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Journey to the Heart: A Deep Dive into “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

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Exploring the Depths of Journey’s Timeless Classic

Diving into journey’s enduring anthem “separate ways (worlds apart)”: a testament to the band’s undeniable talent and timeless impact on rock music..

journey different ways

When you think of iconic anthems from the ’80s, Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is undoubtedly one that comes to mind. Released in 1983 on their album Frontiers, this powerful rock ballad remains an enduring testament to the incredible talent and versatility of the band.

Journey, formed in 1973 in San Francisco, initially started as a progressive rock band but found their niche in the world of arena rock. The band’s lineup has seen several changes over the years, with notable members including renowned keyboardist Gregg Rolie, virtuoso guitarist Neal Schon, and, of course, the unforgettable voice of Steve Perry. It was the addition of Perry in 1977 that helped propel them to superstardom, with his incomparably emotive range and distinct vocal tone. While Perry has been absent from the band in recent years, his legacy remains a crucial part of what makes Journey so iconic.

“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” showcases the band’s incredible musicianship and their ability to create memorable melodies, powerful riffs, and heart-wrenching lyrics. Perry’s vocals shine in this song, telling the tale of a couple in the middle of a breakup, with a performance that pierces the soul. The combination of Schon’s soaring guitar and Jonathan Cain’s skillful keyboard work add to the emotional depth of the track, making it a timeless classic. The music video, however, has been criticized for its awkward air instrument performances, which in hindsight, could be considered somewhat endearing in the context of the era’s cheesy music videos.

Journey has received numerous accolades and awards, such as the prestigious Diamond certification for their 1981 album, Escape , and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. They have sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. Throughout their career, Journey has continued to captivate audiences with their incredible live performances, their ability to create unforgettable anthems like “Don’t Stop Believin,” “Open Arms,” and, of course, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).”

In conclusion, Journey remains an influential and important band in the history of rock music, with “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” being a prime example of their incredible talent both lyrically and musically. Despite the occasional misstep, like a questionable music video choice, Journey has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of fans worldwide.

Charting the Journey of “Separate Ways”

“separate ways: a rock ballad’s chart odyssey in the 80s music landscape”.

journey different ways

Released on January 5, 1983, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” quickly became a fan favorite and demonstrated Journey’s prowess in the realm of rock ballads. The song’s chart journey is an interesting tale, displaying both its successes and the changing landscape of the music industry during the early 80s.

Upon its release, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” debuted at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With its powerful guitar riffs and unforgettable chorus, the song steadily climbed the charts, ultimately reaching its peak position at number 8 just nine weeks later. Journey’s captivating power ballad remained in the top 10 for a total of four weeks, showcasing its staying power and resonating with audiences across the United States.

The song also found success on other charts, such as the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it peaked at an impressive number 3. On the international stage, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” fared well in Canada, peaking at number 12 on the RPM Top Singles chart.

However, not every chart told the same success story for Journey’s classic ballad. In the United Kingdom, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” struggled to find its footing, reaching only number 84 on the UK Singles Chart. This discrepancy in chart performance highlights the varying tastes and preferences of music listeners around the globe.

Despite the song’s mixed chart performance, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” has cemented its place in rock history and continues to be a beloved anthem for Journey fans. Its chart journey not only exemplifies the tumultuous nature of the music industry but also serves as a testament to the power of a well-crafted, emotionally resonant song.

Unlocking the Emotional Depth of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

Someday, love will find you Break those chains that bind you One night will remind you How we touched and went our separate ways If he ever hurts you True love won’t desert you You know I still love you Though we touched and went our separate ways

Troubled times Caught between confusions and pain, pain, pain Distant eyes Promises we made were in vain, in vain, vain If you must go, I wish you love You’ll never walk alone Take care, my love Miss you, love

Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” features lyrics that dive deep into the emotional experience of love and heartbreak. The song, released in 1983, captures the spirit of the times and resonates with the challenges and uncertainties that marked the early 1980s. With its powerful lyrics and anthemic sound, the song quickly established itself as a rock classic.

The lyrics of “Separate Ways” convey a sense of longing and sadness for a love that has ended but still lingers in the hearts and minds of the individuals involved. The song paints a vivid picture of sleepless nights and the relentlessness of feeling that something is gone. This concept of love as a force that divides yet continues to bind people together, even after they’ve gone their separate ways, reflects the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

The 1980s were a time of change and transition, marked by events such as the Cold War, the rise of technology, and shifting cultural norms. These broader dynamics of the era are echoed in the lyrics’ themes of uncertainty, confusion, and pain. The song’s resolution – that true love will eventually find you and break the chains that bind you – offers a hopeful message amidst the turmoil.

Serving as a testament to the timeless appeal of Journey’s music and lyrics, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” will continue to resonate with fans and listeners for generations to come.

A Visual Journey: The Making of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” Music Video

“journey’s iconic first music video, ‘separate ways (worlds apart),’ transports us back to the 80s with its passionate performance, bold fashion, and innovative camera techniques, making it a lasting emblem of rock history.”.

The music video for Journey’s 1983 hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is often heralded as a quintessential representation of the 80s music video era. Directed by Tom Buckholtz, the video showcases the band performing on a wharf with lead singer Steve Perry passionately belting out the lyrics, while the rest of the band mimics playing their instruments with no cords or amplifiers present. The video also features a love interest, played by actress Margaret Olmstead.

