Confessional: I Love Bon Jovi But I Don't Like "Runaway"

I go to the gym everyday. I wear an iPod to block out all sorts of annoying noises: grunts from guys lifting, females panting and especially from hearing the horrible commercial radio blasting on the gym stereo system. Every once in awhile a rock song comes on and yesterday it was Bon Jovi's "Runaway." I only even knew the song was playing because it came on right as I walked through the doors and didn't yet have my ear buds in place. As I was selecting a torture machine for the daily workout, I sort of stopped and pondered why I despise "Runaway." It's the only classic Bon Jovi song I don't like. Perhaps it's the video?

I've never been able to pin why I don't like the song...it's just so typical Bon Jovi. I love the big Bon Jovi choruses and the keyboard, too and "Runaway" has both.  Plus, Jon is really young and pretty in the video and I usually dig that...but I dunno. There is something about "Runaway" that just makes me freaking cringe. I'm seeing Bon Jovi in July and so help me if they do "Runaway" (and I'm sure they will) this will be my bathroom break. Like, the hair on my arms literally stands on end when "Runaway" comes on...*shudder.*

Do you have songs you can't stand for no reason?

Here's the "Runaway" video for the hell of it. I didn't watch it before posting!

Comments

[kari]

Funny post! Songs we seem to hate but for no particular reason. I have a few, Kiss Me Deadly and Cherry Pie. Can't really tell you why because I love so many other songs by both Lita and Warrant, I just can't stand these songs. I actually think Cherry Pie may be one of the worst songs in Warrant's discography. However, these are popular and tend to get played frequently either on Metal Mania or sattelite radio (and occasionally you'll hear these songs come through your fm radio frequency).

On a bon jovi note....I tried watching the video for She Don't Know Me the other day and WOW, talk about plain awful! I couldn't even get through it and I happen to really love that song too.

Ok, finally off to sleep. It's up early for a long bike ride!

[Pat]

Cherry Pie is an awful song that wasn't supposed to be written. I think Jani Lane has said as much several times..

[Lucifer]

What!? This a completely irrational hatred, I love Runaway! I can't think of any glam songs I irrationally hate, but I don't really like kickstart my heart. I know it's meant to be on of Motley's best, buuuuuut... I just don't really like it.

[SMK not SMF]

Easy for me, "I Saw Red." You did, who cares? Dumb lyrics. I happen to find Cherry Pie very silly still to this day it makes me laugh, but tons of folks hate it.

[Kenny Ozz]

I have an irrational hatred for the 10 bands that any mainstream clear-channel rock radio station plays all day long. Metallica, ACDC, Doors, Led Zepplin, Nickelback, Godsmack, Disturbed....etc. You get the picture. I also hate U2 and the Black Eyed Peas with a passion. I know these arent exactly glam. But its my 2 cents.

[Chey]

Kiss me deadly and cherry pie are good songs. I cannot stand bon jovi but 'runaway' seems to be one of the very few that i actually do like.

[Gary]

Love Bites from Def Lep.

[Christian]

I don't hate specific songs like that, so much as I just find songs that are really 'huge' are often played out, so I don't listen to them much. I do like Runaway. It is, of course, the song that caused Jon to find some session musos and create Bon Jovi, but it's also good fun, IMO. I also like 'in and out of love' a lot.

[Shadow]

Enter Sandman i can here every 2yrs but i just can't stand it. The one song i hate above all else is Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.
Now before everyone calls me crazy I do have a reason. We Played for Marching band in high school and it sounded amazing. However we played it so far into the ground it popped up in china. Since then i've been so burnt out on the song i can't stand it. Oh yeah and that stupid song from the gatorade commercials a few years back. I think its called "all write now". I really don't care what the title is.

[JT]

I'm with Gary on "Love Bites." I didn't even like it when it first came out, so it's not just a burn-out thing.

And as for Metallica, I can't stand the Black Album, St. Anger, or Death Magnetic. Everything else is ok to an extent, but those three albums I could stand to never ever ever hear again.

[Glenn]

I equate "Runaway" with driving through
certain parts of Jersey,it never fails to come on the radio if I'm driving near his childhood home or his current home.I swear its happened too many times to be a coincedence and its always "Runaway" maybe I should have my car checked

[Metalboy!]

