He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
Many nights we prayed
With no proof, anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood
Now, we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains
Long before we knew we could, whoa, yes
There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe
(Ooh) mmm, yeah
In this time of fear
When prayer so often proves in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
Yet now I'm standing here
My hearts so full, I can't explain
Seeking faith and speakin' words
I never thought I'd say
There can be miracles
When you believe (when you believe)
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill (mmm)
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve (you can achieve)
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe
They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way clear through the rain
A small but still, resilient voice
Says hope is very near, oh (oh)
There can be miracles (miracles)
When you believe (boy, when you believe, yeah)
(Though hope is frail) though hope is frail
(It's hard) it's hard to kill (hard to kill, oh, yeah)
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve (you can achieve, oh)
When you believe somehow you will (somehow, somehow, somehow)
Now you will (now I, now I, know)
You will when you believe (when you)
(Oh oh)
(You will when you believe)
(Ooh-ooh) (just believe)
(Just believe)
You will when you believe
With no proof, anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood
Now, we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains
Long before we knew we could, whoa, yes
There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe
(Ooh) mmm, yeah
In this time of fear
When prayer so often proves in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
Yet now I'm standing here
My hearts so full, I can't explain
Seeking faith and speakin' words
I never thought I'd say
There can be miracles
When you believe (when you believe)
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill (mmm)
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve (you can achieve)
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe
They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way clear through the rain
A small but still, resilient voice
Says hope is very near, oh (oh)
There can be miracles (miracles)
When you believe (boy, when you believe, yeah)
(Though hope is frail) though hope is frail
(It's hard) it's hard to kill (hard to kill, oh, yeah)
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve (you can achieve, oh)
When you believe somehow you will (somehow, somehow, somehow)
Now you will (now I, now I, know)
You will when you believe (when you)
(Oh oh)
(You will when you believe)
(Ooh-ooh) (just believe)
(Just believe)
You will when you believe
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
When You Believe Lyrics as written by Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Wow this song is great! It's a real inspirational one and makes you think 'yeah, who knows what might happen when i believe?' It's a good song and Mariah and Whitney sound brill together!
What a song! Full of emotion and passion. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when i first heard it. Comming from the film The Prince Of Egypt, its not just inspirational, its also ver comforting too. The words tell us that there are miracles if we only believe. The only thing that it could happen if we keep looking into our own hearts and dont give up until we find what we are looking for. As for Mariah and Whitney, they did this song justice! Wonderful!
what a wonderful song! moreover mariah carey and whitney houston who sing this song. that can be a plus point for "when you believe". i love this song so much :) this song is tell us about a miracle that will come without we realize it. we don't ever feel give up, although we think so difficult to through many examination in this life, and we think it's impossible to do something, because we must be sure if there is a miracle. we must keep pray to Allah, because Allah always hear our prayer, and surely grant it. we must have hope. because when we believe, we barely understood if the miracle is there :)