the journey song lyrics meaning

Meaning of The Journey by Lea Salonga

"The Journey" by Lea Salonga is a song that reflects on the experiences and challenges faced by the singer throughout their life. It highlights the duality of the world, where some people are awake and engaged in life, while others seem to be asleep or disconnected. The lyrics convey the emotions of heartbreak, perseverance, and hope.

In the verses, the traveler persona is presented, symbolizing the singer herself or anyone on a personal journey. The traveler acknowledges the contrasting aspects of life, such as hearing hearts beat and hearts breaking. This suggests an awareness of both joy and sadness in the world. The traveler sees themselves as someone who has experienced various emotions and situations, representing the diverse range of human experiences.

The chorus expresses the idea that the journey of life is ongoing and uncertain with no visible end in sight. However, the stars in the sky provide guidance in navigating this journey. They represent hope, inspiration, and guidance along the way, symbolizing the belief that there is always light in the darkness. The post-chorus emphasizes the positive effect of the stars shining on the singer's life, allowing them to see a better day and choose not to let darkness and negativity overshadow their journey.

The second verse continues the exploration of the traveler's journey. It mentions experiences of sorrow and bliss and the uncertainty of the future. The traveler has gone through challenging and diverse environments, such as the darkest desert and the deepest snow, yet constantly moves forward, demonstrating resilience and determination.

The bridge serves as a motivational section, expressing the idea of always moving forward and upward, despite challenges faced. The metaphor of catching every drop of hope in an empty cup suggests that even when there might seem to be little hope left, the traveler is determined to find and embrace it.

The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus and ends on a positive note, emphasizing the overall sentiment that, despite the ups and downs, the journey of life has been significant and transformative.

Overall, "The Journey" is a song that invites listeners to reflect on their own personal journeys, reminding them to persevere, keep moving forward, and find hope even in the darkest times. It encapsulates the universal human experience of growth, resilience, and the constant pursuit of a better future.

This meaning interpretation was written by AI. Help improve it with your feedback

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Lea Salonga – The Journey lyrics

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The Journey meanings

U + 23 Unregistered 2012-02-09 08:41:43 A journey is the act of travelling from a departure point to a destination. Physical journeys in particular encompass this 'beginning' process however; the physical journey is much more than that. It is a combination of the physical movement and the challenges and obstacles which can face the traveler emotionally and spiritually. The result of the journey then is often a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. This journey also could involve an inner journey as well as a physical one. Journey could imply travel, to experience different cultures, new sights, learn new things and there could be challenges that could possibly change your perspective on life and/or learn more about yourself. A journey can take many forms and could last a long time/short time to get to the destination. Although to get to the destination can be important, the journey or quest can be just as important. Add your reply
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u - 1 Utahlilies 2018-04-08 00:04:31 These lines always hit me hard. Someone once said " half the world is sleeping, and I want to be one of the ones who is awake. Those of us who are awake, live in a constant state of amazement." It reminds me, that each of us needs to be aware and alert to our journey through life. There is a lot of the world that are sleeping so soundly that they are swept along by events and people that they think control their lives. They are unaware of the joy of the journey in life. I think we all need to be reminded that we need to be "present" to the present. Then the present becomes a present, a gift, to us. Add your reply
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Behind the Song: “Faithfully” by Journey

by Tina Benitez-Eves September 10, 2021, 9:44 am 1 Comment

Highway run / Into the midnight sun / Wheels go round and round / You’re on my mind.

Videos by American Songwriter

“In all honesty, it’s a road song,” says Jonathan Cain.

Observing the band’s touring crew, many of which didn’t have the money to fly their wives and kids around with them, the Journey keyboardist felt drawn to write a song about being on the road, far removed from loved ones, and found “Faithfully,” the first lines coming to Cain one evening after a show when the band was stuck in a snow storm.

“I watched the crew take down the whole stage—the speakers, the lights, the trusses,” Cain tells American Songwriter. “I watched the daredevils climb to the top like ‘Oh, my God, this is like a circus performance.’ I was so touched, and I thought we didn’t have a song, but if we had a song, or we sent one home to our loved ones, like a postcard to help bridge the distance between the road and home what would it be.”

Snowed in for the night, Cain started writing the first few lines of “Faithfully” on a napkin.

“I started thinking about me and my relationship, and I was missing my new wife at the time, and we were having trouble,” shares Cain. “There were early signs that we would probably split apart. I knew I needed to do something that said, ‘I love you, and whether or not you want to leave me, here it is,’ so I got on the bus, and there was this grey sky, and the moon was doing some kind of crazy stuff in the clouds, and it looked like the midnight sun. Then I wrote Highway run / Into the midnight sun / Wheels go round and round / You’re on my mind.”

After starting the song, Cain downed a beer and went to sleep, awakened by the smell of diesel fuel from the band’s bus. “In the morning, I saw the napkin sitting there on the nightstand and I said to myself, ‘This is a good song, so I started automatically lining up the lines and filling it in. In 30 minutes, all the lyrics were done. Then all of a sudden, I believe the Holy Spirit sent it to me, but I thought of the line ‘I’m forever yours, faithfully.’”

Cain took the napkin to the band’s next soundcheck in Saratoga Springs, New York, placed it on his piano, and started quietly singing “Faithfully,” working out the melody and piano parts, yet never recorded any demo until he revisited “Faithfully” with the late producer Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne, Heart) and finally recorded the track.

Olsen played the song for Heart’s Ann Wilson, who loved it, but it was a Journey song. By the time the band was recording Frontiers, they needed a ballad, and “Faithfully” was ready to go.

“Perry said to me ‘I’ll sing it on one condition, you can’t be in the room when I’m singing,’” remembers Cain. “I said, ‘fine,’ and we cut it in three takes. We never played it before. We never rehearsed it. That’s how good Journey is.”

He adds, “Neil didn’t know what to play, and I looked at him and I said, ‘be a French horn”… and the song became a classic.”

Reflecting more on the track, Cain tells American Songwriter that the circumstances around the song give it deeper meaning threaded in love, faith, and music. “It was my first year out on the road, and I was in a really grateful place being young with a band like Journey, and grateful for how far up God had elevated me,” says Cain. “My identity was sort of acknowledged, finally. As a writer and performer, I felt like I belonged there. I didn’t feel like, ‘Oh, I don’t deserve this.’”

Replacing original keyboardist and Journey co-founder Gregg Rolie, who left the band to explore new projects and start a family, Cain, then 31, began working on the band’s seventh album, Escape , writing many of the tracks, including “Faithfully,” along with singer Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon in 1983. By the time Frontiers was released Cain already had “Don’t Stop Believin”—an encouraging phrase his father shared with him when he was younger—“Open Arms,” and more Journey hits under his belt.

“I feel like I earned every bit of it,” says Cain of the recognition he felt by the time “Faithfully” was released. “At the same time, I was grateful.

Today, the song, which originally peaked at No. 12, has never left the Journey setlist, but Cain regrets that “Faithfully” never found placement in a film. He can’t even get the song covered, and once approached Garth Brooks as well as Tim McGraw and Faith Hill to cover the ballad.

“I can’t get it covered,” laughs Cain. “I guess they’re afraid of the original. It is a great song.”

Read Jonathan Cain’s recent interview with American Songwriter , here .

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According to Allmusic.com, “Faithfully” by Johnathan Cain has been covered 18 times including versions by Lorrie Morgan and Cain himself.

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The Journey Lyrics

Half the world is sleeping, half the world's awake Half can hear their hearts beat, Half just hear them break I am but a traveler, in most every way Ask me what you want...to know What a journey it has been And the end is not in sight But the stars are out tonight and they're bound to guide my way When they're shining on my life I can see a better day I won't let the darkness in, what a journey it has been... I have been to sorrow I have been to bliss Where I'll be tomorrow, I can only guess Through the darkest desert Through the deepest snow, Foward, always foward, I go... What a journey it has been And the end is not in sight But the stars are out tonight and they're bound to guide my way When they're shining on my life I can see a better day I won't let the darkness in, what a journey it has been... Fowards, always foward.. Onward, always up.. Catching every drop of hope In my empty cup What a journey it has been And the end is not in sight But the stars are out tonight and they're bound to guide my way When they're shining on my life I can see a better day I won't let the darkness in, what a journey it has been... What a journey it has been...

