You can read it in the papers
In some places, it comes in thirty-two flavors
But you wouldn’t tell no one your favorite
If you could
From the White House to the alleys
From the president down to Long Tall Sally
Can’t live with it, but you’d die without it
Yes, you would
Señorita’s in the kitchen, she’s a fistful of dynamite
You call 911, but you can’t stop the fun tonight, it’s alright
You can’t start a fire without a spark
But there’s somethin’ that I guarantee
You can’t hide when infection starts
Because love is a social disease
Love is a social disease
Where you look, you can find it
Try to run, but you’re always behind it
So you play hide-and-seek like a blind kid
‘Til you’re caught, yeah, you’re caught
So you’ll say, hey, that you had some
But they took it and held it for ransom
Were they tall, dark, skinny, or handsome?
You won’t talk, nah
So you telephone your doctor just to see what pill to take
You know there’s no prescription gonna wipe this one away, oh
You can’t start a fire without a spark
But there’s somethin’ that I guarantee
You can’t hide when infection starts
Because love is a social disease
Love is a social disease
Love is a social disease
Let the boys show you, baby
She’s so full of high-grade octane
She could run the bullet train on 38 double-Ds
Now you know for sure, she knows the cure
To make any blind man see
You can’t start a fire without a spark
But there’s somethin’ that I guarantee, yeah
You can’t hide when infection starts
Because love is a social disease
Love is a social disease
You can’t start a fire without a spark
But there’s somethin’ that I guarantee
You can’t hide when infection starts
Because love is a social disease
Love is a social disease, baby
Love is a social disease
You’re right
Nothing a shot can’t cure
A Playful Look at Love’s Contagious Nature
“Social Disease” by Bon Jovi uses infectious metaphors and clever wordplay to turn the experience of falling in love into something almost viral. The lyrics paint love as unstoppable and universal, spreading from the highest offices to the back streets—no one is immune. With cheeky references and vivid imagery, the song suggests that love, like a social disease, is impossible to hide from or control. The energetic rock sound matches the playful, tongue-in-cheek tone, making light of the sometimes overwhelming and unpredictable ways romance can affect our lives.
Song Credits
“Social Disease” was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. The track was released in 1986 as part of the album Slippery When Wet under the Mercury Records label.