1)"Armageddon It", Def Leppard
2)"Pour Some Sugar On Me", Def Leppard
3)"Love Bites", Def Leppard
4)"Cherry Pie", Warrant
5)"Winds Of Change", Scorpions
6)"Holiday", Scorpions
7)"Sex Action", L.A. Guns
8)"Panama", Van Halen
9)"Pretty Woman", Van Halen
10)"Poundcake", Van Halen
11)"Stroke Me", Billy Squier
12)"Roll With The Changes", REO Sh*twagon
13)"Patience", G'n'R

[Kiki Chrome]

Both 'Don't Cry' and 'November Rain' by GnR make me want to drive a steel spike through my brain. I wouldn't class either one as glam though. (and yes, I know you just asked for most hated songs, not specifically most hated glam songs) :D

Um, I actually like most of the other songs that people have listed here! :D I guess if I had a most hated glam song, it's probably 'Dreams' by Van Halen. Bad... just bad... something about those keyboards actually makes me a little nauseous.

[Kiki Chrome]

And Metalboy, how can you hate 'Poundcake'? That's an awesome song to strip to! :D

[Gary]

Now your talking Kiki!

[Gator]

Hilarious topic! Here's my $.02: Totally sick of Cherry Pie, and just like Jani Lane, I always wondered why that was a huge hit, while Uncle Tom's Cabin (a much better and well-written song) was virtually ignored...

I am a huge Metallica fan, BUT only up until the early 90's. I despise Until It Sleeps. Don't really know why, but I've always found that to be a lame, run-of-the-mill song from them. It's the worst song that Nickleback wish they would've written!

Also disgusted with Patience (always found it boring) and November Rain (Axl's whiny, pretentious, why-won't-anyone-take-me-seriously-I-am-human-and-feel-pain-too diatribe). Estranged is a much better song from GNR.

I guess in my opinion it's not that I hate certain songs as much as I am sick of hearing them over and over and over again the past 20+ years. On this list is Here I Go Again and Pour Some Sugar On Me, two decent songs that got played to DEATH, and now provoke borderline violent reactions from me when I hear them anytime...

I also can't stand Wind Of Change - yeah, I know it's the Scorpions take on We Are The World and Kumbaya, but who cares - it still make me nauseous.

As for Poundcake, it's not a horrible song, but honestly, couldn't any 16-yr old have written that song? How old were Van Halen by that time, in their 40's??

Finally, Runaway is one of the few Bon Jovi songs I can stand today. Which ones am I sick of? Too numerous to mention!

[fletch]

here, here gator, but estranged sucks, too. "dead horse" is much better. never got much into the pitch of Def or WS...that's why when it gets boring, I turn to family and friends. what sucks is when they aren't there for you, but you've always been there for them. guess they're better than us

[nirVrana]

Wow, finally I get to disagree with Allyson! Runaway is many things:
1. One of my favorite songs of all time.
2. The most requested song on Z100 in New York as a demo, which led to Bon Jovi's creation.
3. Not written or recorded by any other BJ members, so cannot be a quintessential BJ song.
4. A song that drove my Mom crazy with how loud I played it and how intense it was
5. A song they NEVER play live, because Jon cannot sing it [and band did not write or record it?], so don't worry about hearing it live.

[nirVrana]

I guess I forgot to answer the question.

Songs I hate:
Almost every Poison song - why were they the most successful band again?? I especially hate if I am not able to change the station and find myself singing along before I realize what I am doing.

Every single Bon Jovi song since Crush, which I loved. Somehow they lost their way this decade. They betray all of their original fans by dismissing their genre and refusing to make similar music and support the festivals.

[Allyson B. Crawford]

@Johnnie - Bon Jovi has consistently done 'Runaway' live. There's tons of YouTube clips to prove it. Like I said, I'll be in the bathroom line if I hear that keyboard intro. *shudder.*

Here's the band doing 'Runaway' back in 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL4SwQ4eYzA&feature=related

Bon Jovi also performed "Runaway" earlier this month. I guess you can check every BJ setlist which is hellacool. I wish all bands did this. Having 'Runaway' come so close to the end of the set is going to make it hard for me to get back to my seat...

http://www.bonjovi.com/show/3910__omaha_ne/march__9_2010

- Allyson