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Lea Salonga - The Journey Lyrics

The Journey Lyrics

Half the world is sleeping Half the world's awake Half can hear their hearts beat Half just hear them break I am but a traveler, in most every way Ask me what you want to know What a journey it has been And the end is not in sight But the stars are out tonight And they're bound to guide my way

When they're shining on my life I can see a better day I won't let the darkness in What a journey it has been I have been to sorrow I have been to bliss Where I'll be tomorrow I can only guess Through the darkest desert Through the deepest snow Forward, always forward, I go What a journey it has been And the end is not in sight But the stars are out tonight And they're bound to guide my way When they're shining on my life I can see a better day I won't let the darkness in What a journey it has been Forward, always forward Onward, always up Catching every drop of hope In my empty cup What a journey it has been And the end is not in sight But the stars are out tonight And they're bound to guide my way When they're shining on my life I can see a better day I won't let the darkness in What a journey it has been What a journey it has been

Writer(s): JULIE GOLD Copyright(s): Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Meaning Behind “Don’t Stop Believin'” Song By Journey

meaning behind the song "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey feature graphic

Don’t Stop Believin’ is a classic American rock song by the band Journey. Originally released in 1981, this mid-tempo rock anthem has continued to resonate to this day. The track was released as the second single on the band’s seventh studio album, Escape , with Columbia Records. It achieved number nine on Billboard’s Hot 100 , but in the UK Singles chart, it only ranked number 62. And it would have to wait over 20 years before it became a full-fledged American classic.

Now, it is considered one of the best songs of all time. But it actually has a more complex history than it first appears.

The Composing of a Classic

The song was written by multiple band members : keyboardist Jonathan Cain, vocalist Steve Perry, and guitarist Neal Schon. Don’t Stop Believin’ is notable for its unique opening keyboard riff and chorus. It is interpreted as a penetrating perspective on individual human beings and society and how the two interact. It focuses on how the workaday world is boring, monotonous, and suffocating. Nevertheless, the track encourages feelings of hope, positivity, and endurance in its listeners.

Journey was fast becoming one of the world’s most prominent rock groups in the early 1980s. The band had achieved high success before adding Cain on the keyboard. He joined them before they entered the studio to record their seventh album.

The composing of Don’t Stop Believin’ was not a simple process. If not for a few lucky accidents along the way, band members Cain, Perry, and Schon may never have written it. They had just left behind its progressive rock phase in search of a smoother sound, and Perry became the vocalist at this time.

Don’t Stop Believin’ Lyrics Meaning

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

The core of the track—its infamous words and chords—comes from Cain. These words originated and still serve for him as a personal mantra. He first heard the words that would become the song on a phone call with his father.

At the start of his career in the 1970s, aspiring musician Cain was younger and struggling when his dog was hit by a car. Unsure about his future music career in Hollywood, he called his dad. He needed $900 for his dog’s veterinarian bill and a loan. He asked his father if his music career was merely “dreaming” and whether he should go back home to Chicago. His dad told him that he’d give him the loan but to stay right there in Hollywood: “Son, don’t stop believin’.”

He was struck by the beauty in these words and wrote them in his lyric book. Naturally, he had this book with him when he joined Journey in San Francisco.

He joined the band as they began working on their seventh album, Escape . Perry told Cain that their producer wanted one more song for their new album. Having hardly played with the band before starting the album, he replied that they’d already produced 17. But the producer was dead set and Perry was insistent.

Cain went home to work on the track on his Wurlitzer piano—the same one he wrote Open Arms on. As he paged through his lyric notebook he again saw the words: “Don’t stop believin’.” Knowing Perry would love it, he immediately set to work writing a soaring chorus: “Hold on to that feelin’.” With just these two lines and the song’s chords, Cain went back to the band. Perry loved the chords, and the rest of the members joined in the work of writing a chorus.

Finding the Right Notes

Perry, in addition to being a vocalist, also played bass and drums. He brought a mechanical understanding to each part of the song. Cain listened to Perry scatting and picked out what he heard: “Lonely world” or “anywhere.” Cain suggested the names “Jack and Diane” as monikers for normal, everyday people. The “small-town girl” referenced is the first character introduced, and her world is immediately portrayed as “lonely.” He came to see the song as a sort of movie that “goes on and on.”

He also suggested that the track’s location sounded like Sunset Boulevard in the 1970s. His memories of people cruising up and down the boulevard on Friday nights came flooding back. He remembered hustlers and dreams, actors and actresses, and producers and wannabes, all looking for something.

After the lyrics were finished, the band went on to record the instruments. Initially, they had some difficulty with the song’s tempo. But amazingly, they were able to play the track through in one take after just 20 minutes of practice.

Schon recorded the song’s distinctive bass line while Cain wrote a complementary synth piece. Steve Smith drummed overtop this with a standard rock backbeat. He supplemented this with melodic, syncopated tom-toms and a ride cymbal bell that become more complex as the track progresses.

Schon also played 16th-note arpeggios over the rest of the instruments to evoke a “train” guiding the song on its way. Perry added his vocals soon after with the rest of the band singing backup in a single microphone. He finished mixing the track, and the hit was born.

Next: Journey’s best songs feature

What is The Real Don’t Stop Believin’ Song Meaning?

The song lyrics depict people from all different walks of life. These figures all share one theme in common: struggle in the face of challenges. These challenges are in many ways connected to what Perry went through in his personal life. Two individuals take a “midnight train going anywhere,” trying to set off into the unknown. Leaving home in search of destiny is a key theme in the track and part of its overall positivity.

The second verse begins with “a singer in a smoky room,” an itinerant entertainer or a hustler. This performer enjoys his gig but has no real clue what tomorrow holds for him.

The same is the case for the characters in the third verse. Some of these figures will win and others will lose—their fortunes are entirely uncertain. The thread that winds among them all and binds them together is their search for something more. Like the “streetlight people” of the city, they are all “livin’ just to find emotion.” Two pre-choruses interspersed build the tension until the track’s energy feels ready to blow.

Then comes the legendary chorus. Unlike most rock songs, Don’t Stop Believin’ saves its climactic chorus for the end. This makes sense since it was the most complete part at the start of composing. However, it is rare to be able to pull off such a daring power move.

The chorus not only caps the track but serves as its interpretative key. Even in the middle of the uncertainty of life and its meandering way, the song urges people to “hold on to that feelin’.” That feeling is an optimistic destiny worth striving for: the something more we are all after. If people “don’t stop believin’,” they may just achieve the fate they’re chasing.

Despite all the obstacles that are intrinsic to life, we can press on through them together. This is true even for those internal struggles we all face. This timeless inspiration of faith in humanity is what gives Don’t Stop Believin’ the power to reach across the decades. Regardless of what lies ahead, people still seem to be holding on to what matters most.

The message of this song seems to have been prophetic for the track itself. It became a top 10 worldwide hit upon release and became the band’s signature song. It hit new heights after being cataloged on iTunes in 2008, where it sold more than seven million copies. The 2009 cover by the cast of Glee actually outperformed the original track internationally. Today, there are few people who don’t know the words to this powerfully hopeful rock song.

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Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey Lyrics Meaning – The Anthem of Perseverance and Hope

by SMF AI · Published December 21, 2023 · Updated March 30, 2024

Music Video

Embodying the Dreamer’s Spirit: The Tale of Two Souls

The setting: a microcosm of human yearning, the gamble of life: triumphs and defeats, unearthing the hidden meaning: the siren call of belief, the immortal echo: why ‘don’t stop believin” is timeless.

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

Don’t stop believin’ Hold on to the feelin’ Streetlights, people

Don’t stop believin’ Hold on Streetlights, people

Full Lyrics

In a world rife with fleeting trends and momentary hits, there are songs that rise above the clamor, embedding themselves in the very fabric of cultural consciousness. ‘Don’t Stop Believin”, by Journey, is one such song—a classic anthem that continues to resonate with audiences across generations, offering a shared experience of unwavering hope and the pursuit of dreams.

This rock odyssey, with its soaring melody and earnest lyrics, captures the quintessential American narrative of the underdog’s relentless quest for a better life. The deceptively simple story, set to music, becomes a larger allegory about the human condition and strikes a chord with anyone who has ever dared to dream.

The song kicks off with a vignette of two archetypes: a ‘small town girl’ and a ‘city boy’, both yearning to escape their mundane worlds. As they take the ‘midnight train goin’ anywhere’, these characters become vessels for our own aspirations, symbolizing every individual’s inherent desire to break free from the confines of their beginnings and chase their vision wherever it may lead.

