My Favourite Songs: True Believers

When Bouncing Souls front man Greg Attonito sings out the opening lines “I’ve met some people along the way” you know from the start that something special is about to happen. True Believers by the Bouncing Souls is one of the greatest songs (notice how I said songs and not punk songs) ever written. Taken from the 2001 album How I Spent My Summer Vacation, True Believers is a punk rock anthem if ever there was one. It’s a song that anyone who has ever believed in something and gone against the grain.

The song starts of slow with a few guitars strokes with Attonito singing “I’ve met some people along the way, some of them split some of them stay, some of them walk some walk on by, I’ve got a few friends I’ll love till I die, from all these people I try to learn, some of them shine some of them burn, some of them rise some of them fall, good or bad I’ve know them all.” Here the band are talking about meeting all manner of different people in your life and being open to them and trying to learn from them. Letting yourself experience different people is a very positive way to live your life. Being close minded and judging people before giving them a chance will no doubt leave you alone.

Then we get to the chorus. A chorus that gets a big a sing along from the crowd than any other that I can think of. The whole band join in for a rousing chorus of “we live our life in our own way, never really listened to what they say, the kind of faith that doesn’t fade away, we are the true believers.” This is so relatable for anyone who has ever had the belief in anything and never given up on it. It really is a fantastic chorus, even if you ignore the meaning the words it’s just incredibly catchy. Whenever you hear it you will want to sing along at the top of your voice wherever you are.

Then we move onto the second verse. Accompanied by some fantastic bass playing by Brian Kienlen Greg sings out “well you can fight or you can run, hide under a rock until the war is won, play it safe and don’t make a sound, but not us we won’t back down, true believers all the way, you and I.” Another fantastically relatable verse from the Souls. It’s about how being a true believer is about having the courage to be strong enough to do whatever you believe in despite what anybody might think.

True Believers will go down as one of the classic songs from this era of punk rock. Musically its full of great hooks and lyrically its superbly catchy and a great positive message. It is a great anthem for all the “True Believers.”