Interestingly, “Separate Ways” was Journey’s first music video, making the band relatively new to the concept of visual storytelling. With a modest budget and a simple premise, the video was shot in a single day in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band and crew completed the shoot despite freezing temperatures, adding an icy authenticity to the video’s waterfront setting.

Though not as elaborate as some of its contemporaries, the “Separate Ways” video is memorable for its innovative use of camera movement and angles. Buckholtz employed the “Ricochet Zoom,” a technique that involves moving the camera rapidly in one direction and then immediately zooming in the opposite direction. This effect creates a dynamic and energetic visual experience, perfectly complementing Journey’s powerful rock anthem.

Another notable aspect of the video is its strategic use of slow motion. This effect is used to emphasize important moments, such as when Steve Perry throws a handful of sand into the air or when guitarist Neal Schon leaps off a stack of equipment. These striking visuals have contributed to the video’s lasting impact and continued popularity.

Over the years, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” has been celebrated and parodied, with fans and other artists creating their own renditions and tributes. The music video has also been hailed as a nostalgic piece of 80s pop culture, with critics praising its bold fashion choices, such as the band’s infamous red leather pants, and its unabashedly dramatic performance style. In the end, the “Separate Ways” video remains an iconic and beloved artifact of Journey’s storied career.

A Deeper Dive into Jonathan Cain’s Genius

Jonathan Cain, the mastermind behind Journey’s iconic hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”, is no stranger to crafting memorable tunes that stand the test of time. As the band’s keyboardist and primary songwriter since 1980, his creative prowess has contributed to numerous Journey classics. Among his many accomplishments, Cain co-wrote the anthemic “Don’t Stop Believin'”, a song that remains a global phenomenon and one of the most downloaded tracks in the digital era. Additionally, Cain’s songwriting credits include other Journey hits like “Faithfully” and “Open Arms”, further solidifying his status as a legendary composer in the music industry. With a talent for creating songs that resonate with listeners across generations, Jonathan Cain’s influence on the rock and roll landscape is truly undeniable.

Awards, Accolades, and Appearances Galore

From billboard charts to glee and tron: legacy, “separate ways (worlds apart)” transcends genres and decades, proving its timeless rock anthem status..

journey different ways

“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” has certainly made a mark in the history of rock music since its release in 1983. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing its wide appeal and success at the time. The song also secured a Gold certification by the RIAA in 2019, proving its lasting impact on the music scene.

Throughout the years, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” has been featured in various forms of media, solidifying its status as an iconic track. Fans of the hit TV series Glee would remember the exciting performance of the song in the season 5 episode “New New York” where it was powerfully sung by Lea Michele and Adam Lambert.

The song also made its way into the realm of movies, with the memorable inclusion in the 2010 blockbuster “Tron: Legacy,” where it played a pivotal role in setting the tone for one of the film’s most thrilling scenes. Video game enthusiasts would also recall hearing “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” in the action-packed Saints Row IV game as part of its in-game radio station.

As with any timeless classic, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” has inspired numerous covers and tributes by renowned artists over the years. One of the most notable renditions came from the Swedish pop group A*Teens in 1999, giving the song a fresh, youthful twist. The song has also been covered by In This Moment, an American heavy metal band, as part of their 2010 EP “The Dream – Ultraviolet Edition,” showcasing the versatility of the song across genres.

Overall, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” continues to leave an indelible mark in the world of music and media. Its enduring appeal, coupled with its successful chart performance and numerous appearances in films, TV shows, and games, only adds to the song’s impressive legacy.

Breaking Down the Musical Elements

Diving into the technical aspects of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” we find a song that’s skillfully crafted to deliver an anthemic, arena-ready sound. Written in the key of E minor, the song employs a straightforward chord progression, with the verses predominantly using Em, D, and C chords, and the chorus switching to a G, D, Em, and C pattern. This progression creates a sense of urgency and emotion, which perfectly complements the song’s theme of love and heartbreak.

The tempo of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” sits at a brisk 128 beats per minute, driving the song’s energy and making it an ideal track for both air guitar enthusiasts and those looking to dance their heartbreak away. The band’s skillful use of syncopation and rhythmic variation adds further excitement to the track, with the drums and bass working in tandem to create a solid foundation for the soaring vocals and blistering guitar work.

Instrumentally, the song is built on a foundation of powerful, yet melodic, guitar riffs and solos, punctuated by the unmistakable sound of the synthesizer. The synth intro, played in unison with the guitar, is one of the most iconic elements of the song, and it continues to be a fan favorite to this day. Combined with the tight rhythm section and Steve Perry’s emotive vocal performance, it’s no wonder this song has stood the test of time.

As for the song’s structure, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” follows a classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus format. However, Journey adds their own unique twist with a pre-chorus that builds anticipation for the powerful, sing-along chorus. Additionally, the inclusion of an instrumental break, featuring a blazing guitar solo, showcases the band’s technical prowess and adds further depth to the song.

In conclusion, the technical aspects of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” contribute significantly to the song’s enduring appeal. From its catchy, anthemic chorus to the masterful musicianship on display, it’s clear that Journey crafted a true classic with this track.

