The lyric “We’re halfway there, whoa, livin’ on a…” is completed by “prayer” in Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
Released in 1986 on the album Slippery When Wet, the song was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. Its story follows Tommy and Gina, a working-class couple facing financial hardship while trying to keep their relationship and hopes alive. The characters were inspired partly by situations the songwriters had witnessed, including the 1977 dockworkers’ strike and Desmond Child’s own experience working day jobs with his then-girlfriend.
The song nearly failed to make the album: Jon Bon Jovi disliked the first recording, but Richie Sambora persuaded him to rework it. The final version became famous for its talk-box guitar sound and dramatic key change before the last chorus. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and is widely regarded as Bon Jovi’s signature song. A common mix-up is remembering the phrase as “living on hope” or “living on faith,” but the song’s title and chorus clearly use “prayer.”