Hey God Explained

"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 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 after discussing the incident with Jon Bon Jovi, they wrote "Hey God".

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

UK CD1^[1]

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^[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^[3]

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

European CD single^[4]

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

European maxi-CD single^[5]

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^[6]

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^[7]

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

Charts

Chart (1995–1996)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8]	58
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[9]	35

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
United Kingdom	June 24, 1996		Mercury	[10]
Japan	October 5, 1996	CD		[11] [12]

Notes and References

1. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. UK CD1 liner notes. Mercury Records. JOVCD 21, 578 259-2.
2. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. UK CD2 liner notes. Mercury Records. JOVCX 21, 578 261-2.
3. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. UK cassette single sleeve. Mercury Records. JOVMC 21.
4. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. European CD single liner notes. Mercury Records. 578 212-2.
5. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. European maxi-CD single liner notes. Mercury Records. 578 213-2.
6. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. Japanese CD1 liner notes. Mercury Records. PHCR-8371.
7. Hey God. Bon Jovi. 1996. Japanese CD2 liner notes. Mercury Records. PHCR-8372.
8. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 28. 20. July 13, 1996. June 9, 2020.
9. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (27.7. – 2.8. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 42. July 27, 1996. October 2, 2019.
10. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 35. June 22, 1996. June 27, 2021.
11. Web site: ヘイ・ゴッド ボン・ジョヴィ. Hey God Bon Jovi. Oricon. ja. August 29, 2023.
12. Web site: ヘイ・ゴッド ボン・ジョヴィ. Hey God Bon Jovi. Oricon. ja. August 29, 2023.