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Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

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Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded. During that period, the band released a series of hit songs, including 1981's "Don't Stop Believin'", which became in 2009 the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. Its parent studio album, Escape, the band's eighth and most successful, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and yielded another of their most popular singles, "Open Arms". Its 1983 follow-up, Frontiers, was almost as successful in the United States, reaching No. 2 and spawning several successful singles; it broadened the band's ap… more »

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Written by: Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain

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  • #1 Of a Lifetime
  • #2 Kohoutek
  • #3 I'm Gonna Leave You
  • #4 Cookie Duster [#]
  • #5 Nickel and Dime
  • #6 For You [#][Demo Version]
  • #9 Patiently
  • #10 Good Times [Live][#]
  • #11 Majestic
  • #12 Too Late
  • #13 Sweet and Simple
  • #14 Just the Same Way
  • #15 Little Girl
  • #16 Any Way You Want It
  • #17 Someday Soon
  • #18 Good Morning Girl
  • #19 Where Were You
  • #20 Line of Fire
  • #21 Homemade Love
  • #22 Natural Thing
  • #24 Stay Awhile
  • #25 Walks Like a Lady
  • #26 Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
  • #27 Dixie Highway
  • #28 Wheel in the Sky
  • #29 The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)
  • #30 Don't Stop Believin'
  • #31 Stone in Love
  • #32 Keep on Runnin'
  • #33 Who's Cryin' Now
  • #34 Still They Ride
  • #35 Open Arms
  • #36 Mother, Father
  • #37 La Raza del Sol [Alternate Version][#]
  • #38 Only Solutions
  • #39 Liberty [#]
  • #40 Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
  • #41 Send Her My Love
  • #42 Faithfully
  • #43 After the Fall
  • #44 All That Really Matters [#]
  • #45 The Eyes of a Woman
  • #46 Why Can't This Night Go on Forever
  • #47 Once You Love Somebody
  • #48 Happy to Give
  • #49 Be Good to Yourself
  • #50 Only the Young
  • #51 Ask the Lonely
  • #52 With a Tear [#]
  • #53 Into Your Arms [#]
  • #54 Girl Can't Help It [Live Video Mix][#]

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noun as in travel from one place to another

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  • exploration

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  • constitutional
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verb as in travel

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noun as in existence

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noun as in revolution, track, boundary

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verb as in sail

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verb as in travel, visit

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Song Meanings and Facts

Song Meanings and Facts

“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey 

by George Spencer · Published July 4, 2022 · Updated July 4, 2022

Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is a breakup song, with the title being derived from the vocalist implying the inevitability of he and the addressee going their “separate ways”. That seems to be a foregone conclusion, that this relationship has run its course, even though the verses read like the two of them are still together in a physical sense. But the thesis sentiment is cast into the future, i.e. with Steve envisioning them already being separated and her with another man.

And as far as said sentiment goes, what he is letting the addressee know is that yes, their romance is in fact dead. But that reality is not going to cause him to stop loving her. He appears to imply that their relationship has developed into an intolerably-toxic one. But that understood, he knows that one day, her heart will remember that the feelings they share are genuine. And Steve is confirming that such is indeed the case, that his love for her is “true”. Owing to this, he is also wishing her the best as she goes on her ‘separate way’.

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" Lyrics

Release Date of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

This is a song that originally came out on 5 January 1983, through Columbia Records. It was issued as part of Journey’s album titled “Frontiers”. It served as the lead single from that project.

Song’s Achievements

“Separate Ways” performed impressively on its own, topping US  Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks  chart. Furthermore, it also made it onto the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox Top 100.

In 2022,  this song recharted , that time around appearing on the Billboard’s  US Rock Digital Song Sales  list. Well actually in said case, it was a remix of “Separate Ways” which charted, one designed specifically  to be utilized  by one of the most-popular television series of the early 2020s, Netflix’s  Stranger Things .

Credits for “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

Journey is a band from San Francisco who were really poppin’ around the time this song came out, i.e. throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. During the “Frontiers” era, the band was held down by vocalist Steve Perry and the following:

  • guitarist Neal Schon
  • bassist Ross Valory
  • keyboardist Jonathan Cain
  • drummer Steve Smith

To note, Schon and Cain are still members of the band at the time of this writing.

The writing of “Separate Ways” is credited to Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain. The track’s producers, on the other hand, are Kevin Elson and the late Mike Stone (1951-2002).

Music Video

The music video to this track was filmed in New Orleans, with its director being Tom Buckholtz. 

This clip was Journey’s first in a manner of speaking, i.e. the initial one from the band not to rely on specifically-made visuals as opposed to past-performance footage. Also keep in mind that this was around the time American artists in general began regularly dropping music videos. 

So the clip has its artistic issues which, in hindsight, may seem unintentionally comical – so much so that  Beavis and Butt-Head  gave it a sound mocking (which significantly offended Jonathan Cain) on a 1993 episode titled  Buff ‘N’ Stuff . 

And speaking of MTV, a few years later, in 1999, they also placed the clip on their  MTV 25 Lame (Worst Music Videos)  ranking. But generally speaking the visual has gone down in infamy, with fans of the band understanding that it harps back to a more-innocent era in music video production.

