These Days (Bon Jovi song) explained

These Days
Cover:	These Days Bon Jovi.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Bon Jovi
Album:	These Days
Length:	6:28 (album version) 4:31 (single edit)
Label:	Mercury
Producer:	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Peter Collins
Prev Title:	Lie to Me
Prev Year:	1995
Next Title:	Hey God
Next Year:	1996

"These Days" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on February 26, 1996, as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, These Days (1995).

Background

"These Days" showcases the darker tone that Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora’s lyrics sought to achieve with the album. The song which begins with a haunting piano progression, deals with homelessness, loss of innocence and the difficulty of keeping up a relationship in the modern age. It is about people out there trying to be understood, to live their dreams. The single peaked at number seven in the United Kingdom and reached the top-10 in Lithuania.

Track listings

Australasian CD single^[1]

1. "These Days" (edit) – 4:29
2. "634-5789" – 3:08
3. "(It's Hard) Letting You Go" (live) – 6:45
4. "Rocking in the Free World" (live) – 5:53

UK CD1^[2]

1. "These Days" (edit) – 4:31
2. "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" – 4:38
3. "These Days" (live) – 5:57
4. "Helter Skelter" (live) – 3:20

UK CD2^[3]

1. "These Days" (edit) – 4:31
2. "634-5789" – 3:08
3. "Rocking in the Free World" (live) – 5:53
4. "(It's Hard) Letting You Go" (live) – 6:45

UK cassette single and European CD single^{[4] [5]}

1. "These Days" (edit) – 4:31
2. "634-5789" – 3:08

Japanese CD single^[6]

1. "These Days" – 6:27
2. "The End" (demo) – 3:40
3. "When She Comes" (demo) – 3:28
4. "Lonely at the Top" (demo) – 4:17

Japanese mini-album^[7]

1. "These Days" (edit)
2. "(It's Hard) Letting You Go" (live)
3. "Rocking in the Free World" (live)
4. "Helter Skelter" (live)
5. "Hey God" (live)
6. "These Days" (live)

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[8]	40
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[9]	25
Japan (Oricon)^[10]	37
Lithuania (M-1)^[11]	10

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
United Kingdom	February 26, 1996		Mercury	^[12]
Japan	April 10, 1996	CD		^[13]

Notes and References

1. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. Australasian CD single liner notes. Mercury Records. 852 745-2.
2. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. UK CD1 liner notes. Mercury Records. JOVCX 20, 852 747-2.
3. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. UK CD2 liner notes. Mercury Records. JOVCD 20, 852 745-2.
4. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. UK cassette single sleeve. Mercury Records. JOVCD 20, 852 745-2.
5. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. European CD single liner notes. Mercury Records. 852 744-2.
6. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. Japanese CD single liner notes. Mercury Records. PHCR-8357.
7. These Days. Bon Jovi. 1996. Japanese mini-album liner notes. Mercury Records. PHCR-3038.
8. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 12. 17. March 23, 1996. June 2, 2021.
9. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.3. – 5.4. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 52. March 30, 1996. June 2, 2021.
10. Web site: ジーズ・デイズ(エディット・ヴァージョン)+ライヴ・フロム・サウス・アフリカ ボン・ジョヴィ. These Days (Edit Version) + Live from South Africa Bon Jovi. Oricon. ja. January 18, 2024.
11. Web site: M-1 TOP 40 . M-1.fm . 31 August 2021 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402181353/http://m-1.fm/top40/?topid=1353 . 2 April 2015 .
12. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 31. February 24, 1996. June 27, 2021.
13. Web site: ジーズ・デイズ ボン・ジョヴィ. These Days Bon Jovi. Oricon. ja. August 29, 2023.