"Step inside, walk this way. You and me babe, Hey, hey!" For many rock fans, Def Leppard’s classic hit ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ instantly transports them to a place in time where the hair was big, the jeans were ripped, and Aqua Net was a prerequisite to any night out, regardless of your gender.

Decades later, the tune is being reinvented for the film adaptation of the successful Broadway musical ‘Rock of Ages.’ The film, with an all star cast including Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin and Catherine Zeta Jones, tells the story of a “small town girl” who meets her “city boy” on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their dreams.

The sticky sweet rendition of the song is served up courtesy of 'Jerry Maguire' himself – Tom Cruise, and is likely to raise a few eyebrows from the purists out there. Even though Joe Elliott and Def Leppard refute that they were ever really a hair band, it’s hard to imagine the genre without their generous contributions and they will always go down in history as one of the best at crafting addictive, over-the-top rock choruses.

While it’s commendable that Cruise opted to sing the vocals as the role of Stacee Jaxx, lead singer of the faux rock band Arsenal, he’s probably going to take a little heat for this one. He may look the part with his fake tattoos and hair extensions but the actual vocals are a bit too Broadway and sound more like he's singing a show tune than a rock anthem. Realizing that the root of ‘Rock of Ages’ is Broadway makes the line a little blurred but if you’re firmly planted on the rock side of things, this song is going to sound more like an elevator soundtrack than a rock classic usually delivered with imperfections and reckless abandon.

On the plus side of things, one of the charms of Def Leppard’s ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ was never knowing quite exactly what Joe Elliott was crooning through the chorus, allowing the listen to easily make up their own lyrics and sing along. With Cruise’s slick delivery and polished production, the lyrics are crystal clear which will likely leave a few of you saying, “Oh so those are the words?” as you follow along with the bouncing ball some twenty years later.

Take a listen to the song below and let us know what you think.

Listen to Tom Cruise, ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’

 

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