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

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He finds this girl really beautiful and can’t stop thinking about her. They have several encounters. And Feelings seem mutual. Though it is in vain for obvious reasons. Till one day the encounters endand they are forced to go there separate way. Never

He finds this girl beautiful and can’t stop thinking about her. They have many years of pointless encounters. Feelings appear mutual. Their love is in vain though for obvious reasons. Till one day they are forced to go their separate ways. Never to meet again

beautiful song

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Tags: Jonathan Cain Journey Kevin Elson Mike Stone Ross Valory Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Steve Perry Steve Smith Tom Buckholtz

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Journey Mastered the Art of Uncool With ‘Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)’

Back in the public consciousness thanks to ‘Stranger Things,’ the earnest 1983 smash (and its cringe-worthy video) hark back to an era when soulless corporate rock ruled the airwaves. So why does it sound better now than it did back then?

When people expound on the legacy of Nirvana , one of the things they’ll invariably mention is that the band helped kill hair-metal , putting an end to a sexist, silly musical style. But that wasn’t the only popular strain of rock music Kurt Cobain was against. There’s a famous origin story of sorts in which a 17-year-old Cobain sells a bunch of his records to afford a ticket to a Black Flag concert, pledging allegiance to punk from there on. (“It was really great,” he’d later enthuse about the show. “I was instantly converted.”) The albums he parted with? Stuff from Foreigner and Journey, the soulless corporate rock that had defined the late 1970s and early 1980s. In one symbolic gesture, Cobain shed that side of his musical personality and adopted a new, cooler one.

Journey have sold millions of records. Their 1988 best-of Greatest Hits is 15-times platinum. Their 1981 bestseller Escape is 10-times platinum. They had six singles hit the Top 10 on the Billboard charts — one of which, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” enjoyed a robust second life after being the soundtrack to the final scene of the final episode of The Sopranos . (The song has been streamed over a billion times on Spotify.) Journey have a new album out now, Freedom , and they’ve already grossed $28 million on tour this year . They have been and are extremely popular. But they have never been cool. 

The band is back in the news as well for being incorporated into the Stranger Things juggernaut , a remix of their 1983 smash “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” featured as part of the new episodes released earlier this month. Those keyboards. That voice. That straining for epic grandeur. It’s like Journey never left.

“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is as good an intro to the Bay Area band as any of their other hits. If The Sopranos ’ needle-drop of “Don’t Stop Believin’” gave a new generation an entry point into Journey’s full-throttled optimism, “Separate Ways” is the gateway drug to the band’s bombastic emotional excess, their mistaken belief that feverish intensity is the same thing as unshakeable romantic devotion. They’re probably not the most earnest rock band of all time — there are plenty of contenders for that title — but their combination of sincerity and emphaticness was emblematic of a rock era ruled by dudes with no chill. No wonder the music video for “Separate Ways” is so spectacularly, awkwardly awful.

That moment in the Separate Ways video when the rest of Journey stopped and thought "Goddamn, he's really going to work on those air keyboards." pic.twitter.com/dIZNLgNFwr — Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) March 17, 2021

Journey started up in the early 1970s, guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie both previously part of Santana. Their early tunes were jazzy, prog-rock excursions, although their sound changed when they decided to focus on more straightforward songs, recruiting singer Steve Perry to be their new frontman. 

“I found music as a life-sustaining thing when I was about six years old,” Perry once said . “My parents were about to split up, and I discovered Sam Cooke and 45 RPM records. I could turn what was happening around me off and live there. And it saved my life.” Speaking with The New Statesman , he went into more detail about his childhood, saying, “People don’t become performers because they don’t have needs. Singing, though it can be very lovely, is essentially a primal scream. And I was screaming pretty loudly — and quite big. … Things happened to me as a child that I still can’t talk about — nothing to do with my parents, but things did happen. … One of my needs to perform was the need to get myself heard.”

Blessed with an incredible voice — velvety, emotive, the larynx equivalent of a blazing guitar solo — Perry made his debut on Journey’s fourth record, 1978’s Infinity , which included such soon-to-be-staples as “Lights,” a swoon-along tribute to San Francisco that he’d originally written about L.A. before moving up to Northern California to be part of the group. 

Infinity is where Journey started becoming the Journey everyone knows, mastering an AOR sound that was polished and accessible. Hit albums followed, as well as a backlash from those who dismissed them as wimps and sellouts. In a 1980 interview with Rolling Stone , Schon (who’d co-written “Lights” and the later smash “Any Way You Want It” with Perry) groused, “When we started out, the critics said we had no direction. Now, it’s that we’re openly commercial and should go back to what we were. I don’t think we’ve compromised. We’ve just opened our audience by going toward songwriting and vocals. They like to sing along. And we’re gonna continue to try and please as many people as we can, without making it sound like we don’t have a direction.” 

But in that same profile, an executive at Journey’s label acknowledged, “People might say they’re wimpy and boring, but they’re such nice guys. And maybe these days that’s what it takes to sell records, to appeal to the most people possible.” Indeed, this was an era in which rock ‘n’ roll was already becoming big business, ushering in a steady stream of derivative, shiny stadium rock looking to cash in. Technically proficient, vaguely generic acts like Tom Scholz’s virtually-one-man-band Boston were huge. (Right, Boston’s big hit, “More Than a Feeling,” bore a striking similarity to Nirvana’s big hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”) 

In such an environment, Journey thrived, proving to be experts at crafting tunes that sounded great on the radio. They only reached a higher level of slick precision when keyboardist Jonathan Cain joined the group, replacing Rolie. Cain, who’d been part of the opening band on Journey’s recent tour, immediately made his impression felt on 1981’s Escape , co-writing “Who’s Crying Now,” “Open Arms” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” all of which went Top 10. Encouraging Journey to embrace a more synth-driven sound, which would come to dominate the 1980s, Cain had a simple message for his new bandmates : “I said, ‘I watched you guys 40 nights [on tour]. You just need to speak to [the fans] through your songs, bring their lives into your songs, bring their lives into our songs, sing to their triumphs, sing to their fears, sing to their hearts.’ And that’s what I brought. Something like ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ is a perfect example.” 