The central figures, though vague in detail, allow listeners to pour their own stories into the narrative—making ‘Don’t Stop Believin” a personal anthem for all who listen. By leaving the destinations of these characters unknown, the song implies that, sometimes, the journey itself is more significant than the destination—a notion that rings universally true.

As the stage is set with a ‘smoky room’, filled with the ‘smell of wine and cheap perfume’, we are thrust into the night life—a realm of raw emotion, desperate hopes, and latent energy. The line ‘For a smile, they can share the night’ speaks to the fleeting connections that embody our shared search for intimacy and understanding amidst life’s chaos.

The song skilfully paints a vivid picture of the ups and downs of trying to make it in a world that’s both alluring and ruthless. The imagery of ‘streetlights, people’, and ‘strangers waiting’ evokes the presence of countless others, all on their individual quests, adding depth to the song’s universal appeal.

With lines speaking to the common working-class experience such as ‘Working hard to get my fill’ and ‘Everybody wants a thrill’, the song acknowledges the inherent risk in the pursuit of happiness and success. ‘Some will win, some will lose’ is a ground-level truth, where the rollercoaster of life spares no one from its ebb and flow.

Yet, the mention of ‘the movie never ends’ suggests an ongoing narrative, a continuous play where we all are both actors and audience. This perpetual state of becoming and overcoming reflects the resilience required to forge one’s path—one filled with victories and setbacks, but unyielding all the same.

Below the surface of its catchy hook and driving piano lines, ‘Don’t Stop Believin” is a siren call to maintain faith amidst adversity. The lyrics meditate on the power of belief as an almost magical force, able to sustain us when the world seems full of shadow and doubt.

The song, then, transforms from a simple ballad into a powerful mantra for perseverance—a reminder that holding onto the ‘feelin” is both a personal and communal act of defiance against the cynicism and despair that can so often pervade our lives.

‘Don’t stop believin’/Hold on to that feelin”—these enduring words echo in stadiums, echo through the car radio frequencies, and they echo within us. ‘Don’t Stop Believin” ascends to immortality precisely because these words, this message, never loses relevance. As long as there are hopes to be chased and lives to be lived, Journey’s clarion call will continue to be an anthemic backdrop.

This song does more than survive; it thrives, constantly finding new life in various media, cover bands, and living room sing-alongs. As long as dreams are born and pursued, those timeless lyrics will continue to unite, inspire, and serve as a beacon of unwavering hope.

Journey’s “don’t stop believin’” lyrics meaning.

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“Keep On Runnin'” by Journey

January 4, 2022

by Amanda London · Published January 4, 2022

Song Meanings & Facts

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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.

Classic Rock Newsletter

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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Taylor Swift’s ‘LOML’ Lyrics Offer a Devastating Look at Her Joe Alwyn Breakup

I t turns out Taylor Swift’s fifth track of The Tortured Poets Department , “So Long, London,” isn’t the album’s most devastating breakup song. That slot is arguably reserved for track 12, “loml.”

Swift’s “loml” lyrics seem to capture her deep grief over the end of her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn , along with his ultimate legacy as the “loss of my life.” The word “loss” replaces “love” in the original acronym loml (“love of my life”).

In the lyrics, Swift alludes to feeling like her relationship was “counterfeit.” Her partner “shit-talked me under the table, talking rings and talking cradles. I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all.” She ends the song sharing her disappointment over the person her partner ultimately was: “a coward [who] claimed he was a lion.”

There are a lot of brutal revelations in the 4-minute-and-37-second track. Here are the lyrics of “loml” broken down, with possible Alwyn references annotated.

Verse 1: Who’s gonna stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flames If we know the steps anyway?

News of Alwyn and Swift’s breakup broke on April 8, 2023. They had split a few weeks before.

On April 10, 2023, a source told People that Swift and Alwyn’s relationship was more on-off than people knew. “They’ve had rough patches before and always worked things out, so friends thought they would take some time apart [now] but eventually come back together. Ultimately [they] weren’t the right fit for one another.” Swift’s word choice of “rekindled flames” in her first lyric may allude to this.

We embroidered the memories of the times I was away Stitching, “We were just kids, babe” I said, “I don’t mind, it takes time” I thought I was better safe than starry-eyed

Swift and Alwyn started dating on Sept. 28, 2016 . At that point, Swift was only 26 years old, while Alwyn was 25.

Chorus: I felt a glow like this, never before and never since If you know it in one glimpse it’s legendary You and I go from one kiss to getting married Still alive, killing time at the cemetery Never quite buried

Swift and Alwyn didn’t actually get married, as Swift’s publicist Tree Paine made clear on X, formerly known as Twitter, in November. “There was NEVER a marriage or ceremony of ANY kind,” she wrote.

Multiple sources told People on April 10, 2023, that before their breakup, Swift and Alwyn had been “talking about marriage as recently as a few months ago” though.

It is possible that Swift could be referencing the media’s portrayal of them in the verse, too. Swift and Alwyn were constant targets of secret engagement and marriage rumors because they kept their relationship so private.

Swift spoke about that when discussing her relationship and how it inspired Midnights song , “Lavender Haze.” She said, “I happened upon the phrase ‘lavender haze’ when I was watching Mad Men . I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool. And it turns out that it’s a common phrase used in the ’50s where they would describe being in love. If you’re in the ‘lavender haze,’ then that meant you were in that all-encompassing love glow. And I thought that was really beautiful.”

“I guess, theoretically, when you’re in the ‘lavender haze,’ you’ll do anything to stay there,” she continued. “And not let people bring you down off of that cloud. I think that a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just like ‘public figures,’ because we live in the era of social media, and if the world finds out if you’re in love with somebody they’re going to weigh in on it. Like my relationship for six years we’ve had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff, and we just ignore it. So this song is about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff.”

Swift, notably, uses the word “glow” to describe the love between her and her partner in the “loml” verse: “I felt a glow like this, never before and never since.”

Post-Chorus: In your suit and tie, in the nick of time You low-down boy, you stand-up guy Holy ghost, you told me I’m the love of your life You said I’m the love of your life About a million times Verse 2: Who’s gonna tell me the truth when you blew in with the winds of fate And told me I reformed you? When your impressionist paintings of heaven turned out to be fakes Well, you took me to hell too And all at once, the ink bleeds A con man sells a fool a “get love quick” scheme But I felt a hole like this, never before and never since Chorus: If you know it in one glimpse it’s legendary What we thought was for all time was momentary

While dating Alwyn, Swift wrote several love songs that suggested he was the one, from Lover ’s “Paper Rings” and folklore ’s “invisible string” to Midnights ’ “Mastermind.” Swift, in “invisible string,” sang about Alwyn being her destined endgame: “And isn’t it just so pretty to think / All along there was some / Invisible string / Tying you to me?”

She used words like “heaven” to describe the way she saw his love too in that same song: “Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven.”

Alwyn was Swift’s longest and most serious relationship. The couple never spoke about their relationship to the press, but look no further than their longevity and Swift’s past lyrics as evidence of the deep love they shared.

Still alive killing time at the cemetery Never quite buried Post-Chorus: You sent a file in black and white All those plot twists and dynamite Mr. Steal-Your-Girl, then make her cry Said I’m the love of your life

The “never quite buried” lyric could refer again to how on-off their relationship was before their final breakup.

Bridge: You shit-talked me under the table Talking rings and talking cradles I wish I could un-recall How we almost had it all

This bridge contains some of the most brutal lyrics on the album. Swift and Alwyn never got engaged, a sore point Swift sang about in the bridge of Midnights bonus track, “You’re Losing Me” : “And I wouldn’t marry me either / A pathological people pleaser / Who only wanted you to see her.” She also sang in “So Long, London,” that “I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free.”

While Alwyn and Swift spoke in private about getting engaged, Alwyn played coy about it publicly. He told WSJ in April 2022 , “If I had a pound for every time I think I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have a lot of pound coins. I mean, the truth is, if the answer was yes, I wouldn’t say, and if the answer was no, I wouldn’t say.”

Dancing phantoms on the terrace Are they second-hand embarrassed That I can’t get out of bed ’Cause something counterfeit’s dead It was legendary It was momentary It was unnecessary Should’ve let it stay buried Chorus: Oh what a valiant roar, what a bland goodbye A coward claimed he was a lion I’m combing through the braids of lies I’ll never leave, never mind Our field of dreams engulfed in fire Your arson’s match, your somber eyes And I’ll still see it until I die You’re the loss of my life

Neither Swift nor Alwyn ever spoke about their breakup publicly.

