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Journey’s ‘don’t stop believin’’ is officially the biggest song of all time.

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American rock group Journey, New York, June 1979. Left to right: guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Ross ... [+] Valory, keyboard player Gregg Rolie, singer Steve Perry, and drummer Steve Smith. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

There are a handful of songs in American pop culture that are so pervasive and successful, it’s likely that there isn’t anyone left in the country who hasn’t heard them. One of the best examples of one of these inescapable smashes is Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which has just earned a very special honor.

According to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), “Don’t Stop Believin’” is now an 18-times platinum-certified single. That means that between pure sales and other forms of consumption–namely streaming–the song has shifted at least 18 million equivalent units in the United States alone.

Now that it’s been certified 18-times platinum, “Don’t Stop Believin’” ranks as the biggest song in America–but it’s not alone in this position. Journey’s most beloved single ties with the only track in U.S. history that has already reached that milestone. Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower”—officially titled “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)”—was certified 18-times platinum last May.

The announcement that “Don’t Stop Believin’” had reached such an impressive milestone came as something of a surprise. Before this latest honor, the song had only ever been certified up to quadruple platinum status. It hit that mark in May 2013. In the more than decade since then, the RIAA hadn’t bestowed any additional certifications on the hit, but clearly it was accruing millions of sales and equivalent units shifted behind the scenes.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” was released in October 1981, and its potential was made clear pretty quickly. The song rose to No. 9 on the Hot 100, becoming one of Journey’s biggest hits. Even though the tune wasn’t their highest-rising track on the chart, it’s become the rock band’s signature smash in the decades since it dropped.

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The smash was so powerful, it helped Journey score their first No. 1 album. The set that “Don’t Stop Believin’” was featured on, Escape , was released months before the tune was spun off as a proper single, and it conquered the Billboard 200.

Currently, the runner-up on the ranking of the most-consumed and most-certified songs in U.S. history is Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” That single has been certified 17-times platinum, and it will surely improve that figure in the coming years. Three hits are tied at 16-times platinum status–Drake’s “God’s Plan,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive.”

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Don't Stop Believin' by Journey: Song meaning, lyrics, covers and more facts revealed

12 June 2024, 12:28

By Tom Eames

“Just a small-town girl, living in a lonely world…”

Listen to this article

Released in 1981 as part of their album Escape , 'Don’t Stop Believin'' quickly soared up the charts and became an anthem in the US. However, in the UK it would take several decades before it was finally the well-known anthem it deserved to be.

Its infectious melody, heartfelt lyrics, and Steve Perry’s soulful vocals struck a chord with listeners worldwide.

Whether you’re belting it out at a karaoke bar or hearing it during a pivotal movie scene, 'Don’t Stop Believin'' remains a timeless reminder that, no matter the odds, hope persists.

Who wrote 'Don't Stop Believin''?

By the dawn of the 1980s, Journey had begun its ascent to become one of the defining rock bands of the time.

Shifting away from their progressive rock origins, the band welcomed Steve Perry as their lead vocalist, heralding a smoother sound. With hits like 'Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'' and 'Any Way You Want It', they climbed the American charts.

• The 100 greatest songs of the 1980s, ranked

In 1980, Gregg Rolie, the original keyboardist and a veteran since the band's early days, parted ways on good terms, leaving the group without one of its foundational sounds.

He suggested Jonathan Cain from the British band The Babys as his successor. Cain accepted the offer and came on board as the band geared up to produce their album Escape in 1981.

In anticipation of their upcoming project, Journey set up shop in an Oakland warehouse, dedicating their days to refining arrangements and brainstorming fresh concepts.

It was Cain who proposed the title and chorus for the song, inspired by his father's encouraging words during his tough times as a struggling artist on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Whenever Cain considered quitting, his father would remind him, 'Don't stop believing or you're done, dude'.

Neil Schon, the guitarist, crafted the song's memorable bass line, while Perry prompted Cain to create a compelling synthesizer sequence to match it.

Drummer Steve Smith laid down a solid rock rhythm, and directed Schon to layer 16th note arpeggios over the mix, propelling the song forward like a "train" on its course.

What is the song about?

Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (Official Audio)

The theme also inspired the song's lyrics. Cain and Perry envisioned a narrative of two people leaving their pasts behind in their hometowns and catching a midnight train to anywhere else.

Perry liked the idea of the characters being a girl from a small town and a boy raised in the city.

"We felt that every young person has a dream and sometimes where you grow up isn't where you're destined to be," Cain said.

Though the lyrics mention being "born and raised in south Detroit," there is no area in Detroit, Michigan commonly called "South Detroit." The city primarily lies on the north bank of the Detroit River, with the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario, directly south of downtown.

Steve Perry later said: "I tried north Detroit, I tried east and west and it didn't sing, but south Detroit sounded so beautiful. I loved the way it sounded, only to find out later it's actually Canada."

The line "streetlight people living just to find emotion" was inspired by Perry watching people walking in the streets of Detroit at night after a show.

What films and TV shows has it been used in?

The Sopranos - Final Scene [Complete] [HD]

The song has been used in many TV shows and movies over the years, as well as being adopted by sports teams.

The song gained significant press coverage and a surge in popularity due to its association with the Chicago White Sox's 2005 World Series championship.

It was also used in the famous final scene of HBO's The Sopranos series finale 'Made in America' in 2007.

For years, the song has been commonly played at Detroit Red Wings home games. During the last minutes of playoff victories, the volume is lowered during the "born and raised in south Detroit" line, allowing home fans to sing it.

GLEE - Don't Stop Believin' (S01 E01 "Pilot")

During every San Francisco Giants home game, the song is played in the 8th inning. Steve Perry, a Giants season ticket holder, famously led the crowd in singing it during a 2014 World Series game.

It was also used in the musical Rock of Ages , including the movie version starring Tom Cruise .

The song saw a resurgence in popularity in 2009 after being prominently featured in the pilot episode of Glee . It was performed a total of seven times on the show, as well as live on tour. The Glee version was a hit in the US and UK at the same time as Journey's original, reaching number two in the latter.

How did it perform in the charts?

Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (Live 1981: Escape Tour - 2022 HD Remaster)

The song reached number eight on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.

It sold over a million vinyl copies and is the number one paid digital download song originally released in the 20th century.

Remarkably, it was the 72nd most downloaded song of 2008 and the 84th in 2009, over 27 years after its release.

In August 2009, the song surpassed 3 million paid downloads, making it the best-selling digital song from the pre-digital era. It held the title of the best-selling rock song in digital history until Imagine Dragons' 'Radioactive' overtook it in January 2014.

By 2017, it had sold over 7 million digital units in the US and was certified eighteen-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Released in the UK in December 1981, the song initially only peaked at number 62. Despite not being re-released as a physical single, it maintained a cult following, re-entering the UK Singles Chart in February 2009 at number 94 due to digital downloads.

Following a performance on The X Factor on November 1, 2009, it re-entered at number 52 and climbed to number 19 a week later, staying in the top 40 for three weeks.

On December 20, 2009, after another X Factor performance, it re-entered at number nine and remained in the top 10 for seven more weeks, peaking at number six. It was the 65th best-selling single of 2009, nearly three decades after its release.

'Don't Stop Believin'' spent 21 non-consecutive weeks in the top 40 from November 2009 to April 2010 and was the 25th best-selling track of 2010, with over 435,000 copies sold. It re-entered the charts in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and has spent 95 weeks in the top 100 to date.

In September 2014, the Official Charts Company reported that the song had sold a million copies in the UK.

Who has covered it?

Teddy Swims performs 'Don't Stop Believing' and 'Lose Control' live on Australian TV

There have been various cover versions of 'Don't Stop Believin'' over the years.

The most promiment one in the UK was LadBaby's parody 'Don't Stop Me Eatin'', which became the UK Christmas number one single in 2020.

Other versions include:

• Joe McElderry
• Steel Panther
• Scouting for Girls
• Martina McBride
• Badly Drawn Boy
• Teddy Swims

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6 Must Read Facts About The Hit Journey Song "Don't Stop Believin'"

S he was just a small town girl living in a lonely world, and he was just a city boy born and raised in South Detroit. Soon they both took a midnight train going anywhere, and the rest is history. But what is the song "Don't Stop Believin'" really about and whose father was the inspiration for the song's iconic name? These are the things that inquiring minds want to know and questions they're about to get the answers to.

"Don't Stop Believin'" is the song released in 1981 by Grammy nominated rock and roll band Journey, consisting of lead singer Steve Perry , lead guitarist Neal Schon , bassist Ross Valory , rhythm guitarist George Tickner , keyboardist Jonathan Cain and drummer Aynsley Dunbar . Over time, "Don't Stop Believin'" would become the band's most famous and well-known song, finding itself selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry. Keep reading to learn facts about "Don't Stop Believin'" that helped it get there.

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1. the chorus doesn't appear for quite a long time.

"Don't Stop Believin'" is 4 minutes and 11 seconds long, filled with great verses, a bridge and glorious instrumental breaks. However, the song's chorus doesn't start until 3 minutes and 21 seconds in, also serving as the track's end.

2. The song's title came from Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain

The song's iconic name, "Don't Stop Believin'," came from keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who was attempting to honor his father.

"It was all based on some advice my father had given me back when I was struggling in Hollywood ," Cain explained. "My dog got hit by a car and I had to put her back together. It was a $900 vet bill and I'm barely making my rent. I call my dad up and said, ‘I need a loan. … Am I just dreaming? Should I just come back to Chicago?'"

"He said, ‘I'll give you the loan, you gotta stay put. … And he said, ‘ Son, don't stop believin .' I was like, ‘That's beautiful, Dad.'. I had my little lyric book, and I'm doodling "Don't stop believin.' This was in the '70s. So, I took my lyric books with me and my spirals with me all up to San Francisco and (had them) when (Journey) asked me to join."

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3. "don't stop believin'" was the band's second single for their album escape.

"Don't Stop Believin'," appears on Journey's seventh studio album, Escape , which was released in 1981. It was the second single for the album, and is the first song to appear on the record.

4. "Don't Stop Believin'" was written by three of the band members

The iconic song was written by lead singer Steve Perry, lead guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

"The lyric is a strong lyric about not giving up, but it's also about being young," Perry explained. "It's also about hanging out, not giving up and looking for that emotion hiding somewhere in the dark that we're all looking for. It's about having hope and not quitting when things get tough, because I'm telling you - things get tough for everybody ."

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5. the song did not hit number one on the billboard charts.

When "Don't Stop Believin'" hit the music scene in 1981, the song reached number nine on the Billboard music charts. But over time, the song nonetheless grew into one of the band's most well-known songs of all time. In 2009, it also became the top selling track in iTunes history.

6. Facts about "Don't Stop Believin'": The song was remade in 2009

A large reason the song became so popular in 2009 was because of the cover version presented on Fox's Glee musical comedy series that aired for six seasons.

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The song actually appeared on the show seven times: First in the "Pilot" (2009), then again briefly in the episode "The Rhodes Not Taken" (2009), before being sung in the season finale "Journey to Regionals" (2010). It would make an appearance again in the season four episode "Sweet Dreams" (2013), and a season later in "New Directions" (2014). Lastly, it was in the shows finale "2009" (2015).

• Behind the Song

Behind The Song Lyrics: “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey

by Jacob Uitti December 15, 2021, 9:19 am

What if I told you the world’s favorite 1:58 AM song—“Don’t Stop Believin’”—came from a conversation between a dejected musician and his supportive parent?

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Well, that’s exactly what happened with the tune and the writer of its famous chorus, Jonathan Cain, the now-71-year-old musician and longtime keyboard player and writer of the American rock band Journey.

