You Better Believe!!!

## "You Better Believe!!!"Song by Declan McKenna

"**You Better Believe!!!**" is the first track from Declan McKenna's second major-label album, *Zeros*.

## Background

Declan co-wrote the song with Jake Passmore some time after he'd already written several other songs for the album. He knew soon afterwards that he wanted it to be the opening track, noting the world-building and that it felt like a "natural start to the chaos". An early concept for *Zeros* was to depict all of the ways that the world could end, with this song representing an asteroid.

Declan revealed the title on Twitter on 23 June 2018, then stylised as "U Better Believe!". He later revealed the lyric "Fastest gun in the solar system" on Instagram on 28 November. An edited instrumental version of the song was used in the trailer for *Zeros* on 21 February 2020, two months before its official confirmation as the opening track on 9 April.

## Composition

When writing the song, Declan wanted to make something reminiscent of The Velvet Underground, taking inspiration from the album *Blonde on Blonde* by Bob Dylan and the book *Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow* by Yuval Noah Harari. He and Jake were inspired by the space references found elsewhere in *Zeros* to use similar ideas and phrases, including "Fastest gun in the solar system" penned by Jake, which has become Declan's favorite lyric in the song.

The song captures "the beginning of a catastrophe in cheesy slogans, and pretty violent language" and alludes to someone "being pushed away", which is expanded upon in the subsequent track "Be an Astronaut".

Fans have noted some parallels between the song's lyrics and the events surrounding Heaven's Gate. This includes the group's participation in a mass ritual suicide whilst all wearing Nike sneakers at the time of the closest approach of Comet Hale-Bopp. One user suggested a link between the song title and a 2017 headline about the group, "You'd better believe it". Declan has yet to address this.

### Connections

* The theme song mentioned is "Daniel, You're Still a Child".
* The "fastest gun" is also mentioned in "My Song 1".
* Speaking in tongues is also mentioned in "Twice Your Size".
* Nike shoes are also mentioned in "The Key to Life on Earth".

## Lyrics

You're gonna get yourself killed

Before you can run

Just 'cause you got your own theme song

"Fastest gun in the solar system"

Don't mean you're alone

Don't mean you're a home run

Don't mean you're the only one

To save us all

Oh, you better believe

The time has come where rocket boots and lasers

Lose their flavors

Like gum stuck to your heels

So you know how it feels to wait at heaven's gate for God

Watching your requiem on screen

Gather round for the final scene

Where you were sold away one summer's day last year

I'm sorry my dear

The asteroid's here

You used to speak your mind

So jealous but so kind

But you did fall

After all

You used to speak in tongues

That Jesus and his loved ones would save us all

Would save us all

Would save us all

Would save us all

So you better believe

You better believe

You better believe

You better believe!

We're gonna get ourselves killed

Oh Yeah!!

You're going overboard babe you're going nowhere!

Oh Yeah!

Oh Yeah!

We're gonna get ourselves killed

What do you think about the rocket I built?

Is it so fast, so high speed, it's just what you need

We're gonna get ourselves freed!

What do you think about the blood that I bleed

Cause when I'm dead

You'll break bread but it's all in your head

It's all in your head, it's all in your head, it's all in your...

I'm off out to buy a bag of quavers

And Nike trainers

Comfort you can feel

And you know that it's real because you saw it

At the station

God's creation

With a half off summer deal

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the *Zeros* liner notes.

* Declan McKenna - writing, vocals, guitar, bass, additional synth
* Jake Passmore - writing, backing vocals
* Jay Joyce - production
* Jason Hall - engineering
* Jimmy Mansfield - engineering assistance
* Court Blankenship - production assistance
* Mark "Spike" Stent - mixing
* Michael Freeman - engineering for mix
* Matt Wolach - engineering for mix
* Matt Colton - mastering
* Isabel Torres - guitar, backing vocals
* Nathan Cox - piano, synth, backing vocals
* Gabi King - drums, backing vocals

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://fault-magazine.com/2020/09/declan-mckenna-exclusive-covershoot-and-interview/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://music.apple.com/us/album/zeros/1495273077
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Zeros Zine*
4. ↑ https://www.clashmusic.com/features/in-conversation-declan-mckenna
5. ↑ https://diymag.com/2020/08/25/the-man-who-fell-to-earth-declan-mckenna-august-2020-interview
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/DeclanMcKenna/status/1010523159601319936
7. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqu7P0eBSL\_/
8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNTTO9UiCUc
9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dNM74X0I5a4
10. ↑ https://twitter.com/DeclanMcKenna/status/1302654296828379136
11. ↑ https://twitter.com/DeclanMcKenna/status/1302654028418093058
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJQUErjEjDg
13. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/declanmckenna/comments/ilslwv/why\_i\_think\_declans\_new\_song\_you\_better\_believe/
14. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/declanmckenna/comments/ilslwv/comment/hk55ma4/