Something to Believe In (Poison song)
Encyclopedia
"Something to Believe In" is a power ballad by American Glam metal
band Poison
, it's the 2nd single from their 1990 (see 1990 in music
) album Flesh & Blood. "Something to Believe In" was also released on the Best of Ballads & Blues
album in 2003
, with alternate lyrics (part 2).
The song peaked at #4 in the US Billboard Hot 100
, #5 on the Mainstream rock
charts, #35 in the UK and #44 on the Australian charts.
This song was dedicated to James Kimo Maano, a security guard and best friend of Bret Michaels
who had died some time earlier.
The cover art for the single depicts a tattoo
on Bret Michaels's arm of a cross with the words "Something to Believe In". Unfortunately, the tattoo artist, according to Michaels, had been drinking and spelled "believe" incorrectly putting the "e" before the "i". It was attempted to be corrected by adding a rose to the cross that covered the misspelling, but Michaels was never satisfied with the results. In the first season of the reality show Rock of Love, Michaels goes to a tattoo shop where the tattoo artist properly touches up the tattoo.
The song emphasises several different things, such as the death of a friend, the thoughts of a Vietnam veteran, and how he can never seem to shake the memories of "a war he can't forget," and seeing the homeless on a street at night, dimly lit by a neon sign that once spelled out "Jesus Saves." And how it seems that the lessons of yesterday are forgotten on the world of today.
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, it's the 2nd single from their 1990 (see 1990 in music
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
) album Flesh & Blood. "Something to Believe In" was also released on the Best of Ballads & Blues
Best of Ballads & Blues (album)
Best of Ballads & Blues is a greatest hits compilation album from the American Hard rock band Poison, relaesed August 5, 2003. Unlike Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996, this compilation focuses on the band's power ballads and blues-oriented songs and also includes two new acoustic recordings of...
album in 2003
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
, with alternate lyrics (part 2).
The song peaked at #4 in the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, #5 on the Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
charts, #35 in the UK and #44 on the Australian charts.
This song was dedicated to James Kimo Maano, a security guard and best friend of Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
who had died some time earlier.
The cover art for the single depicts a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on Bret Michaels's arm of a cross with the words "Something to Believe In". Unfortunately, the tattoo artist, according to Michaels, had been drinking and spelled "believe" incorrectly putting the "e" before the "i". It was attempted to be corrected by adding a rose to the cross that covered the misspelling, but Michaels was never satisfied with the results. In the first season of the reality show Rock of Love, Michaels goes to a tattoo shop where the tattoo artist properly touches up the tattoo.
The song emphasises several different things, such as the death of a friend, the thoughts of a Vietnam veteran, and how he can never seem to shake the memories of "a war he can't forget," and seeing the homeless on a street at night, dimly lit by a neon sign that once spelled out "Jesus Saves." And how it seems that the lessons of yesterday are forgotten on the world of today.
Albums
"Something To Believe In" is on the following albums.- Flesh & BloodFlesh and Blood (Poison album)Flesh & Blood is the third studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1990 through the Enigma label of Capitol Records. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard chartsand it sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide....
- Swallow This LiveSwallow This LiveSwallow This Live is the first live album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1991 through Capitol Records. The album peaked at #51 on The Billboard 200...
(live version) - Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 is the first greatest hits compilation CD from the Glam Metal band Poison. The album was released on November 26, 1996 by Capitol Records...
- Power to the PeoplePower to the People (Poison album)Power to the People is a music album from the American rock band Poison, released on June 13, 2000 on the band's independent label, Cyanide Music. It marked the return of the original lineup, together for the first time since 1991's Swallow This Live with the return of C.C...
(live version) - Best of Ballads & BluesBest of Ballads & Blues (album)Best of Ballads & Blues is a greatest hits compilation album from the American Hard rock band Poison, relaesed August 5, 2003. Unlike Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996, this compilation focuses on the band's power ballads and blues-oriented songs and also includes two new acoustic recordings of...
(2nd Version) - Freedom Of SoundFreedom of SoundFreedom of Sound is the third solo studio album by Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison.It is a country rock album released in 2005, the same year Bret Michaels was a judge on the Country music reality tv show Nashville Star....
(solo version) - The Best of Poison: 20 Years of RockThe Best of Poison: 20 Years of RockThe Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock is a compilation album from the American rock band Poison, released to celebrate the band's 20 year anniversary. It has sold more than 1 million copies to date in the U.S as of September 2009....
- Flesh & Blood - 20th Anniversary EditionFlesh and Blood (Poison album)Flesh & Blood is the third studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1990 through the Enigma label of Capitol Records. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard chartsand it sold over 7.2 million copies worldwide....
Peak positions
| Chart (1990-1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Charts | 44 |
| UK Singles Chart | 34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 78 |