| I Believe | |
| Cover: | I Believe BUOS cover.png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Blessid Union of Souls |
| Album: | Home |
| Released: | February 1995 |
| Length: | 4:27 |
| Label: | EMI |
| Producer: | Emosia |
| Prev Title: | Let Me Be the One |
| Prev Year: | 1995 |
| Next Title: | All Along |
| Next Year: | 1996 |
"I Believe" is a single by the American alternative rock band Blessid Union of Souls from their 1995 debut album, Home. Vocalist Eliot Sloan wrote the song after the father of his girlfriend "Lisa" forced her to stop dating Sloan because of his race. "I Believe" is the band's highest-charting single in the United States, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and it became a top-20 hit in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
According to the "I Believe Story" from Blessid Union of Souls's compilation album Almost Acoustic (Volume 1), the song was written by vocalist Eliot Sloan in the early morning when he imagined the main piano sample which would be used in the song and then played it.
Eliot Sloan stated in an interview with The Celebrity Cafe that he wrote the song about his relationship with "Lisa", a girl he once dated. Lisa's father allegedly threatened to cut off her college tuition if she continued to see Eliot. They said good-bye and went their separate ways. He said that he still very much missed her, and placed a message in the liner notes of Home: "Lisa, give me a call sometime just to say hello, my number is still the same."[1] [2]
In the 2001 compilation album, , the song was re-recorded in a punk-reggae style.[3]
In an interview with thecelebritycafe.com, Eliot Sloan said "when I sing 'Love will find a way,' I mean 'God will find a way,'" and that he has always believed that "God is love". While the song uses fairly subtle Christian themes, as do many of the band's songs, they tried to make it not sound too preachy.[4]
On the edited version for radio, the word "nigger" in the third verse is replaced with "brother".
In a review of Home by AllMusic, staff writer Tom Demalon said that the song "revealed the band to have more of a social conscience than similar acts such as Hootie & the Blowfish through the spiritually tinged lyrics."[5] In a review by Rolling Stone, staff writer Paul Evans called the song "all righteous, wide-eyed affirmation".[6]
The music video, directed by Michael Salomon, shows the band members singing the song, interspersed with footage representing the ideas of the song.
A1. "I Believe" (original mix) – 4:37
B1. "I Believe" (album mix) – 4:17
B2. "Heaven" – 4:33
| Chart (1995) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Europe (European Dance Radio)[7] | 18 | |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[8] | 29 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 8 | |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[10] | 5 | |
| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[11] | 24 | |
| US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[12] | 2 | |
| US Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover (Billboard)[13] | 26 |
| Chart (1995) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] | 33 | |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[15] | 5 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[16] | 27 | |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[17] | 15 | |
| US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[18] | 14 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | February 1995 | Cassette | EMI | |
| United Kingdom | May 15, 1995 | [19] | ||
| Japan | June 16, 1995 | Mini-CD | [20] |
