The Fighter
Bon Jovi Lyrics


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I should write down these words before I lose them
Or write you a song just to use them
Someday you may wanna know who I am,
Beyond this facade no guitar in my hand
No I am not a writer

These eyes hold no secrets I hide no truths
I am all I am, all I was to you
The lie and the promise, the great escape artist,
The weed in your garden in that place you’re still guarding
Where I am not a liar

I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, few will remember my name

These are hands that can offer protection
But hid me from my own reflection
I’m that book that ain’t finished, a sink full of dishes,
The horse that ain’t winning, the priest that’s still sinning
The spark that starts the fire

I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, few will remember my name

With loneliness next to me, feels its misery
Nursing another black eye
On the New Jersey turnpike, counting the headlights
Those cars just like days pass me by

I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, few will remember my name
I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, a fighter’s born but not made





I should write down these words before I lose them
Or write you a song just to use them

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "The Fighter" by Bon Jovi explore the different aspects of one's identity, beyond the surface-level impressions they may give. The singer acknowledges the need to express himself before he forgets his thoughts or feelings, highlighting the importance of self-expression as a form of self-discovery. He contemplates the idea of writing a song about his identity, taking inspiration from the words he believes should be shared with others. He then goes on to describe himself as someone who has no facade to hide behind, nor any real musical talent in his hands. He does not attempt to portray himself as anything other than who he really is, accepting his flaws and strengths as they come.


The second verse deepens the meaning of the first by explaining that he holds no secrets or truths, but is the sum of parts of his personality that include both the lie and the promise, a great escape artist and the weed in your garden. He is not one thing or the other but a combination of all the experiences and decisions that have shaped him so far. The last verse of the song emphasizes the fighter part of his identity, even though he is not a boxer by trade. He is the embodiment of the fighting spirit, the spark that starts the fire, but one that may not be remembered by many. He ends with the same sentiment as he began, suggesting that he may write a song about himself to immortalize his identity even though it may not mean anything to others.


Line by Line Meaning

I should write down these words before I lose them
I need to capture these thoughts quickly before they disappear


Or write you a song just to use them
I could turn these thoughts into a song, if I knew how to express them correctly


Someday you may wanna know who I am,
I hope that someday, you will be curious about who I truly am


Beyond this facade no guitar in my hand
I don't always need my guitar to reveal my true self


No I am not a writer
I am not always gifted with words, but I still have something important to say


These eyes hold no secrets I hide no truths
I am an open book, and I have nothing to hide from you


I am all I am, all I was to you
Everything I am, I have given to you already


The lie and the promise, the great escape artist,
I have made some mistakes, and at times, I have overpromised and underdelivered


The weed in your garden in that place you’re still guarding
I am like an unwelcome weed in a garden, a reminder of something you would rather forget


Where I am not a liar
Despite my flaws, I am always truthful with you


These are hands that can offer protection
I am capable of defending those I care about


But hid me from my own reflection
At times, I struggle to confront my own shortcomings


I’m that book that ain’t finished, a sink full of dishes,
I am a work in progress, with plenty of rough edges and unfinished business


The horse that ain’t winning, the priest that’s still sinning
I am far from perfect, but I still have the determination to keep trying and staying true to myself


The spark that starts the fire
I may be small, but I have a big impact on those around me


With loneliness next to me, feels its misery
I am no stranger to feeling lonely and isolated


Nursing another black eye
I have been knocked down before, but I keep getting back up


On the New Jersey turnpike, counting the headlights
Life keeps moving forward, whether I am ready or not


Those cars just like days pass me by
Time passes quickly, and I often feel like I am getting left behind


I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I may not be a professional athlete, but I have a fighting spirit that helps me overcome life's challenges


Few will remember my name
My accomplishments may not be flashy or memorable, but they are still significant to me


A fighter’s born but not made
I don't always know where my resilience comes from, but it's a part of who I am




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JON BON JOVI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@karimeekins3282

I should write down these words before I lose them
Or write you a song just to use them
Someday you may wanna know who I am,
Beyond this facade no guitar in my hand
No I am not a writer
These eyes hold no secrets I hide no truths
I am all I am, all I was to you
The lie and the promise, the great escape artist,
The weed in your garden in that place you’re still guarding
Where I am not a liar
I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, few will remember my name
These are hands that can offer protection
But hid me from my own reflection
I’m that book that ain’t finished, a sink full of dishes,
The horse that ain’t winning, the priest that’s still sinning
The spark that starts the fire
I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, few will remember my name
With loneliness next to me, feels its misery
Nursing another black eye
On the New Jersey turnpike, counting the headlights
Those cars just like days pass me by
I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, few will remember my name
I am the fighter, though not a boxer by trade
I am the fighter, a fighter’s born but not made
I should write down these words before I lose them
Or write you a song just to use them



All comments from YouTube:

@heatherduncan-sullivan4765

Love this song cry every time I listen to it ! This song is for my parents their 46th wedding today ! Keep fighting always

@fenumtaurus

From the likes, i see this song is absolute underrated. A powerful and also sad song. Just great

@famousredneckboyz

i was raised on my bon jovi my dad loved bon jovi he past away when i was 14 now my son will be growin up listenin to bon jovi. :) r.i.p bobby joe miller. 1954-2007

@Evas7777

Be the Fighter! I am waiting for one! This voice is heard on my heart!

@BriannaLenneman

This song and Amen are one of the best songs on here!!!

@LidiaJune

only you jon can make me smile with my tears drop from my eyes....so deep

@brendaknapp539

Lidia. June b*7

@hideefernandez5171

Such a beautiful song, i started to heard them more now and he"s a very spiritual man love his writings🙏❤❤❤❤💖🙏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💯⭐

@andrewfarrell9850

It said "Few will remember my name" EVERYBODY will remember Bon Jovi

@TeriStarbuck

I love that Jon said he wrote this for his children :)

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