Sing it with us now:

Don’t Stop! Believin’! Hold on to that feelin’ Streetlight, people Don’t stop, believin’ Hold on Streetlights, people

The song, which was released on the band’s sophomore album, Escape , in 1981, later hit the Billboard and the U.K. charts at various points in its long lifespan. Later, Rolling Stone named it No. 133 of its best 500 songs.

We caught up with Cain to talk about the origins of the lyrics, which includes a phone call with his father. As Cain says, he remembers writing it like it was yesterday.

American Songwriter: Do you remember writing “Don’t Stop Believin’”?

Jon Cain: Like it was yesterday. Yeah, I remember like it was yesterday. Basically, we had one more song—[former Journey lead singer] Steve Perry said, “I think we need one more, let’s write one more song.” He said, “There must be something in that lyric book.” Because I had several spiral notebooks full of ideas and lyrics. I’m writing lyrics all the time. Even back in those days, I was working on it. I believe you use it or lose it when you’re writing lyrics.

AS: Absolutely.

JC: So, I had this idea. My dad and I had this conversation. In the 70s, I was kind of on my down and out phase. I’d lost my record deal with Warner Bros. and I had a day job and then my dog got hit by a car and I had a $1,000 vet bill. And I had called for money and I said, “Maybe I should give up on this thing dad, and come home to Chicago.” And he said, “No. You stay where you are.”

He said, “Your biggest breakthrough is right around the corner. It seems bad right now but there’s something coming and I feel it and don’t stop believing, Jon. That’s all I can say to you, don’t stop believing.” So, I wrote it and as I was talking to my father, he said, “I’ll send that money, you can pay me back someday, don’t worry about it. But your greatest breakthrough is right around the corner, just stay with it.”

JC: So, I did. And I wrote down don’t stop believing. And that was five years before Journey called me to join. So, I had this in my notebook. And we had finished all these songs and when I went home that night, I saw the title, “Don’t Stop Believin’” and I said, “That’s it!” And so, I immediately jumped on my little Wurlitzer and came up with a chorus. I mean, in about 20 minutes I had it.

And I brought it in and all I had was chords. And when I played it for the guys, they were like, “This is a great chorus.” So, we beat it around a little bit, and then Steve said, “I got an idea, why don’t we use your chords for the chorus, same ones.” He said, “Don’t change them. They’re great chords, just change the way you do it. Just do that rolling thing you did in the bass, that eighth note feel.”

And then Neil [Schon] came up with the bassline—doo-doo-doo-doo—and he showed that to Ross [Valory] and then he came up with the B-section, the “strangers waiting up and down…” Interestingly enough, musically there’s a tension and release that is constant. It’s like a theme in the song. It sort of goes to the chorus and then releases. Tension and release, tension and release.

Then we ended up with this musical version of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and interestingly enough, the chorus was introduced by Neal’s guitar. Neal just came right out and played that melody before we sing it. Which breaks all the rules. And I kept saying to Steve in the rehearsal room, are we going to go to the chorus? And he said, “No, we’re going to save it to the end. And we’re going to make them want to play it over and over again. It’s only going to be one time, they’re going to hear it and it’s going to be gone and they’re going to want to play it again.”  

I liked that philosophy, I said that was a good strategy, let’s go with it. So, we did. And we didn’t have the lyric yet for the verse and I went to Steve’s house there and it reminded me—Neal had played that interlude that sounded like a train. It was these little staccato things—diggy-diggy-diggy—it sounded like a train going down the track. And I listened to it. We had a cassette and a little blaster and I said, “This sounds like a train, Steve.”

And I said, “You know that song, ‘ Midnight train to Georgia ’ [by Gladys Knight & The Pips]? What about a midnight train going anywhere?” And he’s like, “Yeah!” and then he looked at me and he said, “That Jack and Jill song about the guy and a girl, what if we plug that concept in?” I said, “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” And then “small-town girl living in a lonely world,” you know? And then we had this little movie of these two meeting somewhere.

And I said, “They’re going to meet on Sunset Boulevard.” Because I lived right above Sunset Boulevard in Laurel Canyon and I described what Friday night looked like on Sunset Boulevard in 1974. It was a menagerie of all these people from all walks of life. Rock stars, actresses, hustlers, you name it. They were all meeting on Sunset Boulevard on Friday night to check it out. And it was this big cruise thing where the cars would be there and people would be walking up and down the street, from every different place.

I mean, L.A. in 1974 was the heart of rock and roll, it really was, on Sunset Boulevard. You had the Whiskey-a Go Go. Van Halen playing at Gazzarri’s. You had Aerosmith playing at the Starwood. You had David Bowie with his Diamond Dogs thing. All of that. It was the heart of rock and roll. So, Steve said, “Yeah!” So, strangers waiting up and down the boulevard, their shadows… ” That was Sunset Boulevard. And he totally got the movie.

JC: We saw the movie together. Now, he hadn’t been there, but I’d described the movie well enough that he was like, “Let’s do this.” And we wrote about Vegas. Paying anything to roll the dice one more time. That’s it and that’s dreaming. Like, I’m going to win, I’m not stuck where I am. I think we wanted to write that song to say it’s okay to dream, it’s okay to get out. You’re not stuck where you are. You can go somewhere and take that midnight train.

And the “South Detroit” thing I got a lot of flack for. Because there was no South Detroit. And I said, “Because it’s a mystical place, it doesn’t exist!” It’s the city of possibilities in your mind. That’s what South Detroit is. So, leave it alone. And that’s really it.

AS: And how about the chords, the keys part you play?

JC: Oh, that was just kind of leftover from The Babys, I think [Cains band before he joined Journey]. Again, it’s tension and release. So, we’re playing a sort of an augmented 3rd to a 3rd and even the B-section has tension and release to it. So, we broke the rules with the form on that because it’s ABABC, you know?

Very seldom are you going to see a song like that. And that was just the way Steve Perry was wired. When we put the song together in the studio, it was obvious that it was going to open up the Escape album. It was the one that led fans into the new sound of Journey. They hired me to change their sound [in 1980] and I did. I helped them—we all did it together. And they were very brave to take a chance on me and I’ll be forever grateful that I was able to put my signature on that album.

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The improbable story of the Journey classic that keeps coming back to life

From Mafia finales to Arnold Schwarzenegger: the brilliant and often bizarre and afterlife of Journey’s Don't Stop Believin'

When the screen cut abruptly to black and the strains of Journey ’s Don’t Stop Believin’ went silent at the finale of iconic TV show The Sopranos in 2007, it might have symbolised the death of Tony Soprano, but it began a new life for Journey’s enduring classic.

The song’s revival provided an extraordinary new chapter in a fairytale story that began back in 1981 and continues to this day. After its Sopranos -assisted revival, the song became a belated UK Top 10 hit in 2009 (it limped to a paltry No.62 when it was originally released), been streamed almost half a billion times on Spotify and been covered by everyone from Steel Panther to erstwhile teenyboppers Hanson. These days, Don’t Stop Believin’ is a kind of unofficial American national anthem – and it’s thanks in a large part to Tony Soprano. 

“That’s the incredible power of mixing music and images,” explains Gary Calamar, whose job as one of Hollywood’s top music supervisors is to find that perfect mix. “That Sopranos scene was incredible, the final scene of one of the best TV shows ever. There was a huge audience with big expectations for the finale. Plus, the song is a great mix of heavy whack hairband rock with Steve Perry wailing his heartfelt and, dare I say, inspiring lyrics.”

Calamar compares the use of Don’t Stop Believin’ with other memorable scenes involving specific songs: Night Ranger 's Sister Christian in Boogie Nights , Stealers Wheel's Stuck In The Middle With You in Reservoir Dogs , Sia’s Breathe Me in Six Feet Under . “When you have a big music scene like that it has a massive impact,” he says. “It really gets under your skin and sticks with you.”

“I think the song’s continued popularity goes back to its core meaning,” says Kara Wright, the A&R coordinator with publishing company Peer Music. “ Don’t Stop Believin’ carries a timeless message that says don’t stop believing in you – don’t stop believing in the world – don’t stop believing in anything. Life goes on (and on and on) regardless whether you’re a small-town girl, a city boy, the Sopranos or a member of your high-school glee club.”

The public’s insatiable appetite for Don’t Stop Believin’ was underlined just two years after its use on The Sopranos when it featured in the pilot episode of the TV show Glee in May 2009. The cast’s version of Don’t Stop Believin’ topped that of Journey’s original, reaching No.4 in the US Top 100 and echoed the digital download success of the original, going gold in the US with sales of over 500,000. The Glee cast later covered the song again, resulting in combined sales of 973,000 for both versions. It fared equally well in Britain where the Glee cast’s recording debuted at No.5.

To further emphasise the seemingly limitless affection for the song, in addition to its high-profile inclusion on The Sopranos and Glee , versions of Don’t Stop Believin’ have appeared in – deep breath – Family Guy, Scrubs, South Park, My Name Is Earl, Just Shoot Me, Benidorm, Eastenders, TV Burp , countless editions of The X-Factor and American Idol, Swedish Idol, Australian Idol … you get the picture.

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While Don’t Stop Believin’ ’s 2007 inclusion on The Sopranos is considered by many to mark the beginning of its latest wave of popularity, in an article in the LA Times, Journey’s Jonathan Cain – who wrote the song along with Steve Perry and Neal Schon – cited its use in the 1998 Adam Sandler comedy The Wedding Singer as the spark. Though Gary Calamar, who is also a DJ on LA-based radio station KCRW, begs to differ. “For better or worse I don’t think Don’t Stop Believin’ ever went away. I’ve always felt its cheesy presence.”

Ten years later Sandler and Don’t Stop Believin’ were reunited in Bedtime Stories . In the interim it featured in the 2003 drama Monster starring Charlize Theron. The actress, who was also the film’s producer, had been so keen to include the track that she personally wrote a letter to Steve Perry. After viewing the proposed scene, Perry agreed to the song’s use and even became the film’s music consultant.

The song is in the title of the Journey documentary Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey , while other films to feature it include View From The Top, The Comebacks, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and The Losers .

Gary Calamar, whose list of credits includes House, Dexter and After The Sunset , understands why the song is featured so regularly. “In a way, using these songs is like batting practice for a music supervisor, you know you have a good chance of hitting it out of the park with one of these old power ballads and a big, over the top scene.”

“It’s a feelgood song with a positive message and a memorable melody,” says Kara Wright, “and it’s an anthem that can be accepted and applied to any kind of situation.”

To back her words, scour Spotify and you’ll come across a dizzying list of artists who have covered the track in all manner of styles, from symphonic metallers Northern Kings to dungaree-clad downhome rockers Hayseed Dixie. There are classical versions, bluegrass versions, acapella versions, dance versions and lounge jazz versions. Scour YouTube and you’ll even come across a reggae cover alongside versions by Panic! At The Disco’s Brendan Urie, John Mayer, Stashrip and even audio of a workout set to the tune by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Don’t Stop Believin’ is a perennial live favourite, and not just for Journey. During its lifespan it’s been covered by an array of artists. Notable among recent live performances was its inclusion on Kanye West’s set list during his 2008 Glow In The Dark tour while a charity event for the Rainforest Fund at Carnegie Hall in May brought together the unlikely combination of Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen , Elton John , Sting, Debbie Harry and Shirley Bassey for an encore of the song.

 “I think the revival of Don’t Stop Believin’ can be greatly attributed to the exposure and emphasis that entertainment platforms such as TV, video games and advertising now offer to music – an ideal medium that works well for current and classic titles,” says Kara Wright.