Swifts suggests here she gave their relationship one last chance that she regretted. This last verse offers an intimate look at how disappointed she was at Alwyn, a sentiment all those sources close to Swift and Alwyn never shared with tabloids .

Taylor Swift’s “loml” lyrics seem to capture her deep grief over the end of her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn. Here, the lyrics and Alwyn references.

The Meaning Behind The Song: Lights by Journey

A Journey Through the Meaning Behind the Song “Lights” by Journey

What makes a song stand the test of time? For the band Journey, it’s their hit song “Lights,” a staple of classic rock radio stations that has been played countless times since it was first released in 1978.

Table of Contents

The Inspiration Behind “Lights”

The meaning of “lights”, the legacy of “lights”, the bottom line.

But what is the meaning behind the song? Why has it resonated with so many people over the years? In this article, we’ll take a journey through the history and significance of “Lights” by Journey.

Journey was formed in San Francisco in 1973, and “Lights” was written in 1977 by keyboardist Gregg Rolie and guitarist Neal Schon. The song was initially inspired by a view of the city from the top of Twin Peaks, a popular viewpoint in San Francisco.

“Lights” is a tribute to the band’s hometown and the city that they love. In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Schon said, “It’s about San Francisco, and we all love that city. It evokes beautiful memories for us and holds a special place in our hearts.”

At its core, “Lights” is a song about feeling at home in a particular place. The opening lines of the song, “When the lights go down in the city / And the sun shines on the bay,” evoke a feeling of comfort and familiarity.

For many people, San Francisco is a place that feels like home. Whether you’re a native San Franciscan, a transplant, or a visitor, there’s something about the city that feels like it welcomes you with open arms.

“Lights” speaks to that feeling. The chorus of the song, “So you think you’re lonely / Well my friend, I’m lonely too / I want to get back to my city by the bay / Oh, oh / It’s sad, oh there’s been mornings out on the road without you / Without your charms / Oh, oh, oh, oh,” speaks to a sense of longing for a specific place.

The song also touches on the sense of magic that San Francisco holds for many people. From the hippie counterculture of the 1960s to the tech boom of recent years, San Francisco has been a city of dreams and possibilities.

In “Lights,” the band captures that sense of magic. The lyrics, “If you’re alive and you’re in San Francisco / You’re feeling the magic / It’s all around you” speak to the idea that San Francisco is a place that is full of life and energy.

Over the years, “Lights” has become an anthem for San Francisco and a beloved classic rock song. It’s been covered by numerous artists, including Taylor Hicks and Pentatonix.

The song has also been used in various movies and TV shows, including the hit series “The Sopranos” and the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

In an interview with Songfacts, Journey’s lead singer, Steve Perry, said, “I think ‘Lights’ is one of the best things we ever wrote. It’s just a sweet song about coming back to San Francisco.”

For many people, “Lights” is more than just a song. It’s a reminder of a time and a place, a song that captures the essence of San Francisco and the magic that the city holds.

“Lights” by Journey is a classic rock song that has stood the test of time. It speaks to a sense of longing for a specific place and captures the magic of San Francisco.

For those who love the city by the bay, “Lights” is a reminder of the place they call home. For those who have never been to San Francisco, the song is a window into the city’s culture and spirit.

As long as people love San Francisco, “Lights” will continue to be an anthem for the city, and a beloved classic rock song for generations to come.

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What Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ About? Inside the Lyrics and Song Meanings

Taylor Swift dropped many bombshells about her love life in the eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , which was released on April 19, 2024. There is a lot to unpack in the new album, and many fans are wondering what each song is about based on the lyrics.

Track 1: ‘Fortnight’

The album kicks off with a duet featuring Post Malone , which was cowritten by Taylor, Post and Jack Antonoff .

“I was supposed to be sent away, but they forgot to come and get me,” Taylor sings at the beginning of the song. She eventually starts singing about an unnamed lover, declaring that she touches him “for only a fortnight.”

The story gets more complicated when Taylor reveals that her love interest is married. “Your wife waters flowers, I want to kill her,” she sings.

Taylor Swift and Matty Healy's relationship timeline

It’s not clear exactly who inspired the track, though fans may speculate the song is about Matty Healy following their fling that lasted between May and June 2023 . After all, fortnight is defined as a period of two weeks.

Track 2: ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

The title track is another collaboration between Taylor and Jack. In the song, the Pennsylvania native seemingly sings about her romance with Matty while insisting they’re unlike writers Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith . At the time of the song, Taylor recalls wanting to “decode” her love interest amid their intense feelings for each other.

“I scratch your head, you fall asleep like a tattooed golden retriever,” she sings at one point. The line hints that the song is about the “Chocolate” singer, who is her most recent ex to have visible tattoos.

Meanwhile, Taylor also sings that he “told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave. And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen.” While she didn’t confirm exactly who she was singing about, it seems that she was mentioning singer Lucy Dacus and the song’s cowriter.

Track 3: ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys’

Taylor penned track three, “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” by herself. The song is seemingly about her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn , whom she broke up with in April 2023 after six years of dating.

In the song, Taylor details the end of a relationship that was allegedly sabotaged by the other person. “Saw forever, so he smashed it up,” she sings. “Oh my boy only breaks his favorite toys.”

She also implies that the end of the relationship wasn’t mutual with a heartbreaking line at the end of the song. “Stole my tortured heart, left all these broken parts, told me I’m better off but I’m not. I’m not,” Taylor sings.

Track 4: ‘Down Bad’

The “Cornelia Street” singer was likely inspired by Matty in the fourth track, “Down Bad,” which was cowritten with Jack.

Taylor sings about developing intense feelings for someone, only for him to break up with her. “For a moment I knew cosmic love, now I’m down bad crying at the gym,” she sings in the chorus. “Everything comes out, teenage petulance.”

The angry song – which drops several “f–k” bombs – was possibly written after she and Matty ended their romance. Their short-lived fling faced backlash from fans due to The 1975 singer’s many controversial moments, and abruptly ended after he traveled to watch her perform several shows on her Eras tour .

Track 5: ‘So Long, London’

Taylor tends to place her most emotional songs in the track five spot on each album, and “So Long, London” is no exception. In the song, which was cowritten with Aaron Dessner , Taylor sings about saying goodbye to the life she built in London.

While both Joe and Matty are from London, the song was likely inspired by the Harriet actor after the former couple spent much of their time in the European city.

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“I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth,” she sings, seemingly referencing the length of their relationship that began when she was 27.

The song also hints at Joe not wanting to marry her, which she also referenced in the 2023 song “You’re Losing Me.” She sings, “I died on the altar waiting for the proof. You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days.”

Track 6: ‘But Daddy I Love Him’

Another song seemingly inspired by Matty is “But Daddy I Love Him,” cowritten with Aaron.

In the song, Taylor details facing backlash for a romance with an unnamed lover. “They slammed the door on my whole world, the one thing I wanted,” she sings. “Running with my dress unbuttoned, screaming, ‘But daddy, I love him, I’m having his baby.’ No I’m not, but you should see your faces.”

While Taylor doesn’t directly name the “Girls” singer in the song, she infamously faced backlash from fans and the media for dating him during the short lived romance.

Track 7: ‘Fresh Out the Slammer’

“Fresh Out the Slammer,” which was cowritten with Jack, seems to reference both Joe and Matty. In the song, Taylor contemplates leaving her partner to start dating someone new. Fans will likely speculate that the song is about her wanting to leave Joe in order to be with Matty due their blurry relationship timeline.

“No matter what I’ve done, it wouldn’t matter anyway. Ain’t no way I’m gonna screw up now that I know what’s at stake,” she sings. “Here at the park where we used to sit on children’s swings wearing imaginary rings.”

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Track 8: ‘Florida!!!’

While Swifties will think that some of the songs are easy to decode, “Florida!!!” will likely leave even some of Taylor’s biggest fans stumped. Cowritten and sang as a duet with Florence Welch , the women sing about spending their time in Florida to escape the drama in their hometowns.

“You can beat the heat if you beat the charges too. They said I was a cheat, I guess it must be true,” the song begins. They later sing, “Little did you know your home’s really only a town you’ll get arrested. So you pack your life away just to wait out the shitstorm back in Texas. Florida is one hell of a drug. Florida can I use you up?”

