The lyric from “Don’t Stop Believin’” is “Hold on to that feelin’.” Journey released the song in 1981, and it later became one of the most recognizable anthems in American rock.
Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neal Schon wrote the song. Cain drew inspiration from his father’s encouragement to pursue music, while the lyrics present a series of vivid, open-ended characters and images rather than a straightforward plot. That combination gives the song a universal theme of persistence and hope.
A notable musical detail is that the song delays its true chorus until near the end. The repeated title phrase functions as a major hook, but the full chorus arrives unusually late, helping the final section feel like a release after the long build-up.
The song gained a major second life through television, sports crowds and karaoke. It featured prominently in The Sopranos finale and became associated with the television series Glee. The apostrophe in “feelin’” reflects the sung pronunciation, but the canonical answer remains “feelin’.”