Released May 24, 2010 Genre Hard rock | Format Digital download Label Island | |
Recorded 2008-2009
Sanctuary Studios, NJ
Henson Recording Studios, CA Length 5:18 (Album version)
4:10 (Radio edit) | ||
"When We Were Beautiful" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was originally written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Billy Falcon for a Bon Jovi greatest hits collection that got shelved. It was released as an iTunes only promo single from The Circle in the US. It became available as a digital download from the US iTunes Store on October 26, 2009. The song was released for download to coincide with Bon Jovi documentary When We Were Beautiful on Showtime. The song has since been released as the third official single from the album with the music video being released on May 24, 2010.
Contents
Lyrical content
The song talks about a bleak world that used to be more than what it has become, and the narrator wishes to find what made that better world work, so he may then try to make his world a better place.
Music video
The music video was shot with the band performing live during the band's two night stay in Dallas and the following show in Tulsa in April 2010; and the vocals are taken from one of these shows. The video focuses predominantly on Jon Bon Jovi singing, although the rest of the band can also be seen. The second night in Dallas, after the song was finished, Jon announced that they were shooting a music video and asked the audience for a favor. He brought the house lights up and asked the audience to sing the "sha la la" part with him a cappella while they filmed the audience portion of the music video.