A group of men in Ukraine getting ready to defend themselves from Russia’s invasion got a little motivation from a Bon Jovi classic.
Alexander Scherba, Ukraine’s former ambassador to Austria, shared a video on Tuesday showing several dozen men preparing sandbags and loading them into the back of a truck. Bon Jovi’s 2000 anthem “It’s My Life” is heard playing from loudspeakers while a young man plays drums to the track.
“#Odesa preparing fortifications & getting ready to fight,” Scherba captioned the clip on Twitter. “Will someone show this to @BonJovi please?”
#Odesa preparing fortifications & getting ready to fight.
— olexander scherba (@olex_scherba) March 22, 2022
Will someone show this to @BonJovi please?#StandWithUkraine #UkraineWillWin #UkraineUnderAttack #RussiaInvadedUkraine #Terrorussia #PutinIsaWarCriminal #StopPutin #RussianUkrainianWar #RussiaGoHome #Odessa #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Mq47BVDDb9
The video made its way to the band’s social media team, who shared it with their 2.9 million followers.
“This is for the ones who stood their ground…” read the tweet, quoting the song’s lyrics. It included the hashtag "#SlavaUkraini" (Glory to Ukraine) and a Ukrainian flag emoji.
“It’s My Life” was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Max Martin for the album Crush.
"I thought I was writing very self-indulgently about my own life and where I was in it,” Jon said in an interview. “I didn't realize that the phrase 'It's my life' would be taken as being about everyone – by teenagers, by older guys, mechanics, whatever. 'It's my life, and I'm taking control.' Everyone kind of feels that way from time to time.”
This is for the ones who stood their ground...
— Bon Jovi (@BonJovi) March 22, 2022
Odessa, Ukraine. #SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/N9iT2EoeH7