Dry County (song)

"Dry County"
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album Keep the Faith
B-side"Stranger in This Town" (live)
ReleasedMarch 7, 1994 (1994-03-07)
Length
  • 9:52 (album version)
  • 6:37 (radio edit)
Label
SongwriterJon Bon Jovi
ProducerBob Rock
Bon Jovi singles chronology
"I Believe"
(1993)		 "Dry County"
(1994)		 "Always"
(1994)
Music video
"Dry County" on YouTube

"Dry County" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on March 7, 1994, by Vertigo and Mercury Records, as the sixth and final single from their fifth studio album, Keep the Faith (1992). It was written by Jon Bon Jovi. Clocking in at 9 minutes and 52 seconds, "Dry County" is the longest song that Bon Jovi has ever recorded on a studio album. The song reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Finland. It was not released in the United States or Canada. The CD versions were released as a limited edition Gold CD double digipack in the U.K. . Unfortunately many copies on compact disc have been victims of CD Rot, making it rare for collectors to find a pristine edition. In Europe, the Remixed Bob Clearmountain edited radio version was issued as a single.

Lyrical interpretation

"Dry County" is about the decline of the U.S. domestic oil industry and its effect on those whose income relied on it. In live versions of the song, during the buildup to the second guitar solo, Jon Bon Jovi often includes a monologue about the struggles of life generally.

Live performances

Although "Dry County" is considered a fan favorite, it was only played regularly on the Keep the Faith Tour. On May 13, 2006, Bon Jovi played "Dry County" live at the first concert of the summer leg of their Have a Nice Day Tour in Düsseldorf, it was the first time it had been played live in 10 years, and went on to be performed on further occasions on that tour and on the band's more recent Lost Highway Tour. The band's followers often display signs requesting the song. It was also performed during The Circle Tour and Because We Can Tour. It was performed once on the This House Is Not for Sale Tour in 2018 at the Allentown, Pennsylvania show.

Track listings

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom March 7, 1994
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD1
  • cassette
 [22]
Australia March 14, 1994
  • CD1
  • cassette
  • Jambco
  • Mercury
 [23]
United Kingdom March 21, 1994 CD2
  • Jambco
  • Vertigo
  • Mercury
 [24]
Japan March 25, 1994 CD
  • Jambco
  • Mercury
 [13]
Australia March 28, 1994 CD2 [25]

References

  1. ↑ Dry County (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Jambco, Mercury Records, Vertigo Records. 1994. JOV 13, 858 458-7.
  2. ↑ Dry County (UK cassette single sleeve). Jambco, Mercury Records. 1994. JOVMC 13, 858 458-4.
  3. ↑ Dry County (UK CD1 liner notes). Jambco, Mercury Records. 1994. JOVBX 13, 858 415-2.
  4. ↑ Dry County (UK CD2 liner notes). Jambco, Mercury Records. 1994. JOVCD 13, 858 417-2.
  5. ↑ Dry County (European & Australian CD single liner notes). Jambco, Mercury Records, Phonogram Records (Australia). 1994. 858 414-2.
  6. ↑ Dry County (Japanese CD single liner notes). Jambco, Mercury Records. 1994. PHCR 3033.
  7. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Dry County". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Dry County" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 14. April 2, 1994. p. 18. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  10. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  11. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Bon Jovi | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "ドライ・カウンティ | ボン・ジョヴィ" [Dry County | Bon Jovi] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Dry County" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 2/4/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Dry County". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Bon Jovi – Dry County". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 2/4/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  20. ↑ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. April 9, 1994. p. 20. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  21. ↑ "1994 – Singles". Hit Music. January 7, 1995. p. 31.
  22. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week. March 5, 1994. p. 21. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  23. ↑ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 14/03/94: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 213. March 13, 1994. p. 19.
  24. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week. March 19, 1994. p. 21.
  25. ↑ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 28/03/94: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 215. March 27, 1994. p. 21.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.