The song’s inspirational message has made it a favourite with sports teams, never with greater impact than with the Chicago White Sox. During the 2005 season the hapless baseball team adopted Don’t Stop Believin’ as their rally cry. The team duly went on to reach the World Series for the first time in 80 years with Steve Perry being invited to attend as they swept the Houston Astros in four games.”

It’s hard to go anywhere these days without being exposed to the song in some form. All across America innocent ‘Stop’ signs have been transformed into Journey tributes with the simple addition of two words.

Wherever you do go, you can even be wearing your Don’t Stop Believin’ knickers or clutching your Don’t Stop Believin’ teddy bear. Its omnipresence is why Kara Wright feels Don’t Stop Believin’ is “at the forefront of other songs decades old being revitalised and reintroduced to popular culture.”

Wright believes the song’s success paved the way for others. Absolutely, given the digital revolution and multimedia phenomenon, I think it’s an extraordinary time for classic rock songs to find new leases on life. In this way, long-forgotten music will continue to be revived as younger audiences gain new found appreciation for rock history. The universe of catalogues yet to be unleashed is thrilling.”

And what of the men who wrote it? Unsurprisingly, the song closes every Journey show these days, though given its popularity, it would probably induce riots if it didn’t.

Former singer Steve Perry has a more complicated relationship with song. The only times Perry has sung onstage since he stepped away from music in 1995 came when he made guest appearances at three shows with the band Eels in 2014. And while he did sing Journey songs with the group, Don’t Stop Believin’ wasn’t one of them.

The original version of this article appeared in Classic Rock issue 153

Kevin Murphy is a writer, journalist and presenter who's written for the Daily Telegraph, Independent On Sunday, Sounds, Record Mirror, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Noise, Select and Event. He's also written about film for Empire, Total Film and Directors Guild of America Magazine.

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Story Behind the Song: 'Don't Stop Believin' '

The words "Don't Stop Believin' " have served Jonathan Cain well in his lifetime. First, they were the words of encouragement he heard from his father, when the younger Cain wasn't sure he'd make it as a musician in Hollywood.

Later, when he joined the ranks of Journey, it became the title and refrain of "Don't Stop Believin'." Released in 1981, it wasn't the band's biggest hit at first, but it's gone on to become its signature, and one of the most popular rock songs of all time.

Cain told the story behind the song to Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.

BH: "Don't Stop Believin'." One of the greatest songs ever written. I'd love to make the case for that. ... I can tell you this: It's the most contagious song ever written because you can be in the worst mood ever — in a place (where) you don't want anybody to talk to. And that (song) comes on, and you just start moving with it.

JC: It’s got a groove to it, it does. It's got something. And it was all based on some advice my father had given me back when I was struggling in Hollywood. My dog got hit by a car and I had to put her back together. And it was a $900 vet bill, and I’m barely making my rent. I call my dad up and said, "I need a loan. ... Am I just dreaming? Should I just come back to Chicago?"

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He said, "I’ll give you the loan, you gotta stay put." ... And he said, “Son, don’t stop believin'.”

I was like, "That’s beautiful, Dad." I had my little lyric book, and I’m doodling "Don’t stop believin'." 

BH: But it's a while before you write it.

JC: Mm-hmm. This is in the '70s. ... I took my lyric books with me and my spirals with me all up to San Fran and (had them) when (Journey) asked me to join ...

BH: Journey asked you to join?

JC: We're going to start on this album called “Escape.” I had played hardly a note with them. We jammed some in the clubs, and then I'm asked to make this record. ... (Steve) Perry looks at me and says the producer wants one more tune.

And I’m like, "Well, we already gave him 17." And he goes, "I don’t care, we need one more. What do you got? Go home and see what you got. I know you've got something."

Pressure's on. I go home, and there's my little Wurlitzer piano sitting there, the same one I wrote “Open Arms” and all this stuff on. I go in my book and I see it, "Don’t Stop Believin'."

BH: Did you know right then?

JC: I said, “Steve Perry will sing this. Now, John you've got to write some kind of chorus where he can soar."

... All I had was “Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feeling.”

I went (back to the band) with those two lines. That’s it. And the chords! Perry said, "Man, those chords are great.' ... He just had an engineer's (mindset). ... This was a much different situation than (writing) "Faithfully." This was an improv by all. ... We still haven’t played a chorus yet. And I kept looking at Steve: "Chorus now?" And he goes, "Oh no." So we haven’t sung it yet. And this was all Steve leading the thing, being Steve. Because he’s just so musical! I mean because he played bass and drums, and he understood. He was like a real mechanic, understood how all the parts fit. ... So here he is yodeling this stuff. And all we got is this yodel and this great track.

I take it home on my cassette. I go to his house the next day, the very next day, in his little flat, and then we got to write the lyrics. I always listened to what he scatted for clues. ... I said, "Well, it sounds like (he sang) 'lonely world.' That (word) sounds like 'anywhere.' "

I said, "What if it's like 'Jack and Diane,' you know? Kind of, "Just a small-town girl." He goes, "Livin’ in a lonely world." 

Now we're in the movie, and the movie goes on and on and on. I said, "I'll tell you where the location is. This sounds like Sunset Boulevard in the '70s, where I lived, and it sounds like Friday night." I was explaining to them how everybody would cruise up and down the boulevard. I mean, the hustlers, the dreamers, the producers, the actors, the actresses, the wannabe starlets, the wannabe anybodies were all on Sunset, cruising, driving, looking for their hookup, their something.

(After we recorded the instruments,) I called Steve and said, "We did it. It’s killer. You’re going to love this track." So he came in the next week to lay down the vocal in, I think, two takes. I’m serious. Two takes. Three takes at the most. And then I said, "Man, I’m hearing all of these background (vocals)." So we went out and we did all the background parts, and the whole band is singing in one mic. Then Mike Stone mixes the heck out of it. ... And when we heard that (finished) record, me and Perry, we lost our mind.

BH: Still one of the great ones.

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In partnership with Nashville Songwriters Association International, each week we interview a songwriter about his or her work.

JOURNEY's 'Don't Stop Believin'' Recognized As 'Biggest Song Of All Time'

You've heard it literally everywhere since the 1980s: on the radio of every car you've ever owned, at every major sporting event you've attended in the last 20 years (including a live performance by the band at this year's NFC Championship Game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers ),sung by Tom Cruise , Alec Baldwin and Mary J. Blige in the film "Rock Of Ages" , and covered by the cast of the TV show "Glee" . You heard it and then stared at a black screen in horror for a full 10 seconds wondering whether your DVR wasn't set to record the full episode, and then had it running through your head while you argued with friends over whether Tony Soprano got whacked in the diner or not.

And now, JOURNEY 's timeless rock anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" has officially been declared the "Biggest Song Of All Time" by Forbes . According to the RIAA ( Recording Industry Association of America ),the hit rock song likely heard by everyone around the world is now an 18-times-platinum-certified single.

Released in October 1981 for JOURNEY 's seventh studio album "Escape" through Columbia Records , "Don't Stop Believin'" quickly became the band's signature song. Critical acclaim was instant, with Billboard praising the "fluid guitar and vocal." AllMusic declared "Don't Stop Believin'" a "perfect rock song" and an "anthem", featuring "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock." Neal Schon , founder and lead guitar of JOURNEY , wrote the instantly recognizable bass line, and keyboardist and rhythm guitar Jonathan Cain had kept the song title from encouragement his father gave him as a struggling musician living on Sunset Boulevard. Decades after its release, the song became the best-selling digital track from the twentieth century, with over seven million downloads.

In a 2009 interview with CBC 's "Q" cultural affairs show, former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry said he always thought "Don't Stop Believin'" had potential as a single. It was always a hit with live audiences, though it didn't get great radio play at the time it was issued, he said.

"When we were doing the song in 1981, I knew something was happening, but honestly, when I saw it in the film 'Monster' with Patty Jenkins , I started think, 'Oh my goodness there's really something.'"

He added: "The lyric is a strong lyric about not giving up, but it's also about being young, it's also about hanging out, not giving up and looking for that emotion hiding somewhere in the dark that we're all looking for. It's about having hope and not quitting when things get tough, because I'm telling you things get tough for everybody."

Current JOURNEY singer Arnel Pineda , who has been fronting the band for 17 years, told CBS News in 2012, "Even before I discovered 'Don't Stop Believin'' , it has been my motto — you know, to never stop believing in myself. The life that I've gone through, all those hardships, I never stopped believing that someday there is something magical that will happen in my life."

In 2020, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, "Don't Stop Believin'" had become a rallying call for patients recovering from COVID-19 at two hospitals in New York and Michigan. The 1981 hit was being played at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and the New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital during celebrations for patients prevailing over the coronavirus.

JOURNEY features Schon , Cain , Arnel Pineda (lead vocals), Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals), Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass).

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold over 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than one million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan" , a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame . Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Pineda as lead singer after Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube .

JOURNEY will team up with DEF LEPPARD for a 2024 stadium concert tour of North America. The 23-city tour opens July 6 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and concludes September 8 at Coors Field in Denver. The opening act for most of the tour dates will be fellow Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Steve Miller and his band. Two other Rock Hall inductees will alternate as opening acts for the seven shows Miller is not playing — CHEAP TRICK and HEART .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neal Schon (@nealschon)

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Real Meaning Behind The Lyrics To Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’

Feature Photo: Bruce Alan Bennett / Shutterstock.com

Our Meaning Behind The Lyrics To Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” article will look at the lyrics to the iconic rock song. “Don’t Stop Believin’” is the second single from Journey’s Escape album. The song was released in October 1981. It was written by Journey’s Steve Perry , Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain . The song is remembered for its opening keyboard riff. “Don’t Stop Believin’” was a Top 10 hit.

The song peaked at number nine on the Hot 100 charts and number eight on the mainstream charts. It became one of the band’s signature songs. Years after the song was released, it became one of the best-selling digital tracks of the 20th century. The popular song received millions of downloads. This is quite an achievement considering this song is decades old. It was picked as one of the best songs of all time. This song has been covered by different artists. It was most famously covered by the cast of Glee .

“Don’t Stop Believin’” is a power anthem. The song is different because the chorus doesn’t appear until the end. Most songs usually have a chorus within the song. It doesn’t usually come towards the end of the song. Jonathan Cain wrote the words as a mantra. The words came to him after a conversation with his father. Jonathan Cain wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue with his music career. He needed money for his dog because it was hit by a car.

He asked his father for a loan and he started to doubt whether he should stay in music. His father gave him the loan and told him not to give up on music. His father told him not to stop believing. The song is about people from different walks of life who face uncertainty. They try to remain positive and realistic about what will happen to them. Our Meaning Behind The Lyrics to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” will give you an idea of what the powerful song is about.

The first line of the song is about a girl from a small town. She is a lonely girl who isn’t happy with her life. She wants more from her life. She decides to take a midnight train going anywhere. This means she wants to take a new journey in her life. She doesn’t care where she goes. She needs something new. We don’t always know where we are going or where we will end up in life. This line indicates that the girl wants to leave but doesn’t know where she is going. We are introduced to a city boy. He was born and raised in south Detroit.

Journey used South Detroit for the boy’s location because nothing else sounded right with the lyrics. Steve Perry tried the other directions, but he loved the idea of using south Detroit. There is no South Detroit, but he liked it. The boy also took the midnight train going anywhere. He is not sure where he is going but he needs a change in his life. This shows that two people from different worlds can have the same problem. The train in this section represents the uncertainty of life and where it will lead you. They don’t have a set destination. They are willing to go anywhere to start a new life.