Track 9: “Guilty as Sin?”

“Guilty as Sin?” is another song Taylor cowrote with Jack, which seemingly references her relationship with Matty .

The song begins with Taylor explaining the “boredom” in her relationship, which was likely with Joe, and her desire to hook up with someone new. “I dream of cracking locks, throwing my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks,” she sings. “Crashing into him tonight, he’s a paradox, I’m seeing visions.”

While Taylor sings about having “fatal fantasies” with the other man , she assures herself that she’s done nothing wrong because she hasn’t acted on her desires. “Without ever touching his skin, how can I be guilty as sin?” she sings.

Track 10: ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?’

The second self-written song on the album is “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” The tenth track is another song that will likely leave fans unsure of who it is about. However, she seems to be singing about how she composes herself after a scandal.

“The scandal was contained, the bullet had just grazed. At all costs keep your good name, you don’t get to tell me you feel bad,” she sings. “Is it a wonder I broke? Let’s hear one more joke.”

Taylor Swift's Quotes About The Tortured Poets Department

Track 11: “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” which was cowritten with Jack, tells the story of Taylor wanting to fix her boyfriend who has been deemed as bad news by the public.

The track, which fans will likely speculate is about Matty , features Taylor telling her critics that she had a handle on the problems caused by her partner. “I can fix him, no really I can, and only I can,” she sings. However, she seems to start second guessing herself by the end of the song when she adds the line, “Whoa, maybe I can’t.”

Track 12: ‘Loml’

“Loml” is another song that could be about her relationships with either Joe or Matty. The song, which was cowritten with Aaron, looks back at a relationship that she once believed was the great love of her life.

The song makes many references to rings and marriage, which is a hint that the song is about Joe. “If you know it in one glimpse its legendary. You and I go from one kiss to getting married,” she sings. “Still alive, killing time at the cemetery.”

Later in the song, she implies that she was led on in the relationship. “You said I’m the love of you life,” Taylor recalls. “ You s–t talked me under a table talking rings and talking cradles .”

While the marriage references are seemingly about Joe, the song also discusses a romance being rekindled. The comment may prove the song is about Matty, who briefly dated Taylor in 2014 before they got back together in 2023.

Whether the song is about Joe or Matty, fans know that the relationship that inspired “Loml” ultimately didn’t work out. “Your arson’s match, your somber eyes,” she sings at the end of the song. “And I still say it until I die, you’re the loss of my life.”

Track 13: ‘I Can Do It With a Broken Heart’

Cowritten with Jack, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” is another song that could be about either Joe or Matty.

The song catches up with Taylor as she tries to put up a good image following a breakup while on tour. “Cause I’m a real tough kid, I can handle my s–t. They said babe you gotta fake it til you make it and I did,” she sings. “Lights camera, bitch smile, even when you wanna die. He said he’d love me all his life, but that life was too short.”

Despite having her heart broken, Taylor sings about putting on a good show for her fans and acting as if everything’s OK.

The song could easily be about the Boy Erased actor or “Robbers” singer, as both of the splits took place when she was on the Eras tour .

Track 14: ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’

Taylor reunited with Aaron to write “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” The song details the “Love Story” singer being blindsided following a split, adding that the unnamed ex acted as if everything was OK when their romance ended.

“You hung me on your wall, stabbed me with your push pins,” she sings. “In public showed me off then sank in stoned oblivion.”

The song is likely about Matty, as Joe famously stays out of the spotlight and has not revealed many details about the end of their romance.

Track 15: ‘The Alchemy’

“The Alchemy,” which was cowritten with Jack, tells the story of Taylor falling in love at an unexpected time. While she insists she wasn’t looking for anything serious, the “Sparks Fly” singer explains that meeting the love interest was like having “these chemicals hit me like white wine.”

The song could possibly be about her current boyfriend, Travis Kelce , who she has been dating since summer 2023. The track makes many football references, including, “Touch down call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team. Ditch the clowns, get the crown, baby I’m the one to beat.”

“Shirts off and your friends lift you up over their heads. Beer sticking to the floor, cheers chanting cause they said there was no chance ,” she continues. “Trying to be the greatest in the league, where’s the trophy?”

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Track 16: ‘Clara Bow’

The album concludes with the song “Clara Bow,” which was cowritten with Aaron. Taylor sings about achieving success as a singer after many people told her she wouldn’t make it, while she also details the downside of fame.

“Beauty is a beast and roars down on all fours, demanding more. Only when your girlish glow flickers just so do they let you know,” she sings. “It’s hell on earth to be heavenly, that’s the race they don’t come gently. ‘ You look like Taylor Swift in this light , we’re loving it.’”

The song was named after Clara, who was one of the biggest stars of the silent film era in the 1920s. Throughout her career, Clara became an icon of sexual freedom for women among her fans.

Track 17: ‘The Black Dog’

Taylor looks back at a past relationship in “The Black Dog,” which she wrote by herself. The phrase is often used as a way to refer to depression, implying that she’s upset the relationship is over.

“Old habits die screaming,” she declares. “I move through the world heartbroken. My longings stay unspoken. And I may never open up the way I did for you.”

Shortly after the song was released, many fans took to X to speculate that the song is about Matty. After pointing out that she sings, “You can have the of me,” one fan explained that the “Somebody Else” singer performed a cover of “The Best Of Me” by The Starting Line in May 2023 when they were dating.

Track 18: ‘Imgonnagetyouback’

The “Mean” singer continues to reflect on a breakup in “Imgonnagetyouback,” cowritten with Jack. Taylor explains her desires to get back with an ex, though contemplates if she wants a reconciliation or to get revenge.

“Whether I’m gonna be your wife or gonna smash up your bike, I haven’t decided yet. But I’m gonna get you back,” she sings. “Whether I’m gonna curse you out or take you back to my house. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m gonna get you back.”

This song could also be about Matty, as it parallels The 1975 song “Fallinforyou.” Matty sings, “All we need’s my bike and your enormous house.”

Track 19: “The Albatross”

Cowritten with Aaron, Taylor discusses the misogyny she’s faced in “The Albatross.” The song references many male literary figures that Taylor has been inspired by, though notes that she has been mocked for using the same metaphors and symbolism they have been praised for.

“I’ll tell you how I’ve been there too. And that none of it matters,” she says about her work.

Track 20: “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”

“Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus,” which was cowritten by Aaron, documents Taylor and an ex watching each other move on with new partners. She sings about how her ex could be hooking up with anyone, including Chloe, Sam, Sophia or Marcus. Despite her attempts to move on, Taylor makes it clear she still has feelings for the ex.

“If you want to break my cold, cold heart, just say I loved you the way that you were,” she sings. “If you want to tear my world apart, just say you’ve always wondered.”

Fans were torn about who this song is about, as many pointed out that Matty has publicly kissed a male fan on stage during concerts. However, Taylor also recalls spending a decade with her ex, meaning the song could be about Joe.

Deal of the Day

Track 21: “how did it end”.

“We hereby conduct this postmortem,” Taylor sings at the beginning of “How Did It End?” In the ballad cowritten with Aaron, the “Afterglow” singer admits she doesn’t fully understand why a past relationship ended.

“We were blind to unforeseen circumstances. We learned the right steps to different dances,” she sings. Taylor goes on to note that they paid attention to thoughts from the public, adding, “And fell victim to interlopers glances.”

The song could be about either Joe or Matty, since both romances were highly publicized in the media.

Matty Healy
Taylor Swift
The Tortured Poets Department

Julia Roberts Wants to ‘Star in a Movie’ With Emma Roberts

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ release highlights: New Taylor Swift album gets fan, critic praise

Catch up on all things 'The Tortured Poets Department':

Fans celebrated Swift's midnight release of "The Tortured Poets Department" with listening parties and themed gatherings . Many critics also praised Swift in their reviews.
Swift surprised fans at 2 a.m. ET with news of 15 extra songs.
The album, which Swift announced at the Grammys, features collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine.
Swift described writing the album as deeply personal. "Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it," she said.
NBC News' resident Swifties stayed up to blog the biggest takeaways after the album's release.

Swift's song 'Fortnight' with Post Malone hits No. 1 on Apple

Jason Abbruzzese

That didn't take long.

The song "Fornight" off Swift's new album quickly hit No. 1 on Apple's top song chart. It features rapper and singer Post Malone.

