I disagree with the general consensus. Maybe I'm wrong and it's not what the artists intended, but my impression is something more solemn than "just believe in yourself." I think the song is lamenting that, although we can try, we can never change who we truly are at our core. The tone in which she sings the lines about believing in yourself comes off as ironic to me. In my opinion, in these lines she's repeating the vague, general advice everyone gives, advice which expresses that one has power over one's circumstances. In contrast, the lines "you'll never find a way to be / you'll never change the way you live your life" express powerlessness. There's a clear incongruity in the song--I suppose it's up to the listener to choose which side they believe.
I disagree with the general consensus. Maybe I'm wrong and it's not what the artists intended, but my impression is something more solemn than "just believe in yourself." I think the song is lamenting that, although we can try, we can never change who we truly are at our core. The tone in which she sings the lines about believing in yourself comes off as ironic to me. In my opinion, in these lines she's repeating the vague, general advice everyone gives, advice which expresses that one has power over one's circumstances. In contrast, the lines "you'll never find a way to be / you'll never change the way you live your life" express powerlessness. There's a clear incongruity in the song--I suppose it's up to the listener to choose which side they believe.