In the next verse, Journey talks about a singer. The singer is in a smoky room. The room smells like wine and cheap perfume. This indicates that the singer is performing in a small club and not a big arena. The singer is close enough to the audience that he can smell the wine and cheap perfume. This may indicate that he is not a successful singer since he is singing in a small place. He is on stage performing even though he doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring him.

The next line talks about sharing the night for a smile. This could mean different things. This could mean that it takes little for someone to spend the night with you. It could also mean selling your soul to get what you want. It could also mean giving up your freedom for a smile. This line could also mean putting on a mask to hide from society. We tend to give up a part of ourselves to get what we want. In the singer’s case, he wanted to become famous, so he had to do what it takes to please everyone.

The pre-chorus talks about people walking up and down the boulevard. The people are strangers who don’t know each other. They are strangers to each other as well as to themselves. The only thing they have in common is they are looking for something. Their shadows are searching in the night. The shadow represents fear of having to approach strangers or performing at a nightclub. They deal with the fear of possibly getting judged if their performance doesn’t go well.

The next line talks about streetlights people living to find emotion. This line means people who go out to clubs at night and sleep during the day. The emotion they are looking for is intimacy. The line hiding somewhere in the night means they are afraid of their demons. The people can’t see each other when it is nighttime. They don’t have to worry about being judged. They are around other people who are walking around aimlessly.

The next verse talks about working hard to get what you want. This could mean that they are working hard to make ends meet. Everyone has responsibilities that they need to take care of. Things get tough when responsibilities must come before dreams. The next line talks about wanting to get a thrill. This means everyone wants to know what it is like to go after what they want. They love the idea of being able to succeed. The next line talks about rolling the dice when it comes to making your dreams come true.

People will sell their souls for a chance to make their dreams come true. They are willing to do anything and everything to get what they want. People feel like their time is running out when it comes to making their dreams come true. People don’t want to give up on their dreams. They are convinced they can have what they want and are willing to take the gamble one more time to get it.

The next verse talks about some people winning and some people losing. This means some people will achieve their goals while others won’t. Everyone can’t win in life. Unfortunately, some people will lose. The next line talks about people who were born to sing the blues. This means they are not meant to succeed or achieve their goals. They try to succeed but never do. Some people must lose for others to win. The next line talks about the movie never ending. In the lyrics, the movie represents life. Life doesn’t end whether you achieve your goals or not. Life continues to go on.

In the chorus, we are told not to stop believing. This is the most poignant line in the song. This line means we shouldn’t give up on our dreams. You should never stop believing that you can make your dreams come true. Despite the uncertainty, you should never give up on what you want. The people in the song should continue to hold on to hope that they can make their dreams come true. They should continue to be optimistic to achieve their goals even if it looks like they won’t come true. Journey wants people to hold on to their faith. Journey doesn’t want them to give up on making their dreams a reality. If people don’t stop believing, they may achieve what they are chasing.

article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023

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Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

• Just a small town girl 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 smoky room A 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 Streetlights, people Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night Working 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 are 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 Streetlights, people Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night Don't stop believin' Hold on to that feelin' Streetlights, people Don't stop believin' Hold on Streetlights, people Don't stop believin' Hold on to that feelin' Streetlights, people Writer/s: Jonathan Cain, Neal Joseph Schon, Stephen Ray Perry Publisher: Hipgnosis Songs Group Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
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Comments: 119