Swift also took the next four spots with "The Tortured Poets Department," "So Long, London," "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toy," and "Down Bad."

The National's Aaron Dessner on working with Swift: 'some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic' songs

Aaron Dessner, a musician who is part of the rock band The National, posted to Instagram about working with Swift on the album along with a pic of her in a studio.

He said that he has now worked with swift on more than 60 songs, including 17 across her newest release.

"I am forever grateful to Taylor for sharing her insane talents with and trusting me with her music. I believe these songs are some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic Taylor has ever written and I am continually astonished by her skills as a songwriter and performer," he wrote, adding in thanks to a long list of other artists and producers.

Will Swift break her own streaming records?

Kaetlyn Liddy

The October 2022 release of Swift's 10th studio album, "Midnights" shattered records on Spotify and Apple Music.

"Midnights" became Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day with 184.6 million streams when it debuted. Swift also broke the record for most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify with 228 million streams.

The album also become the biggest album of all time by a female artist in Apple Music history by first-day and first-week streams worldwide.

Can Swift outdo herself?

Will Swift's album inspire a new college course?

Saba Hamedy

Illustration of Taylor Swift performing wearing a graduation cap and a diploma as a microphone.

As Swift became increasingly synonymous with American pop culture, universities around the country started creating entire courses dedicated to studying her lyricism and impact.

Some courses focus on Swift as a business and marketing mastermind, while others analyze her storytelling techniques with all the detail and skill of poetry analysis.

Time will tell whether this new album will inspire yet another college course. Our guess is with all the literary references, it's sure to be on some professors minds.

Saturday is Record Store Day

The release of "The Tortured Poets Department" will come just in time for a notable day in the music industry calendar: Record Store Day on April 20. The annual event has been observed since 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and is often accompanied by exclusive drops by major artists.

Swift has yet to announce a special event, but the date is marked in the TTPD Timetable on her Instagram, suggesting she might have something up her sleeve.

Swift describes new album: 'Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.'

Patrick Smith

Taylor Swift has offered fans a glimpse into the creative process behind "The Tortured Poets Society" and the emotions that inspired it.

In a press release Friday morning to accompany the new release, the artist said:

"The Tortured Poets Department. An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.

"This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.

"This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

"And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry."

To sleep or stream? Swifties question staying up even later

Can you wait until the morning to listen to the 15 extra songs on Swift's anthology?

If you answered no, you're not alone. Online, fans joked that they didn't expect to get this little shut eye.

Among the fans: Gen Z Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

"I got votes in the morning. Do I sleep or listen" he wrote .

Others had similar thoughts.

"TAYLOR I HAVE A JOB OH MY GOD" wrote one fan, tagging the artist on X .

"lol Taylor I have to get up early to run errands before work please" wrote another X user.

Leave it to Swift to give us adrenaline to keep us all up a little longer.

'The Tortured Poets Department' becomes Swift's longest album

With the surprise release of 15 additional songs, "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" has 31 tracks.

That now makes it Swift's longest album, edging ahead of "Red (Taylor's Version)" by just one track.

A list of all 15 of the extra 'Anthology' songs

“The Black Dog”
“imgonnagetyouback”
“The Albatross”
“Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”
“How Did It End?”
“So High School”
“I Hate It Here”
“thanK you aiMee”
“I Look in People’s Windows”
“The Prophecy”
“Cassandra”
“The Bolter”
“The Manuscript”

Surprise: a double album!

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a secret DOUBLE album.

In a 2 a.m. ET surprise, Swift announced an extra 15 songs.

"I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology," she wrote on X . "15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours."

It's 2 a.m.

Now what, Taylor?

ICYMI: Swift's powerhouse publicist Tree Paine gets profiled by WSJ

Swift's longtime publicist, Tree Paine, whom many fans know by name, was the subject of a lengthy Wall Street Journal article published Thursday ahead of the new album's release.

While she declined to be interviewed for the story, it delves into how she became one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry since she joined Swift's camp in 2014.

“There isn’t a publicist in NY, LA or Nashville that wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to work with someone as talented as Taylor Swift and her management team,” Paine said at the time, according to the New York Post .

Read the full story here.

Couples are now wary of Swift's 'Lover' as a love song

Elena Nicolaou, TODAY

“Lover” — at least until recently — was widely received as one of Swift’s classic love songs. When the album of the same name came out in 2019, its title single was declared first dance song material , or even a “ wedding waltz .”

In the song, Swift paints a portrait of quiet intimacy. Her wild “Red” days, of thrilling romances with highs and lows and uncertainties in between, had settled into something steadier with one person, captured by a simple chorus: “You’re my, my, my, my lover.”

But that interpretation is now in question, as Swift recasts some of her songs in a different light. Ahead of the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” she released five playlists on Apple Music , sorting old songs into groups inspired by the five stages of grief, or “heartbreak.”

Aaron Dessner is credited as a songwriter on five of 16 tracks

Dessner, who is a member of the bands The National and Big Red Machine, is one of two producers who worked on "The Tortured Poets Department."

He's credited as a songwriter on five of the 16 tracks on the standard album.

Dessner first collaborated with Swift on her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” for which he shared in the Grammy win for album of the year. He made several guest appearances with Swift on the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour, joining her onstage during the acoustic set for performances of songs they wrote together.

Here's what some critics are saying in their reviews

Angela Yang

The critics have spoken. Here's a roundup of some of their takeaways on "The Tortured Poets Department."

Billboard ’s Jason Lipshutz praised Swift’s boldness for releasing a “knowingly messy, wildly unguarded breakup album” at what’s arguably the peak of her career. It's more mature than her past heartbreak albums, he writes, and “not everyone will love it, but the ones who get it will adore it fiercely.”

Variety ’s Chris Willman wrote that the album can serve as an “unapologetically dramatic” soundtrack to listeners’ own heartbreaks.

Labeling it Swift’s most personal album yet, Rolling Stone ’s Rob Sheffield described it as “the cathartic confession of a woman who thought she had adulthood — and adult romance — all figured out, only to find herself realizing she knows nothing.”

And unlike on past albums, Swift doesn’t portray herself as a victim in this one, wrote the Los Angeles Times ’ Mikael Wood. Instead, the album emanates “a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.”

Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime collaborator, posts love for album

Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared his love for the new album on X .

"Love this album more than I can say," wrote Antonoff, who worked on “The Tortured Poets Department” as a producer.

Antonoff also co-wrote eight of the album's tracks.

Swifties are starting to post reax on X

In typical fashion after a Swift album drops, reactions from fans are pouring in online, and they TEND TO COME IN ALL CAPS.

As any Swiftie will tell you, listening to new music from the artist always proves to be a collective emotional experience.

Spotify appears to be holding it together (so far)

The last time Swift debuted a brand-new album, Spotify crashed. No major issues so far this time around.

Shoutout to the engineers and people behind the scenes who are probably working overtime to make sure Swifties don't panic.

We have a new countdown

Don’t go to bed yet! Taylor Swift’s Instagram page is displaying a new countdown to 2 a.m. ET. This wasn't on the timetable ...

A countdown on Taylor Swift's Instagram page.

Swift releases statement after album drop

In her first social media post after “The Tortured Poets Department” was released, Swift shared a statement about the album online.

These songs reflect her experiences from a moment in time that was equally “sensational and sorrowful,” she wrote, adding that it is a chapter now closed.

“Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it,” Swift wrote. “And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”

Who is Clara Bow?

Daniel Arkin

The 16th and final track on the album is named for Clara Bow, one of the leading lights of Hollywood’s silent era.

Bow, unlike a lot of stars from the 1920s, managed to successfully pivot to roles in talkies by the end of the decade. She co-starred in “Wings” (1927), which today is probably best known as the first movie to win the Oscar for best picture.

I’m not a Swiftie, so I don’t have much insight into how Taylor’s music connects to Bow’s acting career — but I’m curious how this track will be interpreted by the die-hards.

The album is here

BRB, we’re busy listening with the rest of y’all.

You can now choose a Swift-themed chat for your Instagram DMs

Instagram users can now set their direct message conversations to a new chat theme inspired by “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Instagram has added “The Tortured Poets Department” as a chat theme.

Bars, venues hold special Swift parties

On the eve of Swift’s album drop, event venues across the country (and around the world) hosted release parties so Swifties could get their first listen of the “The Tortured Poets Department” on the dance floor.

