Admit it. You woke up yesterday morning singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.'” Well, you did if you’re a fan of “The Sopranos,” anyway.
In the final, controversial moments of the show, Tony chose the song after flipping through a jukebox at a New Jersey restaurant where he was about to dine with his family. The song proved a fitting ending for the stick-together-or-else family — regardless of what you thought of the ending.
For instance, if you think Tony and/or all of the Sopranos die at the hand of the creepy-looking guy at the diner, then the song serves as an ironic twist that life, in fact, does not go on. But if you’re more optimistic and you believe the Sopranos not only survive but flourish in their new endeavors, then the song serves as a sort-of anthem for the family.
“It’s heavy, very heavy,” said Journey’s founding guitarist, Neal Schon, to MTV of “Believin.'” “It’s one of those feel-good songs that’s not going to go away.”
The ever-popular song was released on Journey’s 1981 album, “Escape.”
Asked by MTV why “Sopranos” creator David Chase chose the song, Schon said: “I think it’s just the basic message. Don’t stop believin’ in yourself, don’t stop believin’ in the world, don’t stop believin’ in anything. It’s a positive message and a feel-good song with a great melody, and I kind of like the guitar solo, which is one of the easiest solos ever to emulate because there’s not much to it.”
This isn’t the first time the auspicious tune has been used to evoke that feel-good feeling among fans. Chicago itself has a strong tie to the tune. The White Sox 2005 World Series squad adopted “Believin’ ” as the team’s song during its improbable run. Ex-Journey frontman Steve Perry even appeared to sing it during the Sox’s celebration downtown.
Remember the trailer to Will Ferrell’s comedy, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”? Journey’s hit was featured in it, too, and we’re guessing the over-the-top emotions elicited when hearing the song is quite possibly what drew so many fans to the flick. Well, that and it has a 1980s hard rock band-does-ballad sound that could be attractive to NASCAR lovers.
For an entirely different fan base, “Believin’ ” was a befitting melody in the 2005 season finale of MTV’s “Laguna Beach.” What better way to look hopefully upon a post-high school future than with a nostalgia-evoking song that tugs on heart strings, even if it was probably written before the show’s stars were born?
So, more than 25 years after the song was released, it’s still going strong and, ahem, on and on and on and on.
