I Can Believe

Album: Crash This Gate (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song adresses a common critique of Christianity: If God is so good and loving, why does He let so many bad things happen? It's aimed at folks who are struggling with their belief.

    "It's that faith thing of, 'Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief,'" Ceili Rain leader Bob Halligan, Jr. said in a Songfacts interview. "It's that part of us that can't help but doubt sometimes."

    He added: "It's like how Doubting Thomas had to put his hand into Jesus' side to feel the wound. There are so many occasions in our lives where our hand was put into a place to show us. Faith is a tricky business and one has to keep at it. That song is an exhortation to oneself and to anyone listening. Believe the best you can."
  • Ceili (pronounced "Kay-lee") Rain is a Celtic band with a Christian influence. You would never guess that its founder, Bob Halligan, Jr., wrote the Judas Priest song "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll."

    In the early '80s, Halligan had a band called Pictures. They didn't make it, but he got a publishing deal and became a top heavy metal tunesmith, also placing songs with Kix, Blue Öyster Cult, and Kiss. In the '90s, he took a turn toward pop music ("Could've Been You" by Cher) and CCM ("Giving You The Rest Of My Life" by Bob Carlisle) before forming Ceili Rain in 1995.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.