BON JOVI - WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME

Released: March 27, 2006

Chart Peak: US: #23  UK: #5 

Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and produced alongside John Shanks “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” was released in March 2006 as the second single from the album “Have a Nice Day”, reaffirming Bon Jovi’s connection to their blue-collar roots while expanding their sound into unexpected territory. The song became a trans-genre success, charting on both rock and country radio.

The original rock version reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 in the United Kingdom, while a duet version featuring Jennifer Nettles of the country duo Sugarland topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart — making Bon Jovi the first rock band ever to achieve a No. 1 single on the country chart.

At its core, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” is a celebration of staying true to one’s roots. For Jon Bon Jovi and his bandmates, that means New Jersey — the place that shaped their identity and career. The song’s message is universal: no matter how far life takes you, “home” is where you began, and it’s always waiting for your return.

In interviews, Jon Bon Jovi described the track as a tribute to loyalty and gratitude, explaining that it was written as a thank you to those who had supported the band over the years. The song became an unofficial anthem for the band’s community-building initiatives, including partnerships with Habitat for Humanity. 

Two distinct versions of the song appear on “Have a Nice Day”. The album version, a straightforward rock anthem, found success on the Adult Contemporary charts. The country crossover version emerged from a creative experiment that initially involved country star Keith Urban. Urban’s collaboration didn’t materialize due to vocal similarities and stylistic mismatches, so Bon Jovi turned to Nettles, whose distinctive tone gave the song a fresh emotional dimension. The result was an unexpected country hit — and a breakout moment for Sugarland, whose debut album “Twice the Speed of Life” was repackaged with the single and sold in Target stores nationwide.

Two music videos accompanied the release, each reflecting a different side of the song’s message. The country version, directed by Jon’s brother Anthony M. Bongiovi, features members of Habitat for Humanity and Bon Jovi’s own Philadelphia Soul Arena Football team building homes for low-income families. The rock version, directed by Jeff Labbé, offers a more whimsical take. Filmed partly during Bon Jovi’s concert at the Glendale Arena in Arizona and later around Los Angeles, it features a man in a dog costume wandering through city streets — a playful metaphor for belonging and acceptance in an urban world.