Songwriter Desmond Child based Gina on a former girlfriend, Maria Vidal, who worked as a waitress. Jon Bon Jovi has also noted the song was a response to the economic hardships of the Reagan era . Production and Sound The track is famous for several unique musical elements:
A dockworker whose union is on strike, leaving him "down on his luck". Bon Jovi – Livin’ On a Prayer
A diner waitress "workin' for her man" to keep them afloat. Songwriter Desmond Child based Gina on a former