I see you looking over your shoulder
Tell me who do you think’s out there
You’re reaching for your four leaf clover
But baby there ain’t no luck down there
I swear that there’s no heart in this city
It’s here the slogan reads
“Do your time” everybody’s doing their sentence
It’s just there ain’t nobody here
Who knows just what’s the crime
I watched my father live a lie here
I’d rather die than fade away
I read the rules
And yeah I know them
Still you ain’t ever gonna
Make me play the game of
Fear
Fear
Fear
Fear
Running with the rats in this city
Makes you feel like you’re a partner in crime
Girl, once you were young and pretty
Now won’t you stop to watch that little girl die
Hey baby won’t you stop and hear me
Just being here we’re breathing heart attacks, yeah
We can run and chase
The setting sun, baby
We can run and we won’t ever look back, no
Take my hand I know we’ll make it
I’ll let nothing slow us down
I know you wanna curse
This place but there’s only
One thing that’s stopping us now
It’s fear
Fear
Fear
Of a new thing
Fear
Fear
Fear
Of the brass ring
You ain’t one for taking chances
You work and live and you breathe that nine-to-five
Still that’s what you call living, ha
Man, that’s surviving to me
And surviving is living to die in
It’s fear
Fear
Fear
Of a new thing
Fear
Fear
Fear
Of the brass ring
Fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear
Fear
Facing the Shadows: Analyzing “Fear” by Bon Jovi
“Fear” by Bon Jovi explores the emotional weight and paralyzing effects of fear in everyday life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a city consumed by cynicism and routine, where hope feels scarce and survival takes precedence over truly living. The song’s protagonist confronts both personal and collective anxieties, urging a loved one to break free from the constraints of fear and embrace change, symbolized by the pursuit of the “brass ring.” With references to generational struggles and the pressure to conform, the song resonates as a call to reject complacency and reclaim a sense of possibility.
Song Credits
- Artist: Bon Jovi
- Songwriters: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child
- Release Year: 1992
- Label: Mercury Records