Journey's most enduring song, this track has a unique structure, which helps it stick in your mind. Where most songs have a chorus that's repeated several times, "Don't Stop Believin'" brings in its chorus only at the end. The structure goes: instrumental, first verse, instrumental, second verse, first pre-chorus, instrumental, third verse, second pre-chorus, instrumental, and then finally the chorus until fade-out. It was not their biggest hit (that would be "Open Arms"), but it is by far Journey's most famous, thanks to a resurgence in the '00s. Journey lead singer Steve Perry and their guitarist Neal Schon are the credited songwriters on this one, but the entire band contributed. In the Time3 compilation the genesis of this song is explained: "At the band's Oakland warehouse, this song bubbled out of a rehearsal. Schon developed the bass riff, the chugging guitar line and the sweeping chords on the chorus. Steve Smith built the song around a pattern featuring a lot of tom-toms, anchoring the number to a rich drum figure. Perry and Cain drew from their experiences with the Sunset Strip street scene for the lyrics, "streetlight people." Speaking with New York Magazine, Perry explained that the song originated during a series of gigs in Detroit when he found himself in a hotel room unable to sleep, staring out of the window. ("Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard / Their shadows searching in the night / Streetlights people, living just to find emotion / Hiding, somewhere in the night"). "I was digging the idea of how the lights were facing down, so that you couldn't see anything," he recalled. "All of a sudden I'd see people walking out of the dark, and into the light. And the term 'streetlight people' came to me. So Detroit was very much in my consciousness when we started writing."
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
A singer in a smokey room
The smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night
Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night
[Instrumental interlude]
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people
Don't stop believing is a song of hope in the midst of hopelessness and despair. It's lyrics are about living a meaningless existence. How many people in the communities that surround us live in this reality of hopelessness. Where life has dealt them such a blow that they have had the stuffing knocked out of them and it seems that there is no return to normality. The lyrics of this song are about south Detroit but they could speak loudly of many cities all over the world. Hopelessness is curse of the highest honour. To be in a place where there is not hope, no help, no "get out" and having to deal with this day by day with not let up in the stress and pressure. How that hopelessness has come about is different for many. The loss of loved one, the tragic unexpected road accident of a family member, the loss of a Job, the curse of face old age alone. There are many reasons for hopelessness and for feeling that you have been abandoned to your fate with no help available. In these situation it is difficult to have any faith at all, we simply cannot help it if we stop believing.
It is into this kind of situation that Jesus comes into when he is born of Mary in a stable and has a manger for a bed. The story of the birth of Jesus tells us of the frailty and vulnerability of life. The weak and humble beginnings of one who would change the world for the better. It does not seem possible and it seems so unbelievable to think that from the weakest beginnings anything good come come.
The story of the incarnation is a story of unbelievable odds that God himself would come into this world and be born of a young virgin mother in a nation that is oppressed and besieged by a foreign power. How can good come from this. But this is what happened. The bible tells us in so many places of the wonder of this.
Philippians 2: 1-11 "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"
In Philippians 2 Paul talks of Jesus taking on the form of a servant and living a life in humility. This is God in the flesh. In John's gospel also find John declaring the truth about Jesus's incarnation in similar words as Paul.
John 1:1-14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
These passages encourage us to keep believing when the odds are against us and no relief is coming. The people of Israel were awaiting a messiah according to the prophesies of old. A messiah that would come and reverse the fortunes and misfortunes of Israel. To bring freedom and the kingdom of God. Jesus was born in obscurity but gave his life for others so that they might know his salvation and liberty. It is very easy to give up hope on this and to believe that God has a plan when things go bad. God is still God in these times and he slithers a plan. So in the words of the lyrics "Don't Stop Believing" May God Bless you this day as you trust and have faith in him.
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