Can white people please explain…
“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey to me?
This is something that’s bothered me (as the only Black girl in a sea of white friends or acquaintances) endlessly in my three and half years living in the city and going to school. I don’t understand why everyone pretends they know or like this song. I have very vivid memories of people having no reaction upon hearing it in a bar, and then, weeks later, talking about how the love this song, how they grew up with it, how it’s amazing and spectacular and gets them wet and frankly, I think it’s a bunch of annoying BS. OMG Journey!
OMG, are you serious?
I don’t like it. I never have. And I never grew up with it. My parents didn’t listen to Journey all the time (or at all). They didn’t raise me on Journey. Having a good time at a bar does not equal Journey to me. And even though I tend to unfortunately serve as the black best friend (“No girl, you look fierce! He’s an asshole! Here’s what you need to do to get a real man…”), it’s kind of hard to situate myself with the culture that surrounds this song.
But the Journey love only seems to happen in Lincoln Park or Lakeview or Wrigleyville, where everything’s really whitewashed to begin with so maybe the Journey love is just concentrated to this certain population of the city (upper middle class, Big 10 university, Cubs fan, white) and that’s why it sticks out to me, a girl originally from the West Side. That, or maybe everyone just loves this inescapable song and my odd girl out status will forever signify why I don’t get it.
asking this question is like asking why Robocop is awesome. it just is. there is no reason, nor does there need to be.
ps, i definitely know black people who like this song
UGH sorry! but i always DREADED the inevitable “don’t stop believing” time-out from every party that involved members of the Superhouse (who didnt soley carry the Journey-Love, but certainly egged it on) and soon the entire party would be bracing themselves for this cheddar-cheese-fest of a song to uplift them all to higher levels of intoxication. I can appreciate it for that purpose, that it brought everyone together…but i must say that I felt oddly uncomfortable whenever this would happen. Maybe I am too sensitive to Cheese, but it was moments like these where I would turn my nose up in musical snobbery, but really, deep down, felt left out. I GET it. i GET the whole thing, but you can still GET something and not really CARE for it. right? right?
maybe that means i dont get it.
Here’s the facts. Good song. Good to sing. Was a WICKED part in the film monster in the roller rink. Classic CLASSIC. It HAS gotten way over the top with it being like the White Sox theme song but the time that is referenced above was looked on so fondly for me. It may have been a lamingtons to some but it was the sort of thing that could happen anywhere, anytime without feeling uncool (even if people thought it was). Kind of about a lot of people, who are drunk, or not, or friends, or not or sort of didn’t like eachothers shit in lifedrawing that morning but are now singing loudly into eachothers faces. I know I know. Nerds. Nerds all of us. But it united a group of people in a time of fancy, please just let us have that little time.
Thank you. Love, Ertel
3 years ago