• Chad Eicher from Apple Creek, Ohio This song has got to be one of the greatest hit songs that I knew the words to. The cast of the Fox television show "Glee" did their version of that hit song. It just blew me away.
• Rw Cain, at a songwriters festival in 2014, explained some parts of the song. The girl and guy story is like a version of Jack And Diane; they may not be real people. The trains moving at midnight is inspired by the song Midnight Train To Georgia. Live versions of the song, depending on the main vocalist, may change South Detroit to whatever city the band is playing in at that moment.
• Soulsoldseparately from Buffalo, Ny Does "city boy born and raised in South Detroit" refer to an actual person?
• Seventh Mist from 7th Heaven My daughter's favorite song. She often used it as inspiration once she was on her own and (seemingly) facing a new challenge every day. She never stopped believing.
• Susan from Illinois Question-asker from A Train Going Anywhere, I think the lyric means ourselves. The movie is our lives. I believe our lives on this planet will end, but our souls will live on and on in another place.
• Ronsha from New Jersey OMG. This song is so dang famous! People everywhere know this song. I swear to God it's even growing on the younger generations, including me. I used to hate it and think it's overrated, but deep down I always thought, oh darn, this song's catchy, who am I kidding? I'm 13 now and Don't Stop Believin' is one of the most uplifting songs I've ever heard. Not only the sound, but also the lyrics are beautiful. Good song to make you feel strong, nostalgic... it could make you cry too.
• Brett from Mason Whether we choose to hear Streetlight People for street lights, people Steve Perry came right out and said after a concert in Detroit he is looking out from his hotel room down on the street and there we're people just wandering around the street. Not necessarily prostitutes or any other specific type of people. More or less aimlessly wandering around Under The Lights doing nothing. Mendez for the South Detroit I don't think he was intending to give a geography lesson. He was making a song sound the best it could possibly be
• Mckinzie from United States This is my all time favorite song, I say that this is my song because I could relate to this song so much.
• Nick from Ohio This is the most played classic hit of all time. Who would have thought that a song that peaked at #9 would become the undisputed biggest song in history.
• Badintense from Erie Pa This song has crossed all generations and ethnicities as a beloved song. Last summer (2019) in my neighborhood a group of young black teens were hauling their giant boom box down the street blaring this song and singing the words perfectly as if they were in an adult karaoke bar. It actually brought a tear to my eye since I was a teen when this song first came out in 1981. Journey's music has really brought people together into a common bond no matter what the media tries to push on people.
• Question-asker from A Train Going Anywhere what does the lyric "Oh, the movie never ends It goes on and on, and on, and on" mean in this song?
• Seventhmist from 7th Heaven I recently took a long trip and played a Journey collection in my car, downloaded from a phone app. It contained a live version of this song, performed in Houston, that I hadn’t heard before. When Perry reached line about the boy, he sang, “Just a city boy, born and raised right here in Houston!” That definitely caught me by surprise.
• Jodie from Xx I'm pretty sure he's saying "streetlights, people". Not "streetlight people".
• Steve from Albany, Ny And the nonsense about Windsor being "considered" south Detroit continues to stick to the Wiki page like doodoo. LOL It's been said by many that you should never rely on Wiki as a source of reliable / accurate information. Very true.
• Charles from Charlotte The stuff about lowlife killer Eileen Wuernos kissing her female lover just sullies the discussion of a great American pop song. Wish Perry & Co, had said NO!! to that.
• Leonardo from Connecticut I would argue that the Sopranos season finale repopularized the song, not Monster...
• Tony from San Diego Steve Smith plays an amazing drum pattern during the choruses.
• Steve from Albany, Ny The info on the Wikipedia page for this song is inaccurate. And some moderator is allowing it to be there. I guess the following from John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band's song C-I-T-Y was actually referring to Windsor too: "On the South side of Detroit city I'm working all night on the line" Yep, definitely referring to Windsor, Ontario because everyone knows Windsor, Ontario is "considered" south Detroit. Right. LOL
• Steve from Albany, Ny Regarding "south Detroit", I'm simply going to paste in what I just got done explaining to a mod at Wiki who is apparently bent on leaving misinformation on the Wiki page for this song. Sorry but this is pretty simple stuff and anyone who doesn't get it is an imbecile. ........................ I'm guessing / just realizing that you're a type of moderator here. If you in fact have control over what info is on the page in question, it would be a HUGE wrong to leave in the very misleading entry you've re-submitted. Windsor, Ontario is south _OF_ Detroit, Michigan. Detroit, Michigan is the city that NUMEROUS bands would make reference to in their songs. Especially rock bands and especially during the 70s into the 80s. Not Windsor and not any other suburbs of Detroit that also lie south of Detroit (or "downriver"). The song simply makes reference to the south SIDE of Detroit. The quote by Perry makes it clear that the word south was only added because... well, try singing it without south and just a long INNNN in it's place. As the quote makes clear, the song would not have sounded right without south (or something) before the word Detroit. Not that it's is needed for most to understand that the song is referencing Detroit and only Detroit but there is also a quote by Perry in which he stated that Detroit was very much in their (the writers) minds as they wrote the song. Windsor is not a part of Detroit. The song makes reference to the south side of Detroit. If the entry about Windsor is left on the page, so be it, but it is completely misleading and wrong.
• John from Chino, Ca This song is played during the final minutes of Detroit Red Wings home games where it seems evident that the team will win. Played over the PA system, the song is muted so the crowd can sing the verse, "Born and raised in South Detroit."
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On December 13th 1981 "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey peaked at #9 (for 3 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on October 25th and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100... It reached #2 in Canada and #6 in the U.K. Was one of four tracks from the group's 1981 album 'Escape' to make the Top 100 (the others were "Who's Crying Now" (4), "Still They Ride" (#19) and "Open Arms" (#2)... And on September 12th, 1981 the album peaked at #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.
• Steve from Albany, Ny Some of the comments here regarding this song and it's mentioning of south Detroit are ridiculous. Saying there is no south Detroit is funny enough (there is a south side of any city and I was born and raised in SW Detroit myself) but I especially get a kick out of the people who say the song is referring to Windsor. If the following Steve Perry quote is accurate, "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.", then the ONLY city being referenced in the song is Detroit. If by chance the lyrics were written as "South Detroit" as opposed to "south Detroit", I suppose that could indicate that Perry/ the writers were thinking of some area of Detroit or evena separate town with that name but it's not likely and that capital S is the only error here. There's nothing complicated here, the song simply refers to the south side of Detroit.
• Jay from Centereach, Long Island, Ny I am surprised that the "South Detroit" line is so controversial. As a New Yorker, and not wholly familiar with the local geography or the neighborhood names of Detroit, I always thought South Detroit simply meant the southern part of Detroit, much like the South Bronx is the southern part of the Bronx. But who cares? This is a great song; no one should be concerned about a geographic error.
• Deethewriter from Saint Petersburg, Russia Federation Neal Schon told RAW RAWK RU NEWS 2011-10-24 that the recent resurgence of "Don't Stop Believin'" after appearing on The Sopranos and Glee -- as well as becoming the first iTunes song to reach two million downloads -- is beyond his comprehension: "When the record came out, there were other songs that were actually bigger than that off it on radio. Y'know, to have it this many years later just come out and be bombastic (laughs) like never before, just like all over the place and just keep on . . . It just keeps on going. Y'know, it's just pretty amazing."
• Terry from Grafon, Wi This song should be the national anthem of the United States.
• Willie from Scottsdale, Az Bwaaahahaha! Now Michelle "White House Crasher" Salahi is shacking up with Neal Schon. Priceless.
• Ken from San Mateo, Ca Since last year's World Series victory, I will always associate this song to the Giants and the Bay Area. Absolutely one of the best songs!!!!
• Hannah from Gustavus, Oh I'm graduating this coming Sunday (May 29, 2011) and I couldn't be more thrilled that this was voted in as our class song. When they announced it at school you could hear people cheering. I think the reason it's such an enduring song for graduation is that unlike most of the class themes that get picked ("Good Riddance," "Here's to the Night," etc.) it's not about looking back and being sad it's over, but rather looking forward and realizing there is indeed life afterward. It's about living life to the fullest (the first verse) and how even though life is difficult ("some are born to sing the blues"), the important thing is to at least take chances and try ("roll the dice just one more time") - and of course, to not give up no matter what may happen, because everything will turn out just fine in the end.
• Michael from Cincinnati, Oh Journey's 1982 album "Eascape was made into a video game titled "Escape".It was produced by Atari for the 2600 model.It was made by Data Age in San Jose,Cal.The Object of the game was to help the band members "Escape" the fans chasing them around.Pretty cool game at the time.
• Steppy from Detroit, Mi *South Detroit Debate* I'm from metro Detroit (as well as a giant Journey fan) and had always wondered about the reference to South Detroit. I heard and interview a year or so ago with Steve Perry, where he addressed the issue. I listened to it online, maybe Youtube?, so the interview may have been old. At any rate, he said that after a concert in Detroit, he was sitting in his hotel room, very late, working on this song. The room was on a high floor and he was watching the people standing under the lights and pondering their lives ("streetlight people"). While he realized that South Detroit didn't really exist, he used a bit of artistic license, because it flowed better than East Detroit.
• Megan from Stevenson, Al Tell me why this is AMAZING?! lol This song is on a totally different level. Awesome.
• Jim from Long Beach, Ca Great song. South Detroit=Winsor,Ontario,Canada.....
• Jay from St Paul, Mn I listened to a few interviews Steve has given. He said he used South Detroit because it sounded better than North, East or West. He said he didn't realize there was no South Detroit. He jokingly said he found out South Detroit was actually Windsor. As far as streetlight people, he said it's something that he noticed when he looked out of a hotel window. If you Youtube it, you can find the interviews. Very worth while.
• Ken from San Mateo, Ca What a song...Like the Chisox, this also became a tribute song for the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants! And Journey is from this area, so it makes better sense.
• Bobby from Belleville, Nj While Journey's version is a classic, back in 2008 before it was used in Sopranos, freestyle artist George LaMond remade the song into a pop/dance version. And a very good one, I might add.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny Five years before Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" Olivia Newton-John had a completely different record with the same title, it peaked at No. 33...
• Bd from Vienna, Va Probably worth noting in the brouhaha about Journey turning down a cover of this song is that Randy Jackson was in the band for a while in the mid-80s before their first breakup.
• Rob from Fredericton, Nb One of the many anthems most prominiately found in the 80s hall of great music. For every song played on the radio, this one song sticks out the most when I use to go to a carnival in my hometown. With the smell of fries, hotdogs and other foods lingering in the air, you could always hear a Journey tune blaring in the background while everyone enjoyed riding the many rides at this carnival. So when you take an experience, like a carnival, and feature all of it's pleasantries you soon inaugurate any song from the 80s, namely a Journey tune, and the picture is complete. Such a great band and such a great song.
• Sara from Detroit, Mi And for those of you that want to split hairs, Look on the map of Detroit. Melvindale, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Ecorse, Delray, Allen Park, Southgate, Taylor, River Rouge, Wyandotte. These are all blue collar or very poor areas, and most people worked for the Big 3 auto companies. This area is called "Downriver" as it is south of Detroit. Detroit itself is a pretty small city. What most people think is Detroit is any one of the suburbs that lies within or outside of Detroit's city limits. Oak Park, Hazel Park, Highland Park, and Hamtramck, are all INSIDE the City Limits. Where as Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Southfield, Eastpointe, are OUTSIDE of Detroit's City Limits...yet most people consider it part of the greater metro area. When the word METRO is used by itself all over the country it means DETROIT METRO. We were the first place to use the term "Metro" as a colloquial term for a specific large area, as Detroit was the first city in the country to spread out that fast with that large of a population. The city of Detroit itself, is small.
• Sara from Detroit, Mi You are all VERY WRONG about the South Detroit explanation. To those of us who are FROM Detroit and GREW UP THERE....SOUTH DETROIT IS ANYTHING SOUTH OF I-96...a.k.a "Downriver" ....There has NEVER been a place CALLED South Detroit. It's like being in any big city, the term is more loosely used, than say "South Philly", "South-Central L.A." "Southside Of Chicago". Yes Eastpointe was East Detroit but that has absolutely NOTHING to do with this, you don't see a "West Detroit" on the map do you? As for the lyrics it IS in fact "Streetlights, People". It's amazing how many Americans struggle with their own native language!
• Carrie from Roanoke, Va Petra Haden does a cover version of this song.
• Karen from Manchester, Nh I have loved this song for years...until I heard that it was the closing song on the piece of filth that is titled "The Sopranos".
• Jose from Brisbane, Australia Please tour Australia! I know it's hard because for some reason, Australia never really got into Journey... sad lot we are.
• Nikki from Yamba, Australia greta song... love that it has on family guy.. scrubs... the sapranos... the wedding singer and love when LC and stephen sing it on the second series of laguna beach!
• Ellen from Chicago, Il A great song. See Wikipedia's article (search the song title) for additional details as to what exactly is meant by "South Detroit" - in the section called "Sports".
• Rahul from Chennai, India absolutely beautiful song....
• Stu from Philly, Pa They've been quoted as saying "it's streetlight people, we're talking about prostitutes." At any rate, check the lyrics book that came with the album. One of the greatest songs of all time, it was a real treat to see the cast of Glee perform it on that new TV show. One of the best non-Journey renditions of it. My band Raised On Radio usually starts our sets with this song.
• Mike from Brighton, Ma To answer the age old question, "South Detroit" actually refers Southfield, Michigan. (Southfield, ironcally is north of Detroit.) In the 1980s, Journey played many charity soft ball games with WRIF-FM (The Riff).
• Brendan from Cape Town, South Africa The line after "streetlights, people" sounds like "heaven just a fun emotion" Any other suggestions?
• Allen from Knoxville, Tn On the University Of Tennessee campus, somebody has spray painted on the stop signs "dont STOP believin'" Great song, even 27 years after it was released!
• Katie from St. Paul, Mn The lyrics say "Streetlights, people...", not "Streetlight people".
• Josh from Indianapolis, In Journey Rocks Big Time!!!!!!!!!!!!! thers not a song by them i dont like> Rock on!
• Bob from Dumbsville, Belarus Wow this song is beautiful! Everytime I'm down, I listen to it and it gets me back on my feet again. This song just defines 80s music. Journey will just never be the same without Steve Perry leading their crusade.
• Morten from Sydney, Australia I'm an 80's music tragic but suprisingly had never heard of this song! Thanks to Family Guy for introducing me to this gem! -Morten, Sydney, Australia
• Dean from Windsor, On I would just like to inform all those people who say this song isn't about Windsor. When "South Detroit" is mentioned the city of Windsor is what they are talking about. Windsor is actually SOUTH of Detroit. If your ever around my town and stand at the river your compass will point north. Enjoy!