Escape was Journey’s first No. 1 record, establishing them as one of the world’s biggest groups. Critics dissed them, the Grammys ignored them, but by the time Journey unveiled their follow-up, Frontiers , they were very much feeling themselves. If you seek proof, look no further than the press conference they gave around Frontiers ’ release. Perry and his bandmates seem especially proud of themselves — and their new video game , which capitalized on that industry’s rising prominence. It’s particularly wild to see them get defensive about their Budweiser sponsorship, a clear indication of how the early 1980s were different from today. Honestly, this three-minute news segment will tell you everything about the tension around “selling out” that was imperiling rock music at the time. 

Frontiers ’ opening track was something Journey had debuted on the road while promoting Escape . “[Perry and I] wanted to write something rhythmic and still have a strong and haunting melody,” Cain would later say . “We needed a main rhythm to run through the synthesizer and [drummer] Steve Smith designed that kind of drum beat to let everything breathe. … Steve has always listened to a lot of Motown records, songs with a strong chorus approach, songs that were really urgent-sounding, but still had rhythm and melody.” 

As often happens with artists who are out touring a lot, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” came about because Journey realized they needed a song like that in their repertoire. “We took Escape on the road and we knew we needed more teeth. … Like, what would make our set undeniably great?” Cain said in 2018 . “And we tried to fill in what we were missing musically. … I remember writing ‘Separate Ways’ with Steve on the road. We wrote that in a hotel room — [bassist] Ross [Valory] was going through a divorce — and, boom, out comes ‘Separate Ways.’”

Kicking off with Cain’s space-age keyboard riff before Schon’s heavy guitar lick takes over, “Separate Ways” is the kind of brokenhearted ballad that was a Motown speciality. In the song, the narrator is crestfallen because he and his lady have gone their separate ways, a scenario that leaves him anxious and unhappy. Even worse, she’s apparently with another guy now. But our narrator isn’t giving up on their love. “Separate Ways” is what “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” would have been like if everybody involved decided to be way more bombastic. (The song’s pump-it-up sonic pyrotechnics would qualify it to be suitable theme music before the introduction of an NBA team .) Never one for subtlety, Perry belted out his anguish, making one final, desperate plea to his beloved:

Someday love will find you  Break those chains that bind you  One night will remind you  How we touched and went our separate ways  If he ever hurts you  True love won’t desert you  You know I still love you  Though we touched and went our separate ways

“Separate Ways” was Journey’s fourth song to crack the Top 10 in two years, helped by its ubiquity on MTV, which was then still just a fledgling cable channel. It’s funny how MTV has been blamed for elevating photogenic pop stars — supposedly making the industry more superficial and image-conscious in the process — because the truth was, there were plenty of regular-looking dudes enjoying huge success at the time, too. Like Journey.

In I Want My MTV: The Uncensored History of the Music Video Revolution , Cain recalled, “Steve Perry was very anti-video. He’d always say, ‘We’re performers, we’re entertainers, but we’re not actors.’ And we were not a very photogenic band. So we stayed on the sidelines at first.” But Frontiers saw Journey try their hand at this new medium, leading to the deeply dorky video for “Separate Ways.” 

“This was the very beginning of MTV. Nobody was making $200,000 videos or $500,000 videos or $3 million videos,” Schon said this week . “Some people were paying a million and a half for a music video because they had a movie producer backing them financially. What a freakin’ rip-off. I mean, that’s what it became. But back when we did this, our manager came to us and said, ‘Look, we need to get a music video. Who should we use?’ I suggested the director Wayne Isham . He came in and put together the storyboard. It was going to be in New Orleans, on a pier. Is it terrible? The air guitar and keyboards are cheesy as hell. I give it a 10 on the cringe scale. It’s so silly, man. Journey was not a band that did well with videos that had story lines.”

“I’m at a loss to explain that video,” Cain lamented in I Want My MTV . “Good Lord, I will never live down those air keyboards. No matter what else I’ve done in my career, sooner or later people find a way to ask me about the ‘Separate Ways’ video. And Perry, I don’t know what he was thinking, but he cut his hair right before the video. Bad idea. His hair was rocking before the shoot.” 

In the clip, filmed on the wharf in New Orleans near the French Quarter by local director Tom Buckholtz , the quintet sometimes play their instruments, but other times they are just miming, leading to a lot of white-man’s overbite and unconvincing air-rocking. Meanwhile, a young woman, Margaret Oldsted Menendez, wanders around, almost as if she’s unaware of the guys. “I was a college student at Tulane University in uptown New Orleans,” she recalled in 2013 . “I double majored in biology and environmental studies. I was working and paying my way through college so the [notion] of making money for shooting a video was a godsend. It paid $250 a day and I was paid for three days of work. That was a lot of money at the time for a student like me. … It wasn’t until many years later that I learned of [Perry’s] girlfriend being upset that a girl was in a Journey video.” 