At Pianos in New York, music from across Swift’s discography will play until the new album drops at midnight. Attendees are encouraged to come in themed outfits and friendship bracelets, and the bar will be serving Swift-inspired cocktails.

In Los Angeles, El Cid is hosting a listening party complete with fan-made merch, giveaways and a themed wall for photos. Attendees can also expect performances from drag queen Jade Jolie, who appeared in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video.

Several Swiftie-themed events are also being held across the Washington, D.C., area, according to The Washington Post, which compiled a list .

A Swiftie mom and daughter are hosting their own album party

Kristie Gilmore, 36, is ready to celebrate with her daughter, who was born shortly after Swift's “1989” album and has been a Swiftie ever since.

Kristie Gilmore is hosting a TTPD party in the suburbs of Boston.

Gilmore decorated her Boston-area apartment with balloons, signs and stickers in the color palette of “The Tortured Poets Department.” She sprinkled the table with handmade confetti of the album’s logo and made TTPD-themed “membership cards” for themselves and each of her daughter’s friends.

“They’ve been counting down since Taylor announced this album,” Gilmore said, adding, “They’re just hanging out, having a dance party. They’re gonna try to stay up till midnight and listen to it.”

What are the track lengths?

The average track length on “The Tortured Poets Department” is 4 minutes and 4 seconds, making it the third longest album across Swift’s discography.

The longest song is “But Daddy I Love Him,” which clocks in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is the shortest song, at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Travis Kelce shared his early thoughts about the album

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, weighed in on the new album.

“I have heard some of it, yes. It is unbelievable,” Kelce said . “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

The couple , who have become the internet's favorite love story , were most recently spotted at Coachella 's first weekend.

Taylor Swift beat reporter speaks to NBC's Hallie Jackson

USA Today’s Taylor Swift reporter , Bryan West, spoke with NBC News about the album drop and all the Easter eggs being spotted by fans.

Swift's music is back on TikTok despite UMG dispute

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Some songs that Swift fans know “All Too Well” returned to TikTok this month, months after they were removed.

The songs were among the many tracks Universal Music Group pulled off TikTok after the label and the platform failed to reach an agreement this year. (UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

UMG, known as one of the “Big Three” global music companies, cleared its music from TikTok in late January, saying it was doing so because of a lack of compensation for artists and songwriters. TikTok previously fired back at UMG, accusing the company of putting “their own greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.”

The economics of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Doha Madani

Die-hard Taylor Swift fans will be spending a pretty penny on her latest album release as she releases four variants of the album with one exclusive track each.

Each variant of “The Tortured Poets Department” is named after the bonus song found at the end of the album: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” If a fan wanted to collect them all, the minimum for $13.99 CDs at a store would cost at least $55.96 before taxes.

Longtime Swifties are already familiar with her tendency to provide deluxe editions, as anyone who was around for her original “1989” release can recall the Target exclusive that included three bonus tracks and three voice memos recorded by Swift.

Her “Midnights” release included a Target exclusive track that was added to streaming only months later, and in May she released a new song on “Midnights (The Late Night Edition).” But this is the first time Swift has put an exclusive song on each individual variant, with no clear timeline for when they might be added to streaming.

2024: The year of Post Malone and the pop girlies

Rebecca Cohen

Fresh off of a collab with Beyoncé on "LEVII'S JEANS" from her now-famed "Cowboy Carter," Post Malone finds himself on another major release of 2024: Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department."

He joins Swift on the album's first song, "Fortnight." Swift announced that "Fortnight" would be the album's lead single and the song for which she is releasing a music video 8 o'clock tomorrow night.

"I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever," Swift wrote on social media. "I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight."

While best known for more rap-focused songs, Post Malone is clearly making the rounds in the pop music scene, having also recently collaborated with Noah Kahan on "Dial Drunk." But his back-to-back appearances on arguably two of the biggest albums from pop artists this year raise the questions: Is Post Malone becoming a pop girlie? Is he just having a moment? Or is it all of the above?

There's a book about Swift's impact headed to bookshelves

Rolling Stone writer and music historian Rob Sheffield's book "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music" will debut Nov. 12.

He's expected to dive further into Swift’s music and fan connection.

Swifties are celebrating with their own listening parties

Many Swifties are sharing their elaborate party setups online as they prepare to celebrate the album release at home.

Karen Rothdeutsch, 25, has decked out her bedroom in upstate New York with “The Tortured Poets Department”-themed decorations, complete with a platter of homemade cupcakes decorated to match Swift’s various vinyl variants.

“I just made my space a little more immersive for my first listen,” Rothdeutsch told NBC News. “I’ll be sitting in my bed with a box of tissues and a notebook, writing down my thoughts and probably checking into Twitter every so often to see what everybody’s thinking about it.”

She said she procured the decorations over the course of several weeks, but the whole setup cost her less than $100. While she decorates on a budget, she said she did splash out on the vinyl variants and collector’s edition CDs.

Swift's new album is already breaking a Spotify record

Spotify said on X that the “The Tortured Poets Department” became the most pre-saved album countdown page in the streaming service’s history.

Since its launch on March 28, TTPD's countdown page has ticked down to the album’s drop, now just hours away.

Was Swift's Grammys dress a 'Fortnight' Easter egg?

The white gown Swift wore to the 2024 Grammys, where she announced "The Tortured Poets Department," appears to have been an Easter egg.

taylor swift full length whote dress red carpet grammys

Swift appears to be wearing a very similar dress in the teaser for the "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)" music video, which will debut 8 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Swift was also pictured hugging Post Malone at the ceremony. Some fans online pointed out a similar shot of the two singers that appears in the teaser for the music video.

Swift drops 'Fortnight' music video teaser

Swift blessed fans with a teaser for “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)," the album's first single.

"At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings. Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et," Swift wrote in a post on X , which was accompanied by a short video clip.

The black-and-white teaser gave a sneak peak of the visuals for the music video. It's a combination of dramatic period gowns and a bleak medical setting in this supercut that is reminiscent of "Poor Things," which Swift's longtime friend Emma Stone recently won the best actress Oscar for.

Swift had announced she'd be dropping a music video at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow by sharing a “TTPD Timetable” on her Instagram page this week.

Merch is here — and already selling out

Hours before the album’s release, themed merchandise for “The Tortured Poets Department” is now available to order online.

The merch drop includes hoodies, crewnecks and gold jewelry branded with the album’s logo. A display case for the album vinyls seemingly sold out within minutes.

ICYMI: The Eras Tour concert film is on Disney+

In case you need something to do as you count down to the new album, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is on Disney+. Swift announced the film would be available for streaming in February.

The film features all songs from the three Los Angeles tour dates during which it was filmed at SoFi Stadium. They include “cardigan,” as well as four additional acoustic surprise songs from the tour: “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” “You Are in Love” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts.”

Swifties online are freaking out over purported ‘leaks’

The internet was at it again this week, with some online circulating what they said were leaks of Swift's new album. It is unclear from where and when the apparent leaks originated, but one Reddit thread is already filled with commentary.

As early as Tuesday, "taylor swift leak" appeared to be blocked from searches on X. Instead, when a user tried to search the phrase, a blank page popped up with the message, "Something went wrong. Try reloading."

The secret message has been decoded

The sixth and final word of the secret message, “mortem,” was revealed today, hidden in the lyrics of the song “Begin Again.”

The complete secret message is: “We hereby conduct this post mortem.”

In a collaboration with Apple Music, Swift sorted some of her existing songs into thematic playlists , along with audio messages from her.

The messages seemed to confirm some fans’ theories that the playlists mirrored the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — indicating that the new album may grapple with grief or loss. Swift later used a song from each playlist to reveal a hidden word on Apple Music every day leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Swift sets fans loose on an international puzzle

Swifties had a big day yesterday after murals with QR codes were unveiled in cities around the world, including Mexico City, Paris and Chicago.

Fans stumbled upon the murals, which Swift had not announced, and scanned them to find a link to a YouTube Shorts video. Every mural had a unique code that led to a different video, each revealing a new letter as part of a word puzzle.

Fans came together online to help decode the puzzle, which seemed to hint at the new album's first track, because it spelled out "for a fortnight."

Swifties in Los Angeles flock to Spotify pop-up library

Many Los Angeles Swifties celebrated the new album with a pop-up library installation in partnership with Spotify.

