These Days is overall a darker album in contrast to the band's usual brand of feel-good, inspiring rock songs and love ballads.

[6] When the Keep the Faith Tour ended in December 1993, Jon Bon Jovi went on a vacation in January 1994 where he wrote "Something to Believe In", the first song written for the album.

Over the next nine months, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora wrote and demoed forty songs.

The album was originally slated to be released in the fourth quarter of 1994, but they asked for more time to write additional material.

Jon Bon Jovi hired Peter Collins to produce the album, based on his prior work with several acts such as Rush, Queensrÿche and Alice Cooper.

[7] Bon Jovi's engineers repeatedly complained about the volume Fear Factory were recording at as it was bleeding into their drum mics.

Then the band embarked on a mini Christmas tour of clubs in December 1994 and they continued to promote Cross Road.

He is also not credited on "Hearts Breaking Even", which was written and composed by Jon Bon Jovi and Desmond Child.

According to Jon Bon Jovi, the album was influenced by alternative rock and metal bands such as Pearl Jam, Tool, and Nine Inch Nails.

Richie Sambora said that his inspiration for the song came when he was sitting in his limo and made eye contact with a derelict huddling in a cardboard box on the pavement.

Taking a cue from the opening line of "Bed of Roses" ("Sitting here wasted and wounded at this old piano, Trying hard to capture the moment"), Jon Bon Jovi instead of putting the pen down, wrote about his experience.

"(It's Hard) Letting You Go" was written by Jon Bon Jovi for the movie called Moonlight and Valentino in which he appeared.

[citation needed] Two titles that were considered were "Open All Night" and "Strip" but ultimately, the band wanted to make a statement about the themes of the record.

The two extra songs "All I Want Is Everything" and "Bitter Wine" appear as bonus tracks on the international versions.

It was certified triple platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for selling 3 million copies across Europe.