• Julie from Taylor, Tx When this song comes on...me and best friend victoria go crazy! it's their best song. Classic 80's!
• Melanie from Seattle, Wa Scott from Boston - what a cool story! Haha I want to go write that on a stop sign now! :D This song is sooo good. Journey's best IMO. Steve's voice is amazing.
• Neil from Ottawa, Canada This song was sung by the football team in the 2007 film "The Comebacks". One of the players starts singing it in the change-room, and it turns in to a full-stage concert. It mocks the sports movie cliche of teams turning it around with an uplifting theme song, and also references the Chicago White Sox World Series.
• Liquid Len from Ottawa, Canada What a great song! The only song Journey did in the 80s that wasn't horrid!
• Fredrik from Stockholm, Sweden This song was also featured in the South Park episode "tsst" when Cartman is plugging in his X-Box. He sings the lines "Don't stop believing, hold on to your feelings"
• Krista from Elyria, Oh I love Journey! And I love it when ametuers sing the lyrics! But I HATE baseball cards...
• Scott from Boston, Ma During cross country last year there was a stop sign we always ran by during practice and it said "don't" above it and "believing" below it. It became our team's song and we often sang it very out of tune during runs. Also, that Family Guy episode is awesome (as most are). "Oh my god, that is Journey!"
• Michael from San Diego, Ca One of the most beautiful songs of all time...if this song doesn't get to you, then you may need to check your pulse!
• Richie from Sedalia, Mo Edgar, Kings Park, NY Better luck next time!!
• Edgar from Kings Park, Ny This song reminds me of my failed suicide attempt. Well... there's always next time.
• Brian from Portage, Mi Yes, Detroit is an East/West city, but no matter where an area is, there is still four cardinal directions.
• Brian from Detroit, Mi Anyone from Detroit will know what i am saying, but "south detroit" refers tothe area south of Outer Drive, Detroiters refer to the area as "downriver." i Just want to clear the confusion. It ISINT canada, it ISINT eastpointe, NOR groose pointe.
• Eamon from Motherwell, Scotland THis inspirational song was played every night in a juke by me when I was teaching summer camp in up state New York back in 1980. Being from Scotland, I loved the American rock scene and this classic just typifyies it. 27 years later, I play the Journey live DVD while I work out every other night and never tire of hearing it, it is in my blood. I had the pleasure of seeing Journey in Glasgow earlier this year and it was a real highlight. One question - I have heard different lyrics for this some say "Heaven is a funky mouse?" Any comments guys and girls? Eamon.Motherwell. Scotland.
• Sergio from Miami, Fl I have been listening to this song for a long time now. I grew up listening to it and I admit, its my all time favorite. It is so cool now to see a new generation fall in love with it thanks to Family Guy, Scrubs and Sopranos. I dont think it matters if South Detroit is correct or not cause whenever they performed it live with Steve Perry he always replaced Detroit with the city they were in at the moment. I always thought that was a nice touch and he always got a cheap pop for it. I know I will always love this song and just dont get sick or hearing it. Journey was a fantastic band with some great musicians.
• Mary from Canyon, Tx This song was my junior class song way back when in ancient times, not too long after it was first released. EVen I know Windsor, ON is south of Detroit! (Southeast to be exact.)
• Mark from Glassboro, Nj This song was used in the very end of The Soprano's Final Episode. The song is cut short and the screen goes to blank.
• Missy from Ann Arbor, Mi You may not belive this but 'Don't stop Belivin' was my senior class song...I love it and so did my class...we were a pretty small class and we were all ubsessed with soft and classic rock...the good stuff...Whenever I hear those first few piano keys play, I will alway go back to my high school gym, on a hot june day, walking to the stage to graduate...Good Times, Great Memories and GREAT SONG!!!
• Mike from Hueytown , Al I love the 80's on VH1 ripped this song apart.
• Mark from Des Moines, Ia I can't help but think of the CHICAGO WHITE SOX and their magical run to the World Series title in 2005. What a great season!!! What a great song!!!
• Maria from Houston , Tx I agree with most, his voice is awesome!!!!
• Kara from Cadillac, Mi Artists magic is what happens when you take a group of extraordinarily talented people and put them together, allowing them each to do what they do best. Journey is what happens when it all fits together and creates something wonderful. They're not just a band- they're an era. Neal Schon is with out a doubt one of the most gifted guitarists ever. His knowledge and presentation of his craft are nothing short of brilliant. Steve Perry's vocals are masterful. They, along with Schon's guitar work, gave Journey a distintive sound. Jonathan Cain - a perfect fit, though I admit I've always liked Greg Rolle too. I have a Journey album that was made prior to Steve Perry's joining and listening to that makes me know that Journey would have been great no matter what because they had the talent to be great. I know there were changes in the lineup, but Ross Valory's bass playing was also part of what made Journey what it is to me. I loved Steve Smith on the drums, but as with Rolle, I was sad to see Aynsley Dunbar go. Journey was a concept, a feeling, a part of life, an important accent to memories in my life and continues to contribute to important events in the lives of my kids. Two of my sons play guitar and are greatly influenced by Neal Schon. One of them is currently overseas serving in the millitary- he will marry his high school sweetheart when he returns and their wedding song will be "Open Arms". The two sons that I have at home have recently been getting into Journey - "Generations" and I have found that I love their music now as much as I ever did. It never mattered to me that Steve Perry said "South Detroit" - I lived in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti for many years and I never could keep the suburbs or other offspring areas of Detroit straight anyway. I lived in San Francisco too and always knew that "Lights" was about that city - even if it was written in (or partially in) L.A. - Who cares? Does anybody ever question why "Still They Ride" has traffic lights in it? No. Why? Because it's a truly amazing song about times changing before people are ready for them to with an outstanding guitar lead and excellent vocals. Get over the details. This is legendary music by exceptional musicians. Just enjoy it.
• J from Boston, Ma and I mean (in the last comment) in the chorus part at the end.
• J from Boston, Ma About the streetlight line, I think the first time the line is done, it sort of sounds like streetlight with a little extra sound on it. However, the second time the line is sung, he definetly says streetlights. As the song fades out, I think he says streetlight.
• Jack from London, England Coming from England I had never heard this song on the radio before I heard it on Family Guy. I then heard the song during an episode of Scrubs Season 3 called "My Journey" and decided I had to download it. JOURNEY KICK ASS
• Nathan from From The Country Of, Canada I always heard this song on the radio, but it wasn't until its appearance on Family Guy's kareokee episode that i realized how good the song actually is.
• Peter from Detroit, Mi No matter what, at least once a month I hear this song at the bar. My friends and I are from Dearborn Heights, MI and I like to replace south detroit with "dearborn heights" while belting the lyrics to the annoyance of my girlfriend...she thinks I'm cute so it's cool. Rock on Journey!
• Tom from Vashon, Wa This is an amazing song. It is so sweet. I love it. I think that it has a great message that we can all relate to. Wether we are living on the streets or we are just having problems with our closest friend. You can never stop believing.
• Dave from Beamsville, Canada If you listen closely, you will hear a rendition of this song during the first wedding ceremony on 'The Wedding Singer' when Adam Sandler gets stood up at the alter.
• Allan from Calgary, Canada At The Den (the on-campus bar at the University of Calgary) this song has been the last song every weekend night for the last 10 years. All the regulars drop their pants and do the "no pants dance" Quite a good time and a great way to end the night at a great bar.
• Zeke from Washington, Dc All the lyrics say that the line is "Streetlight, people..." but if you listen to the song it DEFINITELY sings "Streetlights, people." Which do you think it is?
• Kevin from Grosse Pointe, Mi Yeah, but who calls Windsor "South Detroit"? Nobody. I love this song, but that line always bugs me. Why not say "Just a city boy, born and raised in East Detroit" East Detroit is the former name of Easpointe, Michigan. Also, East Detroit is just considered the East side of Metro Detriot, so he could be from the eastern part of the city of Detroit or from any one of the suburbs that is considered East Detroit (Harper Woods, Roseville, Clinton Township, St. Clair Shores)
• Emma from Palm Beach, Australia This song was performed in episode 403 of "The Family Guy" entitled "Don't Make Me Over" (original air date 06/05/05) by Peter, Cleveland, Quagmire and Joe. It's an enjoyable rendition, with pall bearers even dropping a coffin in order to hit "The Drunken Clam" to check out the performance.
• Matt from Haddon Hieghts, Nj This song is great and i got my whole family to love this song its Steve Perrys voice thats just awesome and its one of my fav
• Cindi from Vancouver, Canada OMG WHO care weather it is North, South. East or West it is a great song.....I can think about better things to debate than which way is up, down or left or right....I agree with who ever said there is N,S, E or West every where just get a compass and stand outside this isn't rocket science it's a Rock song.
• Zeke from Washington, Dc Actually, Canada IS south of Detroit. The southern part of Ontario is actually south of Detroit. Check your map Jon from Regina.
• Justin from Monson, Ma I think Journey's song "Don't stop Believin" is the greatest song in the world. I love it so much. Each time it comes on the radio, I turn it up loud. By the way, why does anyone care about how the city of Detroit is used in the song. The song's great!!!!!!!! -Justin Dubois,Monson,MA
• Matthew from East Brunswick, Nj Great song, Journey is a godsend of the 80's!
• Anwiya from Sterling Heights, Mi Hey John from Canada, you know nothing. A portion of Canada (city name: WINDSOR) is south of Detroit.
• Sara Mackenzie from Middle Of Nowhere, Fl white sox have used it for their theme song, omg!! at least it kept them going on to believe that they could win, and they did, so this song is like, an inspiration.
• Christa from Aurora, Il This was the song the white sox used for inspiration to win the world series 2005!
• Jeff from Sothington, Ct this is an inspirational song that has a good guitar part in it...the family guy episode was funny and the fact that i knew this girl that would sing this song and now everytime i hear it i see her singing it..but i still see myslef playing guitar...nice solo though
• David from Yosemite, Ca I heard this song sung a few weeks ago in San Francisco's North Beach--I was trying to sleep in the GreenTortoise hostel in the room above the lounge--and a chorus of girls was singing it. It must have been Kerioki night, but it was lovely. I couldn't recall the group (Journey), but heard a bit on the radio, and googled the lyrics. I've been googling lyrics all weekend--Napster's having free downloads, which brought me here--nice site.. I wish I could have recorded the girls singing. David Yosemite Sept. 4, 2005
• Chase from Pasadena, Ca Most of the memories posted on this website are by a girl named "Stephanie."
• Stephanie from Ellicott City, Md this song brings back some great memories .... reminds me of being just over the edge of 17, vacationing in Florida with my family. we were staying at this resort, and i was hanging out in the game room. i had been pretty bored, and i met this guy about 2 years younger than me. he was from a small town in Maine, while i was from the big city in Maryland. i was grateful to find someone close to my age, and we played airhockey, with us deciding to make a friendly bet, the terms to be determined after the game. he let me win, and the term of the bet was decided to be a kiss. we ended up making out for awhile, and when we parted for the night, we shared no pretense that we'd ever meet again. the next night, i heard this song, and it made me think of him - although it was reversed, he was the small town boy and i was the city girl, for a smile we shared the night, and the memories go on and on. i had been feeling pretty low about myself at this time, and feeling undesirable, and he made me feel like, hey, maybe there is something desirable about me after all. so, Matt from Maine, thank you.
• Ryan from Windsor, Canada Amazing song, one of the best from the 80's. oh and Jon from Regina, check your map bro. I'm from Windsor, Ontario Canada and to go to Detroit I'd have to travel North, not South (one of those "tricky" geography catches).
• Jev from Marietta, Ga Well does anyone know where I can get a good ringtone of this song period.
• Patrick from Charlotte, Nc no.
• Jev from Marietta, Ga Does anybody know where I can get a Don't Stop Believin ringtone that is reliable?
• Jon from Regina, Canada This is a great song. By the way, who really cares if they say South Detroit? It's not the end of the world. And John from Scottsdale, I thought most people knew this, but Canada is NORTH of Detroit, not south.
• Matthew from Marquette, Mi Ok... I don't know how many of you really know Geography, but there is a North, South, East and West of EVERYTHING! There is South America, Southern US, Southern California, South Detroit, my dorm room even has a southern part. While you may not find South Detroit on a map, there is in fact a South Detroit. The guy probably grew up near Michigan Avenue. As for the song... GREAT EFFIN' SONG!
• Tatem from San Diego, Ca No matter the radio station I'm listening to, you can always tell that distinctive Journey-Steve Perry sound and instantly know a Journey song regardless of your knowledge of their song list. Steve Perry gave Journey their uniqueness. I had heard about the Monster movie thing, never saw the movie though. It's hard to believe how old these guys are now. Steve Perry was a hottie. Aging happens to the best of us!!
• Perviz from Cochin, India Words can't describe the kind of feeling you get on hearing this song. Truly a masterpiece!!
• Perviz from Cochin, India This is truly a super duper song. Thanx a million Journey.
• Kevin from Grosse Pointe, Mi Yeah the whole South Detroit thing always bugged me too. Detroit is an East Side/West Side city, not a North Side/South Side city like Chicago. If the lyrics had said "East Detroit" it would have made more sense.
• Ryan from Lansing, Mi There is no East Detroit however as everyone should know, they changed there name to Eastpointe. But yeah he should really have said southren Detroit.
• John from Scottsdale, Az When I ever hear this song, I have to say "you've got it wrong, Steve, and sing "There ain't no such place as South Detroit." I grew up in Detroit. There's an east side and a west side. The dividing line is Woodward Avenue. South Detroit is..uh... Canada. Stand on the plaza in downtown Detroit, and look south. Oh, Canada. Otherwise, I like the song, but Steve and his buddies should hvae stuck to San Francisco or looked at a map
• Tom from Alma, Ga Ack! Another cookie-cutter corporate rock band. Being a child of the 80's, however, they did have some good stuff.
• Dawn from Highlands Ranch, Co Well, Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Jon Cain I think all take credit for the genesis of this song, which probably explains part of why they're not together anymore. But actress Charlize Theron really wanted this song for a scene in her movie Monster, so she and director/writer Patty Jenkins wrote a letter to Steve Perry begging him to allow them to use the song. He saw the scene they wanted it for, said it was perfect, through Sony contacts asked Jon and Neal if they were ok with it, they said yes, and Steve became musical consultant for the film, as well as the song being in the film. Steve is still traveling around the US and Canada with Patty helping her promote the movie and accepting awards for it.
• Mooler from Detroit, Mi Nora hit the nail right on the head. South Detroit is just referring to the southern part of the city just as south west detroit or west side or east side or northeast detroit...etc etc. I should know...im from north east detroit. 7 and gratiot.
• Paul from Greenwood, Sc Just a couple tidbits...in live shows, Journey frontman Steve Perry would insert the name of whatever city that would be hosting them, evidenced by the NFL films documentary of them from the late 80's where they are playing in Philly..."Born and raised in Phil-a-del-phia!"...also the guitar break between the first and second verse spotlights Schon at what he did best. Neil Schon was discovered by Carlos Santana and was playing on stage at the age of 15. He is incredibly fast and it shows on this classic.
• Larry from Artesia, Ca Streetlight people, living just to find emotion Hiding, somewhere in the night
• Angela from Santa Fe, Tx Does anyone know the lyrics to this song? I know most of them, however, there is one line in there where I can't seem to catch all the words. It is right after the line in the chorus "Streetlife people". Can anyone help me? Thanks.
• Nora from Richfield, Mn The lyrics didn't say 'south OF Detroit', it said South Detroit. Big difference

