Journey's biggest song is actually about Christian faith

SAN JOSE, Calif. - There's a deeper meaning to "Don't Stop Believin'" - one that might not be widely evident to the some of the fans who hear the Journey anthem played at sporting events and on classic rock radio.

The song, which was released on Journey's seventh studio album "Escape" in 1981, is actually a song based on Christian faith and dealing directly with the Holy Spirit, says the song's co-author Jonathan Cain.

Cain says that, if one really thinks about it, the song is actually about the Holy Spirit.

"We don't stop believing," Cain said in an interview with christianpost.com. "We never do."

Cain - who co-wrote the "Don't Stop Believin'" with fellow Journey members Neal Schon and Steve Perry (who is no longer in the band) - says that connection to Christian faith can be heard in one of the song's best-known lyrics.

"And when we say ‘hold on to that feeling,' that might just be the Holy Spirit," he says.

Neither Schon nor Perry have commented on the matter.

Cain, who has embarked on a solo career in Christian music and plans to leave Journey after the Bay Area band's current farewell tour, says that the song was originally inspired by an encouraging talk that he had with his father that addressed God's "vision" for the songwriter.

"I wrote the song based on what my father had said to me when I was going to quit the music business or come home and regroup," Cain remembers in the interview with The Christian Post. "I was in L.A. and I said, ‘Should I stay or should I go?' He said, ‘No, you've got to stay. Don't stop believing. God has a vision for you.'

"He was referring back to a fire that I was in when I was 8 years old, where 93 children died. And my father prophesized and said, ‘You were saved for music. I believe the Lord saved you for making music. And I'm going to get behind that. This was 1958 - dads didn't do that. They said get a real job."

Instead of getting a "real job," Cain would pursue a career in music and eventually land a gig with Journey in the early '80s.

"I went straight into the studio with them and created the ‘Escape' album in 1981," Cain said in the interview. It sold 9 million copies. So, my dad's prophecy came true.

"Only God can do that. Only the Lord - the hand of the Lord - could take an accordion player from Chicago and put him in Steve Perry's living room to write ‘Don't Stop Believin.'" That's pretty incredible. That's kind of miracle stuff, you know?"

Cain and Journey bring their Final Frontier Tour to the Chase Center in San Francisco on Nov. 28. Journey is also playing Sept. 17 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton. Visit ticketmaster.com for tickets and other information.

The current Journey lineup features Cain (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Schon (lead guitar), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals), Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals), Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass, vocals).

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