When You Believe

"When You Believe" is an Academy Award winning song from the 1997 DreamWorks Animation movie The Prince of Egypt. Within the movie the song is sung by Miriam and Tzipporah after the Israelites are freed from slavery. It was sung by Sally Dworsky, who was the singing voice of Miriam, and Michelle Pfeiffer, who voiced both the singing and speaking parts of Tzipporah. A pop version of the song was performed by American singers Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. It was released as a single on October 28, 1998, as the lead single from the soundtrack and for both Houston's fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love, and the second single for Carey's first compilation album, #1's.

The song was generally positively reviewed. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. After DreamWorks Animation made Joseph: King of Dreams there were critics who said that the second movie had more spirituality than the first because the song Joseph sings in prison You Know Better than I was seen as more religious than the song “When you believe” from The Prince of Egypt.

• European CD single

1. "When You Believe" (album version) – 4:35
2. "When You Believe" (TV track) – 4:35

• U.S. CD single

1. "When You Believe" (album version) – 4:38
2. "When You Believe" (instrumental) – 4:30

• European CD maxi-single

1. "When You Believe (album version)" – 4:35
2. "I Am Free" – 3:08
3. "You Were Loved" – 4:09

• Japanese CD maxi-single

1. When You Believe" (album version) – 4:35
2. "When You Believe" (TV track) – 4:32
3. "I Am Free" – 3:08
4. "You Were Loved" – 4:11

• U.K. CD maxi-single

1. "When You Believe" (album version) – 4:35
2. "Sweetheart" (The M!'s Pounding Vocal) – 9:43
3. "You Were Loved" – 4:09

The song was recorded by the winner of series 4 of The X Factor, Scottish singer Leon Jackson in December 2007. Jackson's version has slightly altered lyrics in the second verse, removing some religious overtones within the song.^[1] It was released as a digital download on December 16, 2007 after Jackson won The X Factor, and a CD was rush-released on December 19.^[1] The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making it the Christmas number one with sales of over 275,000. It has gone on to sell over 500,000 copies.^[2]