“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey to me?
This is something that’s bothered me (as the only Black girl in a sea of white friends or acquaintances) endlessly in my three and half years living in the city and going to school. I don’t understand why everyone pretends they know or like this song. I have very vivid memories of people having no reaction upon hearing it in a bar, and then, weeks later, talking about how the love this song, how they grew up with it, how it’s amazing and spectacular and gets them wet and frankly, I think it’s a bunch of annoying BS. OMG Journey!
OMG, are you serious?
I don’t like it. I never have. And I never grew up with it. My parents didn’t listen to Journey all the time (or at all). They didn’t raise me on Journey. Having a good time at a bar does not equal Journey to me. And even though I tend to unfortunately serve as the black best friend (“No girl, you look fierce! He’s an asshole! Here’s what you need to do to get a real man…”), it’s kind of hard to situate myself with the culture that surrounds this song.
But the Journey love only seems to happen in Lincoln Park or Lakeview or Wrigleyville, where everything’s really whitewashed to begin with so maybe the Journey love is just concentrated to this certain population of the city (upper middle class, Big 10 university, Cubs fan, white) and that’s why it sticks out to me, a girl originally from the West Side. That, or maybe everyone just loves this inescapable song and my odd girl out status will forever signify why I don’t get it.
This is for Geets, although she acknowledges that Journey makes her feel white.