The three-day event, which runs through today at The Grove, featured a sneak peek at some of the album's lyrics.

Fans posted videos of themselves lined up for hours to get a glimpse at the installation.

A manuscript was front and center at the installation, revealing new lyrics periodically as the pages were turned over the course of three days.

Many fans online tried to identify other potential Easter eggs in the pop-up library, such as a bust of a peace sign, quill and fountain pens and a globe that appeared to be pointing to Florida, the name of a track on the album.

Why is the album called 'The Tortured Poets Department'?

Fans were quick to note that “The Tortured Poets Department” is the longest title for a Taylor Swift album by a large margin, a distinction previously held by her third album, "Speak Now." Before "TTPD," "Speak Now" was her only album title consisting of more than one word.

Speculation surrounding the new album and its uncharacteristic title has primarily revolved around Swift’s 2023 breakup with British actor Joe Alwyn after their six-year relationship.

After the album announcement, a 2022 Variety interview between Alwyn and Paul Mescal resurfaced on X. The pair revealed in the interview that they were both members of a WhatsApp group chat titled the Tortured Man Club, prompting some fans to draw parallels between Alwyn and Swift’s upcoming album.

The true meaning of “The Tortured Poets Department” remains to be seen, but the album's rollout has featured references to famous poems like Charles Baudelaire’s “The Albatross,” among other literary references.

Clues keep coming

Speculation continues to grow over clues for lyrics, song titles and the album’s first music video.

Not much from Miss Swift so far

It's been a notably quiet rollout for "The Tortured Poets Department."

No themed Instagram grid overhaul, no lead singles, not even a cryptic calendar leading Swifties on wild goose chases for potential Easter eggs.

A week before the release, Taylor Swift was rocking out at Coachella instead of feeding her fans who are desperate for a hint of what's to come.

Aside from a hand-painted QR code on the side of a building in Chicago, a planned exhibit at The Grove in Los Angeles in partnership with Spotify and a quick video released Tuesday that appears to leave the "Midnights" era in the dust as viewers tour The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has been silent on what we can expect.

In the video , posted to her Instagram account, we did get a glimpse of a schedule that only showed release day, and on it, the promise of a music video on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen tick marks beneath led some to think the music video could be for the 14th track on the album, or for the leading song, "Fortnight," since a fortnight is 14 days.

Swifties believing in the latter theory proved to be correct. Swift announced that the music video would be for "Fortnight" in a Thursday afternoon social media post.

Swifties online continue to grasp for any details to try to figure out what this mastermind might have in store for her beloved fan base.

What songs are on the new album?

Here's what songs are on the track list.

"Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)"
"The Tortured Poets Department"
"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
"So Long, London"
"But Daddy I Love Him"
"Fresh Out the Slammer"
"Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)"
"Guilty as Sin?"
"Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?"
"I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
"The Alchemy"
"Clara Bow"

Swift has also announced four bonus tracks: "The Manuscript," “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” Each bonus track will be available on a separate vinyl variant and won't be on the streaming version of the album.

When does 'The Tortured Poets Department' drop?

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," will be released Friday at 12 a.m. ET, or 9 p.m. PT.

It will be available for purchase on vinyl, on cassette, as a digital album and in CD form. It will also be on several streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music.

But if you plan to stream “The Tortured Poets Department” right after its release, be prepared for potential delays. When Swift’s most recent brand-new album, “Midnights,” was released, Spotify briefly crashed because of intense demand.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

is culture and trends editor for NBC News Digital.

The Meaning Behind The Song: Still They Ride by Journey

Journey is one of the biggest rock bands of all time, with hits that are still being played on the radio to this day. One of their hit songs, “Still They Ride,” has been an anthem for people who are going through tough times, and it remains relevant today. This song, written by lead singer Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon, was released in 1982 as part of their album “Escape.” Let’s dig deep into the meaning behind this classic rock song.

Table of Contents

The Inspiration for the Song

The meaning of “still they ride”, the lyrics of “still they ride”, themes in the song, impact of “still they ride”, q1. what is the story behind journey’s “still they ride”, q2. what is the main message of the song “still they ride”, q3. what are the themes in the song “still they ride”, q4. what is the chorus of “still they ride”, q5. who wrote “still they ride”, q6. which album is “still they ride” from, q7. why is “still they ride” such an iconic song, q8. what is the meaning of “wheels of fire” in the song, q9. what inspired steve perry to write the song “still they ride”, q10. has “still they ride” been covered by other artists, q11. what is the significance of the phrase “starting out on a journey like their fathers before” in the song, q12. what is the legacy of the song “still they ride”.

Steve Perry wrote the song after he witnessed a man walking along a deserted highway in the pouring rain. He picked up the man and gave him a ride to his destination. Perry was moved by the man’s determination to keep moving forward despite the obstacles in his path. The man’s story and positive attitude inspired Perry to start writing the song in his head.

Perry stated “This old boy was standing there, thumb out, in the rain, soaked to the skin. I couldn’t leave him there. I figured he’d get pneumonia or something. When he got in the car, I asked him where he was headed, and he said, ‘I’m just trying to get to the next town.’ So, I took him there, and I was literally driving back to San Francisco, and this idea for a song popped into my head”.

The chorus of the song goes like this:

Still they ride, on wheels of fire, They rule the night.

“Still They Ride” is a song about perseverance, hope, strength, and resilience. It’s about people who refuse to give up despite the odds stacked against them. They keep going even though the road they are traveling on is difficult, winding, and sometimes cruel. The song inspires us to never quit regardless of the obstacles that we face in our lives. It’s a message of hope and encouragement that resonates with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds.

Here are some of the lyrics from the song that illustrate its message of hope and perseverance:

“From the sound to the voice of the midnight hour, They hear that old familiar sound, Like a pack of wolves that are howling at the moon, They come running, Starting out on a journey like their fathers before, Feet to the ground, heart holding fast, Ride, ride, how they ride.”

These lyrics paint a picture of people who are determined to keep pushing forward on their journey, even when they are tired and the road is tough. The reference to “fathers before” shows that the journey is not a solitary one, but a collective one where previous generations have traveled and overcome their own challenges.

The lyrics contain several themes that resonate with the listeners:

Hope The main theme of the song is hope. It is about not giving up, no matter how tough things may seem. Even when everything seems to be against you, you keep fighting.

Resilience The song celebrates resilience in the face of adversity. It’s about having the courage to withstand setbacks and keep going.

Perseverance The song highlights the importance of perseverance, never giving up on your goals, even if it takes a long time to achieve them.

Songs have a way of connecting people across time and space, and “Still They Ride” is no exception. The song has become an anthem for people going through tough times, and it continues to inspire people to never give up on their dreams. The song has resonated with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds over the years.

Steve Perry wrote the song after he gave a man a ride in the pouring rain. The man’s story and positive attitude inspired Perry to start writing the song in his head.

The main message of the song is hope. It is about not giving up, no matter how tough things may seem. Even when everything seems to be against you, you keep fighting.

The song contains several themes that resonate with listeners, including resilience, perseverance, and hope.

The chorus of the song goes like this: Still they ride, on wheels of fire, They rule the night.

The song was written by Steve Perry and Neal Schon.

The song was released in 1982 as part of Journey’s album “Escape.”

The song has become an anthem for people going through tough times, and it continues to inspire people to never give up on their dreams. The song has resonated with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds over the years.

The phrase “wheels of fire” symbolizes the determination and drive that people have to keep moving forward, even when the road is tough.

Steve Perry was inspired to write the song after he gave a man a ride in the pouring rain. The man’s determination and positive attitude moved him to start writing the song in his head.

Yes, the song has been covered by several artists over the years, including American Idol winner, David Cook.

The phrase symbolizes that the journey is not a solitary one, but a collective one where previous generations have traveled and overcome their own challenges.

The song has become an iconic anthem for people going through tough times, inspiring them to keep pushing forward. Its message of hope and perseverance has resonated with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds over the years.

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Original lyrics of The Journey song by Lea Salonga. Explore 4 meanings and explanations or write yours. Find more of Lea Salonga lyrics. Watch official video, print or download text in PDF. Comment and share your favourite lyrics.
Lea Salonga
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he song really reminds me that we only have but one life..we are into the journey and we don't know what and where this journey may bring us but by living our today a better one to have a better future..we are,indeed, in a long-winding journey and it doesn't matter what your past is..but by what you are going to be in the future..live a ...
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