~Believer~ by Matteo Lichtenberg (16yrs)
The songtext in ‘Believe’ from Imagine Dragons is; overcoming challenges and hardships while also finding strength in vulnerability. It tells not to give up despite setbacks and inspires others to keep fighting for their beliefs and dreams.
Typical for songs from Imagine Dragons is the confronting of inner demons and doubts, however in the lyrics you can see that the person struggles with his inner thoughts and fails in finding the strength to tell anybody.
Multiple textlines that show his problems are: “I was choking in the crowd” | “falling like ashes to the ground” | “hoping my feelings, they would drown”
Personally I dislike the opinion of the speaker for not telling other people his feelings and wanting them to drown. If you’re not talking about the way you feel it can lead to feeling worse in the end and I can say from my own experiences that by not accepting his feelings he will never stop feeling the pain and will never be able to not “choke in the crowd” while trying to express his pain.
What I like about the song is closely related to my dislike that I have shown in the sentences above. If you look at the song from the hearers perspective that first drowns their feelings, but now writes songs about it to relieve themself (“taking my sulking to the masses” | “singing from heartache from the pain”). He mustered the courage to talk about his past and singing his pain away.
The author of ‘Believer’ likely intends for listeners to interpret the text as a message of empowerment and resilience. They want listeners to consider the idea that even in the face of adversity and challenges, you can find strength within yourself to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger.
Additionally the authors may want listeners to reflect on the idea that struggles and hardships can be opportunities for growth and transformation, leading to a stronger and more confident individual. Overall, the authors likely aim for listeners to feel inspired and motivated to face their own challenges with courage and determination. An example from the text that relates to this is the line “my life, my love, my drive, it came from pain”. It shows that the pain only made him drive further and encouraged me to face my pain and find strength within it. It also taught me that there is always going to be painful thigns in life; important is how you deal with them and never giving up.
To summarise, this text taught me that despite facing challenges and struggles, individuals can emerge as Believers, demonstrating remarkable resilience and determination. The reason for this is that adversity often serves as a catalyst for personal growth and strength. The text also taught me about the emotional turmoil experienced by the singer, highlighting the inner demons and doubts they have grappled with. The reason for this is to emphasise the complexity of human emotions and the nature of internal battles.
Matteo Lichtenberg, 16yrs (my German international student!)