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What to know about Sixwire, the RNC band supplying the dad rock each night during prime time

Rachel Treisman

Sixwire performs the national anthem at the Music City Grand Prix in August 2023 in Nashville, Tenn. Catherine Powell/Getty Images hide caption

For more updates from the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, head to the  NPR Network's live updates page .

Anyone who's tuned into the RNC so far will likely recognize Sixwire, the five-member house band that's brought an enthusiastic series of classic rock covers to the convention floor — including a surprise extended performance after an abrupt teleprompter malfunction on Night 1.

The group has entertained viewers with renditions of such hits as "Life is a Highway," "All Star," "What I Like About You," "Don't Stop Believin' " and "Reelin' in the Years," among other "dad jams ."

And while it's only recorded one album (for Warner Brothers, back in 2002), it's not just a random country cover band. Here's what to know about Sixwire:

• The Nashville-based band's members include  lead singer and guitarist Andy Childs, keyboardist and singer Steve Hornbeak, bass guitarist John Howard, guitarist and singer Steve Mandile and drummer Chuck Tilley.
• The band gets its name from a slang term for guitar,  which  its management agency calls  "a fitting name to a band fronted by 3 guitarists."
• Sixwire has served as the house band on multiple reality TV shows,  including the USA Network’s  Nashville Star,  Fox's  The Next Great American Band  and CMT's  Next Superstar . They also played as the backing band for Connie Britton's character on the ABC drama  Nashville .
• The band has performed at other high-profile events,  including Super Bowls 51, 54 and 56, the Daytona 500 and the NHL All-Star Game. Their management says they were also ESPN’s "first ever 'house band' " for the 2019 NFL Draft, which took place in Nashville.
• Over the years, its individual members have played in the bands for such stars as  Faith Hill, Dolly Parton and Lee Greenwood, who took to the convention floor on Monday to perform his own hit, "God Bless the U.S.A.," as Trump made his  first RNC appearance .

Sixwire is the main event, as far as live music goes, but it's not the only artist bringing tunes to the convention hall. Country singer Chris Janson, who performed at the 2016 RNC, appeared onstage on the first night to sing some of his songs, including " Buy Me a Boat ." And, of course, there was the pre-produced music video for the parody rap song " Trump Trump Baby " on Tuesday night.

The RNC also created a Spotify playlist back in April, which it called "a weekly installment of carefully curated music to get you pumped for the GOP Convention."

"Our first #GOPlaylist will bring you back to a time when the border was secure, gas was cheap, and life was good," it said on X , formerly Twitter, at the time.

The playlist no longer appears on Spotify. But as Rolling Stone reported , it heavily featured artists who have publicly criticized Trump over the years, including The Weeknd , Dua Lipa , Drake and Daddy Yankee .

The management and estates of a number of musical artists, from Queen to Bruce Springsteen to Aerosmith to the Village People, have denied Trump the rights to use their songs at his campaign events. (Some, like The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty , have even threatened legal action.)

That didn't stop the RNC from airing a montage of Trump dancing to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A" earlier this week, though.

This reporting originally appeared as part of the NPR Network's  live coverage of the RNC .

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For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

Trump Picks His Running Mate, and Political Heir

Former president donald j. trump chose the 39-year-old senator j.d. vance of ohio as his vice-presidential nominee..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, on the first day of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump makes his choice of a running mate. We watched it unfold in real time from Milwaukee.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It’s Tuesday, July 16.

Are you OK?

I’m getting phone interference.

Oh no, maybe that’s from your phone. There’s like 16 phones in this car.

I’ll start it.

OK. It is 9:35 AM on Monday morning, and we are driving into downtown Milwaukee to the headquarters of the Republican National Convention. And it’s day 1, the opening hours of what will be the Republican Party’s crowning of their nominee, former President Donald Trump. And the singular event that hangs over this entire convention is the one that none of us expected, which is the attempted assassination of the presumptive Republican nominee.

And the news is just flying at us this morning. We just got word that he’s going to be announcing his running mate today, his choice of a VP. So this is a pretty extraordinary day already before 10:00 AM, and we’re going to try to make sense of it all.

We just went through the first round of secret service asking to see our badges. We are now stopped at a giant metal pop-up wall. And in front of us, cars are being slowly and very thoroughly inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs and security teams.

Hi. You guys are good. You just have to get screened through the checkpoint.

Perfect. OK, thank you. Thanks.

Secret Service? Should I open the trunk?

— turn the engine off and pop the hood for me, please?

Oh, the front hood? How do I do that? We’re in a rental car. Here we go.

She’s got it. Look at her.

And also, don’t run into my barricade. People keep doing that even though it says stop on it, you know? Keep your eyes open, all righty? Let’s be safe, everybody.

Great. Thank you so much.

So we’re headed into deeper security.

— take off your sunglasses. Can you back up for me real quick?

Good. Good to go. Carlos?

Good to go. And —

Good to go. Thank you.

There wasn’t a single package inside that bag that they didn’t search. Hi.

Check in over here. Thank you guys for coming.

Hi, I can take whoever’s next.

Once we made it through all that security, we walked into the first official event of the day, a briefing for reporters from the Trump campaign about what this first day of the convention would look like.

So we’re inside a very big ballroom that has a podium and two flags set up next to it. Wisconsin, United States, there’s about 200 journalists in here, filling a quarter of the room and a lot of red-shirted RNC staffers and volunteers who are kind of corralling us. And we’re going to wait and see what they have to say.

But just as this briefing was about to begin, we were told that it was for planning purposes only and that we couldn’t use any of the audio from it.

I just want to summarize what we heard in this news conference. Essentially, what senior advisors to the Trump campaign just told us is that this day is going to be very action-packed. It is going to begin in the early afternoon with the official technical nomination by delegates of Trump as the Republican nominee. And then in the early afternoon, around 3 o’clock or so, the nomination of a vice presidential candidate will occur.

What that means is that sometime between now, 10:30 AM or so, and 3:00 PM, we will know the identity of who Trump’s running mate will be. And finally, we are going to lay eyes on Donald Trump himself at around 9:00 PM in the evening. And the crowd is going to go wild because it’s the first time many of them, many of us will have seen him since the assassination attempt. So it’s a really packed schedule filled with a giant piece of news in the middle, which is who Trump picked as his running mate.

Mike Bender.

To get inside Trump’s decision making, we turn to our colleague Mike Bender, a politics reporter at “The Times,” who’s been on the VP beat for the past few months.

OK, we just want to bug you for a minute about what is the status of the VP choice. Last time we talked to you, you told us that there were three top contenders — Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and Ohio Senator JD Vance. So where do things sit here at 11:00 at noon on Monday?

Just hours before he’s actually supposed to make the announcement and nominate the running mate? I mean, I literally ran into a couple of sources who are with other VP contenders who are telling me that they haven’t received word one way or the other yet. I don’t think he’s told the person yet. I mean, we’re three hours from a nomination. I seriously do not think that Trump has actually made the formal offer yet.

We have to go — I think we have to just, like, explain that to people. We’re three hours from the necessary public disclosure of this information, and it’s not clear the decision’s been made.

Yeah, no, it’s amazing. I mean, Trump is known to vacillate over big decisions. He did almost the same thing back in 2016 when he picked Mike Pence. He decided to pick Mike Pence and then spent the night before their first news conference together, complaining to aides that he had made the wrong choice, wondering if he could pick someone differently. My reporting over the last week has been that he’s been going through similar iterations on this decision.

So we’re going to lightly stalk you until we get the news. And hopefully, when we get the news, you can break it to us. Or it will be broken over our heads, and then we’ll talk about it. And we’ll make sense of it.

Yeah, definitely. I am also hoping to be the first to know. And if I’m the first to know, you guys will be the second to know.

OK thank you, Michael.

Yeah. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Just as we finished talking to Mike, he made a phone call.

Hey. You don’t think — why don’t you think it’s Marco? He called? Like, just now? OK, I just saw some folks outside for another contender who haven’t heard anything yet. So I mean, and that was 30 minutes ago. So I’m wondering if it’s happening now. No, I didn’t see that. OK. OK. OK. Thanks, bye.

So can you just tell us about that phone call you had?

Yeah, yeah, definitely. This was someone who is very close with one of the VP contenders, one of the final three. This contender just received a call from Trump’s team saying he’s not the pick.

Soon enough, Mike confirmed that Marco Rubio had been crossed off the VP list, and that Rubio wasn’t the only VP contender to receive that call.

So it’s 1:30 PM, and this is a little orthodox, but I’m peeking over the shoulder of my colleague Mike Bender. And I can see that he’s writing the following. Both Doug Burgum and Marco Rubio have been told that they are not Trump’s VP choice. So in real time, assuming that this is right, we’re left thinking that the choice is either JD Vance or some wildcard person who we haven’t even thought of.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin a very important part of our program. I would like to ask that the aisles be cleared and the delegates please take their seats. Thank you.

In the meantime, the official business of this convention began. The nomination of Trump as the Republican nominee.

Michael, tell me what’s happening.

OK. So at this point, 2:00 PM, the roll call of delegates is underway on the floor of the Convention Hall.

West Virginia, 32 delegates.

So what’s happening right now is that the delegates from each state are publicly pledging their support to Donald Trump. And the delegates from each state represent the outcome of the primary vote that happened many, many months ago. So like right now, West Virginia’s designated speaker with a red hard hat on, is saying, from the great state of West Virginia —

And to cast those 32 votes for our former and future president, Donald J. Trump!

— we are pledging our 32 delegates to Donald Trump, and on and on and on it will go. And so this is a formality, adding up all the delegates from all the states. But it’s actually a technically required component of Donald Trump becoming and accepting his party’s nomination. And Trump will become the official nominee when 1,215 delegates in this room have pledged their support to him, which will probably be in about 30 minutes.

I stand before you today on behalf of the great state of New Hampshire.

And after Trump is nominated, this entire exercise happens all over again for his running mate whose identity we still don’t know. So that’s where a lot of the suspense of this moment is, not in the obvious fact that Donald Trump is about to be nominated, but that everyone in this room is about to nominate a running mate that they don’t know the identity of, that we don’t know the identity of. And we have to know the identity of it before it happens.

And all of a sudden, after not knowing how or when we would learn Trump’s choice, we finally do. And it’s delivered in classic Trump fashion.

So I’ve just seen on Truth Social that Trump has announced his VP pick, and it is JD Vance of Ohio.

OK. “Daily” editor Rachel Quester breaking the news that it’s Vance, which we kind of thought it would be, but now we know.

After the break, Vance’s nomination and why Trump picked him.

We’ll be right back.

OK, so we’re walking to the Convention Hall. It’s a bit of a trek. It’s very hot outside and blazingly bright. And we are now entering the media doorway.

Hi. How are you? Thank you.

Where are you all trying to get?

To the floor.

To the floor? To the floor?

OK. Just right out there and then somebody on the direction.

Around 3:30 or so, we walked out onto the convention floor just as Vance was being nominated as Trump’s running mate.

USA! USA! USA!

All right, time for a little convention business here. The question is on the motion that Senator JD Vance be nominated by acclamation —

This room is about to complete the nomination of Vance as VP.

All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the “ayes” have it, and the motion is adopted. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

And just to give you a little bit of a sense of the feel of the room, JD Vance is smiling really widely. He’s leaning back. He’s laughing. Crowd is chanting JD, JD. And he seems a little in awe of the moment.

I am proud to announce that Senator JD Vance has the overwhelming support of this convention to be the next vice president of the United states.

And that’s that. JD Vance, the vice presidential nominee. We got to get out of here.

The chair is pleased —

When that was over, we headed back to where Mike Bender was working to talk to him about Trump’s choice.

So welcome to “The Daily” studio here in Milwaukee.

Can you close this door?

You can shut that, yeah. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Mike, you’re ready?

So if you believe that Donald Trump made this decision, as we think he did kind of the last minute, even if he’d been thinking about it for a long time, what’s your understanding of why he chose JD Vance?

I think Trump is making this pick on who he thinks gives him the best chance to win in November. He announced this decision in a Truth Social post and mentioned a couple of key states in that statement, essentially saying that he thinks Vance can help him win in Pennsylvania, in Michigan, Wisconsin. These are essential states for victory in November, both for Trump and President Biden. Trump won them in 2016 but lost to Biden in those same states in 2020.

Hm! He’s very openly saying, I have made a strategic choice. What’s interesting about that, Mike, is that in our conversation a couple of weeks ago when we talked about who Trump was looking at closely, you had said that he wasn’t thinking about these traditional questions of, Does my VP win me X state, Y state? You know, he was engaging in questions of personal rapport. And he got along really well with Doug Burgum.

