We Weren't Born to Follow

"We Weren't Born to Follow"
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album The Circle
Released August 17, 2009
Studio
Sanctuary Studios, New Jersey
Genre Rock
Length 4:03 (Album version)
4:09 (Single edit)
Label Island
Songwriter(s) Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora
Producer(s) John Shanks
Bon Jovi singles chronology
"Whole Lot of Leavin'"
(2008) 		"We Weren't Born to Follow"
(2009) 		"Superman Tonight"
(2010)

"We Weren't Born to Follow" is the first single released in August 2009 from Bon Jovi's eleventh studio album, The Circle. The single premiered on radio on August 17, 2009. The single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Since then, the song has reached the peak position on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 68.

Music video

The music video, directed by Craig Barry and edited by Brett Langefels for the song was released on October 14, 2009. It features the band performing on the roof of the Clinton Recording Studios in New York City with skyscrapers visible behind them. Interspersed with these scenes are archive clips and pictures of important events and people in history. Designed and composited by Matthew Lucas-Valci, these scenes echo the themes of the song. The video includes images of:

For the week ending November 21, the music video for "We Weren't Born to Follow" reached number 1 on the VH1 Top 20 in the USA.

In popular culture

In 2009 TBS used the song in its commercials for that year's Major League Baseball playoffs. Jon Bon Jovi gave a copy of the song to his friend Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, before its public release. The Patriots had initially planned to play it after touchdowns at Gillette Stadium, but ultimately chose to use "This Is Our House" instead.

Track listing

United States CD Single
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "We Weren't Born to Follow" (Single Version) Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora 4:09
Total length: 4:09
Japanese CD Single
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "We Weren't Born to Follow" (Single Version) Bon Jovi, Sambora 4:09
2. "We Weren't Born to Follow" (Instrumental) Bon Jovi, Sambora 4:09
Total length: 8:18
European CD Single
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "We Weren't Born to Follow" (Single Version) Bon Jovi, Sambora 4:09
2. "Blaze of Glory" (Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, July 2008.) Bon Jovi 5:48
Total length: 9:57
European CD-Maxi Single
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "We Weren't Born to Follow" (Single Version) Bon Jovi, Sambora 4:09
2. "Blaze of Glory" (Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, July 2008.) Bon Jovi 5:48
3. "In These Arms" (Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, July 2008.) Bon Jovi, Sambora, David Bryan 6:08
4. "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" (Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, July 2008.) Bon Jovi, Sambora, Desmond Child 6:22
Total length: 22:28

Personnel

Bon Jovi
Additional musicians
  • Charlie Judge - additional keyboards and strings
Technical personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Japan October 21, 2009 Island CD UICL-5026
Europe October 23, 2009 0602527239415
0602527239408