The Write Stuff: Desmond Child is the first in an occasional series about songwriting.
They contain a magic quality because those words have soul, and they have hope.
Life, every living creature strives for life until its last breath.
Credit: Ciro Barbaro
Everything is driven by life and love.
As long as one of those words is in your song, youre going to do okay.
Its safe to say that the 65-year-old Florida native has done quite a bit more than okay.
Jay Landers
Most recently, he wrote and co-produced Lady Liberty on Barbra Streisands new albumWalls, a dream come true.
Thats one of my most proud achievements, he says.
What more can I possibly do?
His own band Rouge also released two albums that year butthis songpointed the way to his future.
He and Stanley became friendly and the KISS guitarist-singer suggested trying to write a song.
Child notes that drum machines were relatively new technology at the time.
Curtis Shaw Child
Thats one of the turns that changed the course of pop music.
8 in 1988 and was nominated for a Grammy.
1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Larry Busacca/Getty Images
The songs roots, oddly enough, actually lay under his grandmothers bed.
Shed say, Dont go near it!
Then youd look under her bed and shed have a cup of wine with a cigar on top.
Curtis Shaw Child
She had the whole setup going.
Remarking on the lyrics, he recites, Shes into superstition, black cats and voodoo dolls.
Thats all contained in those few words.
Ciro Barbaro
1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and launched a million karaoke performances.
Paul Stanley had given Jon my number because Bon Jovi was opening for KISS in Europe, recalls Child.
It was, like, channeled.
They kept the channel open and moved on toLivin on a Prayer.It took two days, says Child.
Bon Jovi said he wanted to write a story song.
Everybody brought their story to it, says Child.
I suggested Johnny and Gina because Johnny is my real name.
Jon said, Well, I cant sing Johnny because then Id be singing about myself.
I went, Oh s, right.
I just found a quick sound alike, Tommy, and the story of Tommy and Gina was born.
