☝️ Key Points
- The song is about betrayal and disappointed love.
- The narrator feels betrayed by his lover, who has broken his heart.
- She sold him love, promised him heaven, but sent him to hell.
- The pain she has caused him is irreversible and her behavior gives love a bad reputation.
- The lover is described as a potential danger from which there is no escape, and love for her is depicted as captivity.
Interpretation
The song 'You Give Love a Bad Name' by
Bon Jovi is an expression of betrayal and disappointed love. The narrator feels betrayed by his lover, who broke his heart, hence the line 'Shot through the heart and you're to blame'. She sold him love, promised him heaven, only to send him to hell. It is an embodiment of passion turning into captivity when 'Chains of love got a hold on me'. She is described as a 'loaded gun', a potential danger from which there is no escape. The pain caused by loving her is irreversible ('The damage is done'). Her innocence and seductive behavior are highlighted in the lines 'You paint your smile on your lips, Blood red nails on your fingertips'. She plays a game with the narrator's love, resulting in her giving 'Love a bad name'. In short, the song is a powerful portrayal of heartache and betrayal in a romantic relationship where the narrator's love was exploited.