The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
When I was young and full of grace
And spirited a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit I will not tell
You're on your honor not to tell
I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need, there's the key
Your adventure for today what do you do
Between the horns of the day?
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
When I was young and give and take
And foolish said my fool awake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honor, on your honor
Trust in your calling, make sure your calling's true
Think of others, the others think of you
Silly rule, golden words make, practice, practice makes perfect
Perfect is a fault, and fault lines change
I believe my humor's wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
When I was young and full of grace
And spirited a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honor, on your honor
I believe in example
I believe my throat hurts
Example is the checker to the key
I believe my humor's wearing thin
And I believe the poles are shifting
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
And spirited a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit I will not tell
You're on your honor not to tell
I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need, there's the key
Your adventure for today what do you do
Between the horns of the day?
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
When I was young and give and take
And foolish said my fool awake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honor, on your honor
Trust in your calling, make sure your calling's true
Think of others, the others think of you
Silly rule, golden words make, practice, practice makes perfect
Perfect is a fault, and fault lines change
I believe my humor's wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
When I was young and full of grace
And spirited a rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honor, on your honor
I believe in example
I believe my throat hurts
Example is the checker to the key
I believe my humor's wearing thin
And I believe the poles are shifting
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
I Believe Lyrics as written by Michael E. Mills John Michael Stipe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The song was originally called "When I Was Young" and is listed as a track on "Fables of the Reconstruction", but was pulled at the last minute when the band realised it was no good. They then took it apart, kept the good bits and called it "I Believe", which Stipe took from a Mahalia Jackson gospel song.
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@darlomunday But Mahalia Jackson took it from the timeless Christian liturgy. I Believe = Credo in Church Latin, which refers to the Apostles Creed or Nicene Creed: I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth....” Clearly Stipe believed in something else, but I have no doubt he knew he knew he was speaking in an ancient tradition. <br /> <br /> I think the song, rather than pointing out contradiction, embraces and celebrates paradox, as in the practice makes perfect line, true in each part and more so as a whole in its paradoxical glory. I always heard the final clause as “in fault lies change.” Perfection, purity, is the concern of many religions, and Stipe elegantly deconstructs and reclaims the conception as an article of faith in his idiosyncratic, highly personal existential creed, celebrating dynamism, flow, indeterminacy, individuality itself, claimed and created personal purpose.<br /> <br /> With no disrespect to Christian believers, I profess the Stipe Creed. It electrified me the first time I heard it and still makes me tear up every time, forty years later.