Journey’s Biggest Hit in 1981 Came From a Father’s Heartfelt Pep Talk With One of the Band Members

In 1981, Journey released “Don’t Stop Believin’”. On their Escape album, the inspiring song is written by band members Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry, and Neal Schon.

Videos by American Songwriter

Their best-selling single, “Don’t Stop Believin’” was actually inspired by a conversation Cain had with his father. A newcomer to Journey at the time, replacing founding member Gregg Jolie on keys, Cain had the idea for the song by recalling what his father would tell him every time he considered quitting, which was, “Don’t stop believing or you’re done, dude.”

“We felt that every young person has a dream,” Cain says. “And sometimes where you grow up isn’t where you’re destined to be.”

“Don’t Stop Believin’” says, “Some will win, some will lose / Some were born to sing the blues / Oh, the movie never ends / It goes on and on, and on, and on … Don’t stop believin’ / Hold on to that feelin’.”

Not everything about “Don’t Stop Believin’” is perfect. The line, “Born and raised in South Detroit,” is actually inaccurate, not that Perry cares.

“I ran the phonetics of east, west, and north, but nothing sounded as good or emotionally true to me as South Detroit,” Perry tells Vulture. “It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve learned that there is no South Detroit. But it doesn’t matter.”

What Jonathan Cain Says About Writing “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Cain was new to Journey at the time, after years of struggling to make a living in music. While most people would have given up, Cain relied heavily on his father’s encouragement when he wanted to quit.

“My father had coached me,” Cain tells Songfacts. “I was in Hollywood, struggling with my career, kind of lost. I was asking him, ‘Should I come back to Chicago and just give up on this dream?’ And he said, ‘No, son. Stay the course. We have a vision. It’s gonna happen. Don’t stop believin’.’”

It was also Cain’s idea to make “Don’t Stop Believin’” a song that was relatable to everyone. Fortunately, it worked.

“It was the first attempt to bring an audience into the band’s world,” Cain says. “We’re singing for you. We’re singing about your world now. So, it was a departure from what they had been doing before.”

A mainstay in Journey’s shows since then, Cain says that is his biggest wish come true.

“That was always my dream: to get the Journey fans into a Journey song,” Cain says. “It was the first attempt to bring an audience into the band’s world. We’re singing for you. We’re singing about your world now. So, it was a departure from what they had been doing before.”

Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage