About the Song
In a career built on understated honesty, George Strait has often leaned into stories of love, heartbreak, and the quiet strength of the human spirit. But on “I Believe,” released in 2013 on the album Love Is Everything, Strait opens the door to something even more profound: grief met with faith, sorrow met with hope. This song is not just one of the most personal he’s ever recorded — it is among the most spiritually resonant pieces in his entire catalog.
Co-written by Strait, his son Bubba Strait, and songwriter Dean Dillon, “I Believe” was inspired by the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. The song doesn’t name the event directly, but the emotional gravity is unmistakable. It is a song about holding on to belief in the face of devastating loss — not because it’s easy, but because it’s the only way forward.
Musically, the song is spare and reverent. It begins with soft piano and gentle strings, slowly building as Strait’s voice delivers each line with restraint and reverence. There is no bravado here. Only vulnerability. His delivery feels almost like a whisper at times, as if he’s praying out loud through the music.
Lyrically, “I Believe” is a quiet declaration of trust in things unseen — in healing, in justice, in the idea that love and light persist even when the world feels darkest. The lyrics never become preachy or heavy-handed. Instead, they offer comfort, asking the listener to lean into belief not as a solution, but as a lifeline.
What makes the song stand apart in Strait’s discography is its emotional and spiritual bravery. This is not a song designed for chart success or radio play. It’s a message — from a father, a citizen, a man of faith — sent into a hurting world. It asks the listener to stay tender, to keep believing even when there’s no clear reason to.
In the context of Love Is Everything, “I Believe” brings a deep stillness to an album that otherwise moves through love stories, honky-tonk nostalgia, and the bittersweet notes of growing older. And in the wider arc of George Strait’s legacy, it shows that even after decades of musical success, he remains rooted in the values of compassion, conviction, and quiet courage.
For those who’ve faced loss and kept their faith, “I Believe” is not just a song — it’s a companion.