"Wanted Dead or Alive" is a song from Bon Jovi's 1986 album Slippery When Wet. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and was released in 1987 as the album's third single. The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the third single from the album to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100. Slippery When Wet was the first hard rock album ever to have 3 top 10 hits on it.

Background

The song's title pays homage to Jon's admiration for Old West heroes, and how he identifies with them as being hated (wanted dead or alive). On the band's Behind the Music special on VH1, it is even revealed that the band had originally planned to do an Old West-themed album in the 1980s, but scrapped the idea. Jon Bon Jovi said during a concert in Detroit, Michigan on February 20, 2008 that the song "absolutely positively was influenced by [Bob] Seger's 'Turn the Page.'

Video

The video for the song is black and white and features footage from the band's massive 1986-1987 world tour, including shots from Chicago's UIC Pavilion, Rochester, Minnesota's Mayo Civic Center, and other venues. The video strongly captures the grueling life-on-the-road feeling, with several shots of the exhausted band members on their mammoth 1986-87 Slippery When Wet World Tour.

The audio for the video is slightly different from the one on the album - specifically at the end, where instead of Jon singing "I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side, I'm wanted dead or alive," the music simply fades out.

Covers

Chris Richardson performed the song in the sixth season of American Idol. In 2006, the song was covered by Chris Daughtry in the fifth season and later by Daughtry on American Idol Season 5: Encores CD. His version went to #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 the first week of its release. He had also managed to beat out Taylor Hicks' version of "Takin' It to the Streets" which debuted at #69 that same week.

Chris Cagle also performed a cover of the song on his 2005 album Anywhere But Here.

The Slackers recorded a ska cover of the song on their 2001 album Wasted Days.

Montgomery Gentry covered the song on the 2001 album "Dancin' With Thunder: The Official Music of the PBR".

In 2004, Beanie Sigel sample the song for the track of his album, The B. Coming. The song was moderately successful in the underground scene.

Eric Book rerecorded a version of the song in an epic guitar synth medley mixed with original music. The 14 minute piece was only released as a single in 1989 because of the extended length.

On June 30, 2008, Gabe Garcia performed the song on "Nashville Star."

Northern Kings covered this song on their 2008 album Rethroned. Marco Hietala from Tarot and Nightwish does the lead singing on this song.

The Lost Trailers performed the song at their Summerfest show.

Wanted Dead Or Alive in popular culture

• A shortened, lyric-reduced version of the song is used as the opening theme for the US version of Discovery Channel's TV show about Alaskan crab fishing, Deadliest Catch.

• The song is heard in the Miami Vice episode "El Viejo."

• Used in the opening of Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, a 1991 film which starred Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson as the title characters.

• In an episode of sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live featuring Jon Bon Jovi as the host and musical guest the song is referenced in the sketch La Revista Di La Television Con Vinny Vedecci where Vinny Vedecci confuses the line "on a steel horse I ride!" with Jon actually riding on a robotic horse.

• In The Same Episode of Saturday Night Live, there is a sketch where 2 men who call themselves "Jon Bovi", go into a recording studio and ask for a contract. One of the songs they start to play is "Wanted dead or alive"

• The song was used as the opening theme for the 2002 edition of Hard Knocks featuring the Dallas Cowboys

• In the 11th episode of the 2nd season of the television show American Dad! entitled "American Dream Factory," Roger uses the line "I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all" after a performance with the band he stole from Steve.

• The song is featured in the movie Wild Hogs when John Travolta's character steals a motorcycle back from a bike gang.

• In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, near the end of the movie, as Fred gears up to fight the Knight, the song is playing.

• This song is featured as playable content in the video game Rock Band.

• Featured in the TV series Supernatural, in the third season finale "No Rest for the Wicked". Characters Sam and Dean Winchester sing along to a portion of the song.

• The song was also featured during the final scenes of the opening episode of American Idol Season 8 with a group of auditionees singing it in turn.

• This song is also featured in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

References