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

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

U2

U2Fact or Fiction

How did The Edge get his name? Did they name a song after a Tolkien book? And who is "Angel of Harlem" about?

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.