Start Me Up/Livin' on a Prayer

Start Me Up/Livin' on a Prayer by The Rolling Stones/Bon Jovi is a mash-up featured in Never Been Kissed, the sixth episode of Season Two. It is sung by the New Directions Girls.

The girls sing it as part of the second annual Boys vs. Girls mash-up competition.

Lyrics[]

Mercedes with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Mercedes and Tina with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Rachel with New Directions Girls vocalizing:
Oh, Tommy used to work on the docks
Union’s been on strike
He’s down on his luck
It’s tough
Oh, so tough

Tina (with Brittany and New Directions Girls):
Oh, we gotta (hold on)

Brittany and Tina (New Directions Girls):
Ready or not (Ready or not)

Rachel (with New Direction Girls):
You live for the fight when that's (all that you got)

Mercedes and Tina with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Rachel with New Directions Girls:
We're halfway there

Santana with New Directions Girls:
Oh! Livin' on a prayer

Mercedes and Tina with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Rachel with New Directions Girls:
We'll make it – I swear

Santana with New Directions Girls:
Oh! Livin' on a prayer

Mercedes (New Directions Girls):
If you start me up (Uh!)
Kick on the starter give it all you got
You got it (chh), you got it (chh; you got it)
I can’t compete (Ooh)
With the riders in the other heat
Yeah yeah! (Oh, we gotta)

Mercedes and Santana (New Directions Girls):
(Hold on) I'll make a grown man cry (Oh we gotta)
I'll make a grown man (Got each other)

Mercedes and Santana with New Directions Girls:
Give it a shot

Mercedes and Tina with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Rachel with New Directions Girls:
We're halfway there

Santana with New Directions Girls:
Oh! Livin' on a prayer

Mercedes and Tina with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Rachel with New Directions Girls:
We'll make it – I swear

Santana with New Directions Girls:
Oh! Livin' on a prayer

Rachel:
Livin' on a prayer!

Tina:
Oh we gotta

Mercedes with Tina (New Directions Girls):
Hold on, ready or not (Ready or not)

Rachel (with New Directions Girls):
You live for the fight when that's (all that you got)

Rachel (New Directions Girls):
Oh, (Start me up) We're halfway there

Mercedes:
We're halfway there (Santana: Oh! Livin' on a prayer!)
Livin' on a prayer!

Rachel:
Take my hand and we’ll make it I swear (Mercedes: Make it I swear, yeah)

Rachel with New Directions Girls:
Oh! Livin' on a prayer!

Mercedes:
Start me up (New Directions Girls: If you start me up, I'll never stop)
I’ll never stop

Santana (New Directions Girls):
Livin' on a prayer (Start me up)

Rachel (New Directions Girls):
Take my hand and we’ll make it I swear (If you start me up I'll never stop) (Mercedes: Livin' on a prayer)
Livin' on a prayer (Start me up)
(Oh) we're halfway there

Santana (Mercedes):
Oh! Livin' on a prayer (Livin', on a prayer)

Rachel (Mercedes):
Take my hand (Yeah!) and we’ll make it I swear

Mercedes:
We're almost there (Santana with New Directions Girls: Oh!)

Mercedes with New Directions Girls:
We're livin' on a prayer

Rachel with New Directions Girls:
Living on a prayer

Mercedes:
You gotta

Mercedes and Rachel with New Directions Girls:
Start me up

Trivia[]

This is the second of the three songs originally by Bon Jovi that were sung in the show, the others being It's My Life and You Give Love a Bad Name.
- This is the second of the two times a Bon Jovi song was used in a mash-up (the second being Livin' on a Prayer in Season Two).
  - They were both sung as group numbers by New Directions members of the same gender.
  - This was the second year in a row in which a Bon Jovi song was used during the mash-up competition. The boys did one the previous year, in Vitamin D.
  - This is also the second performance in which a Bon Jovi song is mashed-up while the performers are wearing all-black leather outfits.
- Both this song and You Give Love a Bad Name come from Bon Jovi's third studio album, Slippery When Wet, released in 1986.
Heather dropped the microphone on Lea when she held it up to her face to sing during filming.
During the number, when the girls lean over with their microphones, Dianna trips over her stand.
This song was included in Glee's Top 4 Mash-Ups countdown.
Quinn is the only member of the group not to sing a solo.