“His girlfriend, Sherrie, was not down with it,” Cain told The Huffington Post in 2012 . “And there was this whole thing about, ‘You’re going to have a slut in your video?’” This was Sherrie Swafford, who Perry was dating and who would later be the subject of his 1984 solo hit “Oh Sherrie.” “Sherrie was jealous and possessive,” Cain says in I Want My MTV . “And when she found out there was gonna be a girl in the video — oh my god. There was a big kicking and screaming session.”

Even if the video was an embarrassment, Frontiers was another huge seller for the band, setting the stage for subsequent hit singles like the Cain-penned slow-dance standard “Faithfully.” (Fun fact: After Prince came up with “Purple Rain,” he called Cain, scared that his song was too close to “Faithfully.” “I thought it was an amazing tune,” Cain said in 2016 , “and I told him, ‘Man, I’m just super-flattered that you even called. It shows you’re that classy of a guy. Good luck with the song. I know it’s gonna be a hit.’” Cain was less thrilled with the “Faithfully” video, admitting in I Want My MTV , “The live stuff looks great. But the shot of Steve shaving off his mustache was a bit much. I mean, did people even know he had a mustache? I didn’t get that.”) 

In 1984, Perry recorded a solo record, Streek Talk , and then Journey reconvened for Raised on Radio , but by that point the group was fracturing. Journey got back together for a comeback album a decade later, Trial by Fire , but then that was it for Perry. “I was wrung out like a sponge,” he said about his decision to quit the band . “There was just no juice in my heart for music, and it really scared the hell out of me. But I knew intuitively that if I kept doing what I was doing, I’d have a hole in my soul that would get bigger and bigger. And I’d fill it with bad behaviors, if you know what I mean. So I had to stop.”

Journey soldiered on without him, releasing five albums this century, including the new Freedom . Schon, who has remained with the group, was asked recently if he talks to Perry anymore. “We are in contact,” he said . “It’s not about him coming out with us, but we’re speaking on different levels. That’s a start, even if it’s all business. And I’m not having to go through his attorney! We’ve been texting and emailing. He’s a real private guy, and he wants to keep it that way. We’re in a good place.”

As with a lot of legacy bands, there were lawsuits between members . When the band got voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Perry appeared on stage during their 2017 induction ceremony and graciously addressed the crowd, although he chose not to perform with his old group. (In fact, until he showed up to sing a few songs with his friend Mark Oliver Everett, aka E of the band Eels, at a concert in 2014 , he hadn’t performed live in 19 years.) Later, Perry explained that he didn’t sing with his former bandmates during the Rock Hall ceremony out of deference to their current frontman, Arnel Pineda. “I haven’t been in the band for quite some time,” Perry said . “Arnel’s been in the band for almost 10 years, I think. He’s a sweet kid — he’s a wonderful kid. He sings his heart out every night. It’s his gig.”

Time has a way of healing old wounds — or, at the very least, blunting the vitriol once directed at certain cheesy corporate-rock bands. It’s now been 15 years since The Sopranos ’ finale lent Journey zeitgeist-y cool, conferring on “Don’t Stop Believin’” a patina of hipness it never had during its initial lifespan. Perry had been the final holdout of the song’s three writers, not giving the show permission to use the track until the Thursday before the episode’s airing that Sunday, insisting that David Chase tell him how it would be integrated into the plot before he’d give his blessing. (“What I didn’t want to see was the family getting whacked,” Perry later explained . “ Scorsese would do that. He would play something beautiful while people were getting gunned down. So I held out.”) 

The suspense wasn’t as great for the Stranger Things producers, who first unveiled their remix of “Separate Ways” in an April trailer promoting the new season. “The lyrics are about people going their separate ways and the characters, at the end of the third season, did all go their separate ways,” Bobby Gumm, head of the trailer company who put together the clip, told Forbes . Perry got involved early on: Bryce Miller, who helped craft the remix, said in the same Forbes piece, “He had some specific mixing notes. He wanted the vocals to be brought out a little bit more in some places and just a refinement of some [other] details. It was really cool to work with him and he had some really nice things to say.”

In the 1990s, as Nirvana and alternative rock were cresting, an over-the-hill band like Journey were the epitome of toothless, boring rock — an easy thing to mock, never more savagely than on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head , in which the boys take one bewildered look at “Separate Ways,” prompting Butt-Head to wonder if they’re watching the Partridge Family. Adding insult to injury, he then confuses Steve Perry with Barry Manilow . (Cain later admitted in I Want My MTV that he was so mad at the public skewering “I called our manager and said, ‘Isn’t there anything we can do to stop this?’”)

But whether in The Sopranos or Stranger Things , it turns out that Journey’s hyperbolic, achingly earnest music is uniquely excellent as background color in dramatic scenes. As a song, “Separate Ways” is so overblown as to elicit secondhand discomfort from anyone listening to it. (Look, Steve, getting dumped is a terrible feeling, but take it down a notch .) But as a supplemental emotional texture within a TV show or movie, it feels appropriately sized, a fitting complement to the overarching narrative stakes. Journey songs always felt like they should be the soundtrack to Rocky montages — at last, they sorta are.

At the start of the pandemic , everybody was trying to find ways to battle boredom and stave off anxiety. Some baked bread. Some got into quilting. The Heller family decided to do a shot-for-shot remake of the “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” video. “It was all my wife’s idea,” husband Steven Heller said , later adding, “She likes Journey, first of all. And after watching a number of music videos, it was like, ‘We could recreate this video with our kids around the house.’”

