Last Sunday, the 28th, during the halftime show of the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions in the NFL, Journey altered a small part of "Don't Stop Believin'", making the classic "Just a city boy / Born and raised in South Detroit" a little more in line with the band's roots: "Just a city boy / Born and raised in San Francisco".
The change in the song was due to the context of this dispute. As most fans of the group probably know, Journey was formed in the Californian city in 1973, and has deep ties to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Valid for the NFC (National Football Conference Championship) semifinals, the game won by the 49ers secured the team's qualification for the Super Bowl.
Because of this, when performing one of their most iconic songs during halftime, vocalist Arnel Pineda altered the part that referenced Detroit, the rivals' home city, to focus on the San Francisco team. The result, as expected, was applause from the 49ers fans present at the stadium.
In addition to “Don't Stop Believin’”, the group's set also included the classics “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”, “Be Good to Yourself” and “Any Way You Want It”.
Check out the video below showing the moment the band makes the change to the song:
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