| Field | Value |
|---|
| name | Believe |
| cover | Brooks & Dunn - Believe.jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | Brooks & Dunn |
| album | Hillbilly Deluxe |
| released | October 24, 2005 |
| label | Arista Nashville |
| prev_title | Play Something Country |
| prev_year | 2005 |
| next_title | Building Bridges |
| next_year | 2006 |
- Country
- gospel
- 5:39 (album version)
- 4:34 (radio edit)
- Ronnie Dunn
- Craig Wiseman
- Kix Brooks
- Tony Brown
- Ronnie Dunn
"Believe" is a song written by Ronnie Dunn and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in October 2005 as the second single from their album Hillbilly Deluxe, and it won the Country Music Association's 2006 awards for Single of the Year, Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year. Rolling Stone ranked "Believe" No. 33 on its list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time in 2019.
Content
The song is a largely acoustic ballad accompanied by acoustic guitar and organ. Featuring lead vocals from Ronnie Dunn, the song describes the narrator's childhood encounter with an old man whom he calls "Old Man Wrigley". He tells in the first verse of how he came to become friends with the old man after the narrator's mother would send him over to the old man's house with "things" (presumably food, groceries, newspapers, etc.). Through conversation, he discovers that Old Man Wrigley's wife and son have both died, and then asks the man how he is able to prevent himself from losing his sanity over their deaths. The old man then responds by saying that he will soon see them in Heaven when he dies because of his faith in God, to which he further explains to the narrator in the first chorus.
In the second verse, the narrator tells of how he discovered that Old Man Wrigley died shortly after he moved off to college. After discovering this, he reflects on his memories of the old man, stating that he felt that the man deserved to go to Heaven ("If there was ever anybody deserved a ticket to the other side / It'd be that sweet old man…"). The song's bridge then finds the narrator asserting his own faith as well while attending Old Man Wrigley's funeral.
Accolades
| Organization | Year | Category | Result |
|---|
| Academy of Country Music Awards | 2006 | Song of the Year | |
| Single Record of the Year | | | |
| Video of the Year | | | |
| CMT Music Awards | 2006 | Music Video of the Year | |
| Group or Duo Video of the Year | | | |
| Most Inspiring Video of the Year | | | |
| Country Music Association Awards | 2006 | Single of the Year | |
| Music Video of the Year | | | |
Notable cover versions
R&B singer Jennifer Hudson performed the song on the 2010 CBS television special ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo. Hudson subsequently recorded the song as the final track on her second studio album, 2011's I Remember Me.
Brooks & Dunn re-recorded the song together with Kane Brown for their 2019 album Reboot. This version reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
They also re-recorded the song together with Jelly Roll for their 2024 album Reboot II. They performed this song on the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards. After their performance, their version impacted country radio on December 9, 2024.
References
- Whitburn, Joel. (2008). "Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008". Record Research, Inc.
- (17 September 2019). "40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time".
- [https://www.billboard.com/artist/kane-brown/chart-history/csi/ ''Believe''] (Brooks & Dunn with Kane Brown) in the Hot Country Songs charts (Billboard)
- "CMA Awards {{!}} Performers & Presenters".
- [https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2006/RR-2006-03-10.pdf Radio & Records: March 10, 2006, page 44] worldradiohistory.com
- (2006). "Best of 2006: Country Songs". [[Prometheus Global Media]].