The Hellers’ version is the sort of wholesome distraction that a lot of people really needed during that unnerving time. I can see why people found it adorable. But viewed now, it’s incredibly dorky — there’s nothing cool or hip about it at all. In other words, it couldn’t be more perfectly Journey, the band that always cared way too deeply and always, always wore their heart on their sleeve.

“Everything I write comes back to high school,” Steve Perry said in 2018 . “I know it sounds funny, but everything. It all comes from the emotions I grew into during my adolescence. Those moments are not to be tossed away.” For a lot of us, those old memories also often contain a fair share of embarrassment, whether it’s the residual shame associated with long-ago breakups or the naive, giddy euphoria attached to good times that are now ancient history. Journey just wanted you to hold onto them a little longer, no matter how uncool it seemed.

journey different ways

Tim Grierson

Tim Grierson is a contributing editor at MEL. He writes about film and pop culture for Screen International, Rolling Stone and Vulture.

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MelodyRepeat

Meaning of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey

journey different ways

Michael is a music teacher and professional cellist. He loves uncovering the deeper meaning of popular songs.

Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is a powerful rock anthem about the end of a romantic relationship. The song delves into themes of love, heartbreak, and hope, depicting two lovers parting ways yet clinging to the belief that love will find them again. The lingering connection and emotional turmoil are vividly portrayed through the words, representing the songwriter’s contemplation on separation and enduring affection. It’s likely an outpouring of feelings from a personal experience, an artistic expression of heartbreak and optimism combined.

Craving more? Dive deep into the world of Journey’s emotional ballads and unravel the sentiments etched into the lyrics of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” Discover the rich tapestry of emotions and experiences that inspired this timeless hit.

“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” Lyrics Meaning

Journey’s classic, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” starts with poignant imagery. The opening lines, “Here we stand, Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two,” paint a vivid picture of two lovers, once united, now standing in the wake of a ruptured relationship, with the repetition of “two” emphasizing their divided states.

“Sleepless nights, Losing ground, I’m reaching for you, you, you,” further illustrate the struggle and longing experienced in the aftermath of a breakup. The persistent repetition of “you” reflects the omnipresence of the departed lover in the narrator’s thoughts, highlighting the internal battle between clinging on and letting go.

The essence of the song revolves around hope and enduring love, encapsulated by, “Someday love will find you, True love won’t desert you, You know I still love you.” These lines convey a message of resilience and unwavering love despite the separation, portraying an optimism that true love will eventually reunite them, or at least, will not leave them deserted.

The refrain, “Though we touched and went our separate ways,” underscores the core theme of the song—the enduring connection between two people who have physically parted. It’s a potent reminder that although paths have diverged, the remnants of love and shared experiences continue to linger.

By examining the heartfelt lyrics of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” we observe a common human experience, relatable to anyone who has tasted the bittersweet essence of love and loss. It’s a journey through the emotional landscapes of hope, despair, longing, and reconciliation, providing solace to those walking the same painful path.

Why Was “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” Written?

Exploring the backdrop of this powerful song sheds light on the depth of emotion and the state of mind of the songwriter. It seems plausible that the song is a musical manifestation of a personal journey through heartache and separation. The vivid depiction of pain and the subsequent battle between holding on and healing suggest that the songwriter was experiencing a significant emotional upheaval during the creation of this piece.

The intense emotions and the detailed portrayal of a broken relationship hint at a personal connection to the content, possibly reflecting the artist’s own experiences and internal reflections. The profound understanding of love and loss articulated in the song may be the result of navigating the tumultuous waters of a broken relationship, ultimately culminating in a powerful expression of hope and resilience in the face of heartbreak.

This background enriches our understanding of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and reinforces the universal appeal of its themes, making it a timeless anthem for anyone who has loved and lost. The intertwining threads of personal pain and universal experience have created a melody that resonates with listeners, allowing them to find comfort and connection in the shared journey of love and separation.

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journey different ways

Divorces, New Beginnings, and the Meaning Behind the 1983 Journey hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

B y 1982, Journey was still riding the waves of their No. 1 album Escape , released a year earlier, but all was not well within the band. Guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory were both in the middle of a divorce and their bandmates wanted to try to reveal some of the positives of the situation.

That year, bandmates Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry began writing a song reflecting the difficulties their bandmates were struggling with at the time and wrote “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” while the band was on tour.

“Usually we don’t write songs that far in advance of an album,” said Cain in 1983. “But on that occasion, Steve and I were just working an idea backstage and it all came together.”

[RELATED: 4 Songs You Didn’t Know Steve Perry Wrote for Other Artists]

Instead of writing a despondent ballad, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” was an uplifting song about recognizing a love that has ended and being determined to find it once again.

Here we stand

Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two

Sleepless nights

Losing ground, I’m reaching for you, you, you

Someday love will find you

True love won’t desert you

You know I still love you

Though we touched and went our separate ways

Within a day, Cain and Perry presented their song to the rest of the band, and they started fleshing it out during soundcheck. Soon after, Journey started plugging “Separate Ways” into their nightly sets, and the song immediately connected with the audience before the band had a chance to record it.

“It doesn’t matter where we put this song because it has always had a strong effect on the audience, all the way back to the first time we played it—before it was even recorded,” said Schon in 2008. “It was written on tour and we threw it in the set to see how it would go down. The audience had an amazing reaction to it without even knowing what it was.