So clearly, the strategic question became front of mind for Trump. And I just want to understand, Was there something in the race that changed that made him suddenly think about this or what?

Well, well, well, look at “The Daily” fact-checking its reporters here on air. Well, you’re not wrong either, Michael. There has been a shift in the last few weeks with Trump. He’s gone from talking about finding a running mate who could help him govern, to finding a running mate who can help him govern and someone who can help him win.

And when he ran the analysis here, when he looked at the different set of candidates he has, his ultimate decision was that JD Vance is the one who can do that. Vance will take him deeper into the states where he needs to win in the Midwest and appeal directly to the working-class, blue-collar voters he needs to capture these battlegrounds.

Explain exactly why he thinks JD Vance helps him win those three or so key states? What is it about Vance’s story that maps on to that strategy?

The answer is both biographical and rooted in policy. Vance is a child of Appalachia. He grew up in a poor, working-class neighborhood in Ohio. He served in the military. And when he decided to run for his first elected office in 2022, he was very far right on a lot of issues. He is one of the most staunch anti-abortion voices in the Senate right now. He’s an economic populist, the sort of anti-trade isolationist.

He was one of the first voices urging the Senate to vote against aid for Ukraine at a time where his party leaders were supporting that. So for Trump, when it comes to selling the idea of Trumpism and MAGA-ism, JD Vance is a very effective communicator for him, particularly in a crucial area of the country, that if Trump wins some of these Midwestern states could mean the end of Biden as president.

Got it. So we should see this decision as Trump picking someone who is ideologically extremely aligned with him, perhaps even a little further to the right than Trump, an issue like abortion, and from and of the place in the country that Trump needs to win, the Midwest, Appalachia. And that combination means, for Trump, Vance.

Yeah, exactly. I think it’s also helpful to put this in the context of the other contenders.

Vance is not bringing a new piece of the puzzle to Trumpism. Marco Rubio, the senator from Florida, would have been a Spanish-speaking advocate who may appeal more to Latinos. Governor Doug Burgum, from North Dakota, could have helped settle down that pro-business Republicans who are nervous about Trump’s unpredictability. Trump is sort of signaling here that he’s not interested in adding to the party. He doesn’t want to make the tent bigger. He’s doubling down on this sort of white working-class, pro-MAGA piece of the party that he sees not just as a way to win in November, but very clearly the path for the party in the future.

Of all the candidates Trump was thinking about for VP — and we’ve talked about this with you — they went on a journey, right, from Trump skeptic to Trump supporter. But JD Vance’s journey stood out because he was so unstinting in his criticism of Trump. When Trump first entered the political scene back in 2016, I remember interviewing Vance and talking to him about this stuff. I mean, he compared Trump to Hitler. He called Trump the opioid of the masses. He suggested Trump was a con man. That’s a lot to overcome, but he did.

But he did. I mean, this is the most stunning 180 degree political flip-flop of our time. To go from saying the sort of things that you just brought up to now being chosen as his most trusted advisor, a running mate, a number 2, who will serve as president if something should happen to him, is extraordinary. I mean, you may have to go back to post-revolutionary times when we used to pick vice presidents by who came in second place to find a vice president who has said such searing criticisms of a president.

Fascinating. And ultimately, what’s your understanding of why Trump could get past that, somebody who is not very good at accepting criticism?

No, that’s true. But as much as Trump hates criticism for his own actions and deeds, he loves the redemption narrative. And he loves being asked for forgiveness. And JD Vance has spent several years seeking Trump’s approval by going on television, making nice with all of the right-wing websites and media in order to show how much he has changed his mind on Trump, and maybe most effectively, blame the media.

That point has been proven by Vance himself, who has explained his new thinking, his evolution on Trump by saying he was lied to by a media narrative about Trump. And now that he’s gotten to know Trump and now that he’s seen him, Trump in action as president, he has changed his mind.

Right. And it sounds like he never really needed to change his mind about some of the fundamental ideas of Trumpism. He had to change his mind about Trump. He seems always to have been fundamentally aligned with the ideas that Trump embraces — economic populism, some pretty far-right social positions. He needed to change his mind on the man, not the message.

Yeah, it was very personal, I think, for both Trump and Vance in this instance. Again, Vance is someone who grew up in rural Ohio, whose family is from Appalachia, saw some of the things that Trump has railed against when it comes to manufacturing jobs that are being shipped overseas, you know, these sort of pillars and institutions of society that have failed to uphold their end of the bargain when it comes to working-class, blue-collar, small-town Americans like Vance is.

If you are the Democrats right now, Mike, and you’re absorbing this news, where do you see the greatest vulnerabilities are going to lie for Trump now picking Vance?

Democrats are definitely going to use Vance’s old words against him, this sort of library of video clips and audio interviews of Vance going after Trump. But Democrats will also seize on Vance as an extremist, whether that’s his ardent abortion view and support for a national ban and his willingness to do what his predecessor, Mike Pence, wouldn’t. Vance has been on record already saying that he would have blocked the certification of the 2020 result, and that would have helped overturn that election.

Right. So you’re saying one simple way that the Biden ticket can go after Vance is by saying that you will enable Trump to break the law, overturn the election. We should expect that.

Yeah, I think so. I mean, looking back on what happened after 2020, the system worked because there was a lot of people around Trump who maybe they weren’t guardrails, but maybe more speed bumps. And there’s no indication that Vance has any willingness to play that role in the next Trump administration.

In that vein, it was pretty widely noted that in the hours after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, we saw JD Vance come out with a statement. It was the most strongly worded of anyone seeking to be his VP. And it had some factual problems. Here’s what he said. He said, “Today, the attempted assassination is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” We should say. There’s no evidence that that’s true. We don’t know the motivations of the shooter. We don’t know that he consumed any of that rhetoric or that Vance is even characterizing it correctly. So what should we make of the fact that Trump chose that running mate who made that statement in this moment?

I think Vance in a lot of ways kind of embodies the id of Trump and that instinct to fight. And even though these sort of manufactured statements from the campaign are calling for unity and calling for peace, what Trump really wants —

Since the attempted assassination, right.

That’s right. What Trump really wants is someone who is going to keep fighting. You know, factual or not, I think this shows the passion and the energy Trump was looking in at running mate, valuing that interest in fighting more than —

Interest in unity and peace.

Yeah, or facts on the ground.

Right. I want to end, Mike, with something you hinted at earlier, which is when you said that Trump is looking to Vance to set a path for the future of the Republican Party. What is that path with Vance as number 2?

Vance is only 39 years old. He’s barely old enough to be president.

Right, 35 is the requirement.

Exactly. So he’s obviously going to be viewed very much as the heir apparent for Trumpism. Trump knows this. And the signal it’s sending to everyone, not just in the party but the rest of the country, is that any remnants of a debate about whether this party snaps back to its sort of pro-business establishment culture —

Pre-Trump era.

— the pre-Trump era is exactly that. It’s a pre-Trump era. It’s over for Republicans. And when it’s not Trump, it’s going to be JD Vance or someone exactly like him.

Right. In other words, Trumpism is here to stay. It is the Republican Party now that I’ve chosen JD Vance.

There’s no going back anymore, Michael.

Thank you, Mike. This is really helpful. I really appreciate it.

Thank you for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Are you guys from — are you guys from Michigan?

We make “The Daily” podcast.

Back at the Convention Hall.

We wanted to ask folks from all the big swing states about the selection of JD Vance about an hour ago and what you make of that decision, and if you think it’s going to help Trump win this state.

Absolutely. Look, I think the key thing in the platform is that it is dedicated to the forgotten men and women, and that is the blue-collar workers in the flyover states. JD Vance gets that.

It was clear that Republican delegates saw JD Vance as helping Trump win those key Midwestern states that will be essential to Trump winning in November.

So if Donald Trump wins Pennsylvania, which we’re going to make damn sure he does, we’re going to work our asses off.

You think that Vance helps them do that?

And just to make sure — I want to understand why.

Because JD Vance is like the common man. He’s like the common guy.

And that like Trump, they do see Vance as the future of Trumpism.

And the other nice thing is he’s young. He’s 39 years old

Why’s that matter?

It’s good to have somebody young with somebody that’s old in case, God forbid, something ever happens to Trump.

In other words, you already see him as the successor, the inheritor of Trump’s message and the party in MAGA?

Well, yeah, he’s going to have to carry the mantle. That’s probably what’s going to end up happening. Trump is only there for four years. You need somebody afterwards for the next eight. You need somebody for the next eight after that.

OK, can I — [MUSIC PLAYING]

And you’re from Wisconsin. You’re a delegate from Wisconsin. This is important. Trump mentioned Wisconsin in announcing Vance. Why was Vance your number one choice?

I think he brings youth to the field, to the vice president. And I looked at the upcoming years in ‘28, what’ll happen. And I think he was the man that can do it in ‘28 for the Republican Party.

You’re already looking forward to the next race?

Yes, very much so.

Here’s what else you need to know today. In a stunning decision, the judge overseeing Trump’s classified documents case threw out all the charges against him. In the process, she rejected what was widely seen as the strongest federal charges against the former president. Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, ruled that the special counsel who filed the charges had been given his job in violation of the Constitution.

That finding flew in the face of previous court decisions reaching back decades. In response, the Department of Justice said that it plans to appeal Cannon’s ruling.

Today’s episode was produced by Carlos Prieto, Clare Toeniskoetter, Jessica Cheung, Mooj Zadie, Eric Krupke, and Rikki Novetsky. It was edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Rachel Quester, with help from Paige Cowan.

Contains original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• July 18, 2024   •   41:29 Trump 2.0: He’s Never Sounded Like This Before
• July 17, 2024   •   25:48 The Surprise Ending to the Mar-a-Lago Documents Case
• July 16, 2024   •   28:27 Trump Picks His Running Mate, and Political Heir
• July 15, 2024   •   31:26 The Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump
• July 14, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘A Republican Election Clerk vs. Trump Die-Hards in a World of Lies’
• July 12, 2024   •   27:43 Loving Their Pets to Debt
• July 11, 2024   •   35:40 72 Hours Inside Biden’s Campaign to Save His Candidacy
• July 10, 2024   •   32:25 Why Britain Just Ended 14 Years of Conservative Rule
• July 9, 2024   •   27:33 The Era of Killer Robots Is Here
• July 8, 2024   •   26:17 The Supreme Court Is Not Done Remaking America
• July 5, 2024   •   26:50 How Bad Is Drinking for You, Really?
• July 4, 2024   •   26:12 Biden’s Slipping Support

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Michael C. Bender

Produced by Carlos Prieto ,  Clare Toeniskoetter ,  Jessica Cheung ,  Mooj Zadie ,  Eric Krupke and Rikki Novetsky

Edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Rachel Quester

With Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Elisheba Ittoop ,  Marion Lozano and Corey Schreppel

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

On the first day of the Republican National Convention, Donald J. Trump chose his running mate: Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio.

We watched the process unfold in real time in Milwaukee.

Michael C. Bender, who covers Mr. Trump and his movement for The Times, takes us through the day.

On today’s episode

Michael C. Bender , a political correspondent covering Donald J. Trump and his Make America Great Again movement for The New York Times.

Background reading

What to know about J.D. Vance , Mr. Trump’s running mate.

Mr. Trump’s decision to pick Mr. Vance signals concern for the future of his MAGA movement.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

Michael C. Bender is a Times political correspondent covering Donald J. Trump, the Make America Great Again movement and other federal and state elections. More about Michael C. Bender

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