyrics
It's all the same, only the names will change
Every day it seems we're wasting away
Another place where the faces are so cold
I'd drive all night just to get back home
I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive
Sometimes I sleep, sometimes it's not for days
And the people I meet always go their separate ways
Sometimes you tell the day
By the bottle that you drink
And times when you're alone all you do is think
I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted, wanted, dead or alive
Wanted (wanted) dead or alive
Oh and I ride!
I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted (wanted) dead or alive
And I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back
I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back
I've been everywhere, and still I'm standing tall
I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all
'Cause I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive
'Cause I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side
I'm wanted dead or alive
And I ride dead or alive
I still drive, dead or alive
Dead or alive
Dead or alive
Dead or alive
Dead or alive
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