Released as the lead single off Journey’s 1983 album Frontiers, “Separate Ways” was a hit for the band and went to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

‘Stranger’ Covers

While watching the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things in 2022, Chris Daughtry was captivated by “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” when he heard it playing in an episode. He immediately wanted to cover the Journey classic as a duet and called on Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale and the two recorded it.

Coincidentally, the duo’s 2023 release of “Separate Ways” also marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the song and Journey’s landmark album Frontiers . “I didn’t even think about it,” Daughtry told American Songwriter in 2023. “We didn’t set it there for inspiration or as a muse or whatever—it was just there. The 40th anniversary thing, I had no idea about it until after we had recorded it.”

[RELATED: Daughtry and Lzzy Hale Talk Covering Journey’s “Separate Ways”]

Remixed by Bryce Miller for the season 4 trailer and cliffhanger of Stranger Things , Perry said he was hesitant at first to feature the song on the show. “I was sent this trailer version, and I was absolutely stunned by the feeling that I got from it,” said Perry in 2022. “Because it was so organic and analogy, and I was stunned that the vocal was emotionally that  good .”

Perry added, “When Bryce started arranging it, he took certain melody things that were always there, like guitar lines or things that we had worked on back in the day, and just expanded on them in a different way, and so it became a new version of itself, emotionally. I mean, I knew it was good, but I didn’t think it was that emotional.”

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The post Divorces, New Beginnings, and the Meaning Behind the 1983 Journey hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” appeared first on American Songwriter .

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Divorces, New Beginnings, and the Meaning Behind the 1983 Journey hit “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

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  2. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

    "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is a song performed by Journey, recorded for their album Frontiers and released as a single in January 1983. It peaked at number eight for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and spent four weeks at number one on the Top Tracks chart. The song is also well known for its use in the film Tron: Legacy and in season four of Stranger Things.

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    In the pantheon of rock ballads, Journey's 1983 hit 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' stands as a towering beacon of heartache and resolve. With its thunderous energy and piercing lyrics, the song captures the universal human experience of love lost and the yearning for connection. The track's poignant message, coupled with its undeniably catchy hooks, cemented it as a radio staple and a fan ...

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  9. The Meaning Behind The Song: Seperate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey

    The Meaning Behind The Song: Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey One of the most iconic rock bands of the 1980s, Journey, released a powerful ballad titled "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" in 1983. Penned by Jonathan Cain and lead vocalist Steve Perry, this song resonates with audiences worldwide with its emotional lyrics and melodic composition.

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    Lyrics. Here we stand Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two Sleepless nights Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you No! No! Someday love will find you True love won't desert you You know I still love you Though we touched and went our separate ways No! No! Writer (s): Jonathan Cain, Stephen Ray Perry Lyrics powered by www ...

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    by George Spencer · Published July 4, 2022 · Updated July 4, 2022. Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is a breakup song, with the title being derived from the vocalist implying the inevitability of he and the addressee going their "separate ways". That seems to be a foregone conclusion, that this relationship has run its ...

  14. Journey Mastered the Art of Uncool With 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)'

    "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is as good an intro to the Bay Area band as any of their other hits. If The Sopranos' needle-drop of "Don't Stop Believin'" gave a new generation an entry point into Journey's full-throttled optimism, "Separate Ways" is the gateway drug to the band's bombastic emotional excess, their mistaken belief that feverish intensity is the same thing ...

  15. Meaning of "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" by Journey

    Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is a powerful rock anthem about the end of a romantic relationship. The song delves into themes of love, heartbreak, and hope, depicting two lovers parting ways yet clinging to the belief that love will find them again. The lingering connection and emotional turmoil are vividly portrayed through ...

  16. Divorces, New Beginnings, and the Meaning Behind the 1983 Journey hit

    Released as the lead single off Journey's 1983 album Frontiers, "Separate Ways" was a hit for the band and went to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Stranger' Covers. While watching the ...

  17. Journey ~ Separate Ways(Worlds Apart) w/ Lyrics

    Separate Ways also known as Worlds Apart by Journey with lyrics.I do not own this. I got the background pictures off of Google along with the lyrics. I made ...

  18. The Meaning Behind The Song: Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey

    The lyrics of "Separate Ways" are simple yet powerful. They speak of a relationship that has ended and the pain caused by the separation. The first verse starts with the lines, "Here we stand / Worlds apart, hearts broken in two / Sleepless nights / Losing ground, I'm reaching for you.". These lines describe the feeling of being alone ...

  19. JOURNEY Synonyms: 59 Similar Words

    Synonyms for JOURNEY: trip, expedition, trek, excursion, flight, voyage, tour, errand, ride, travel(s)

  20. Journey

    Journey: Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) is a great song from the album Greatest Hits...this one...release in 1988! Enjoy...until youtube delete this!!!Journey:...

  21. NX

    Our latest NX™ software Tips and Tricks video discusses two different ways you can update your system to the latest version of NX. It is important to pay attention to new updates to ensure you get the most out of your experience in NX. Watch the video below to see strategies for upgrading both NX X and local traditional NX installs.

  22. Journey

    iTunes http://smarturl.it/JourneyManilaDigitalBluRay http://smarturl.it/JourneyLiveManilaBRDVD+CD http://smarturl.it/JourneyLiveManila2CDDVD http://s...