After moving from Chicago to California at the age of ten, he was involved in various high school bands playing guitars and keyboards, playing baseball in his spare time. He studied music in college and started a progressive rock band named after himself, but he soon discovered the music of Kitaro and was heavily influenced by it. Arkenstone was influenced by writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, and grew up listening to bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Deep Purple, and Yes, as well as listening to classical music.
Arkenstone went solo and found his own sound in New Age music. He says that has been greatly aided by technology: "Technology has produced some wonderful tools for making music. The computer allows me to fully orchestrate my pieces and really fine tune them". His music is primarily instrumental. His albums, typically fantasy themed, often come packaged with literature and art. He worked with fantasy novel writer Mercedes Lackey on a few of his albums. Arkenstone and his ex-wife, Diane, created their own record label called Neo Pacifica. In addition to releasing their own music on the label, they have included other bands such as Earth Trybe, Enaid, and the Marquis Ensemble.
He has also composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film PRISM, as well as computer game soundtracks such as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Earth and Beyond, and Emperor: Battle for Dune; and Starlight Inception. He also features on 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Arkenstone has earned four Grammy nominations for his work: In the Wake of the Wind in 1992, Citizen of the World in 2000, and Atlantis in 2004. 'Fairy Dreams in 2020.
Arkenstone has learned to play a variety of musical instruments, including bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, bass guitar, harp, cello, flute, electronic keyboards, piano, Turkish saz, pennywhistle, melodica, and pan pipes. He also plays drums and percussion and has performed some vocalizations on his albums.
Arkenstone is also involved in the band Troika; their sound is similar to his solo work. The band members like to remain anonymous, although the compositions are credited to Arkenstone.
His theme "The Journey Begins/Kyla's Ride" was used for the FIFA World Cup France '98 broadcastings intro by the Mexican television network Azteca.
His song "Papillon (On the Wings of the Butterfly)" is used as background music in Future World at Epcot in Walt Disney World. His song "The Palace" was once used as background music in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom as well. "The Palace" also used to play in Tokyo Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and another one of his songs, "Valley in the Clouds" was also used.
He signed with Domo Records and re-released the album Echoes of Light and Shadow in 2010.
Arkenstone was a member of the composing team who developed the music for Blizzard Activision's World of Warcraft videogame's Cataclysm expansion. Along with Arkenstone, the team consists of Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, and Neal Acree.
Cruisin
David Arkenstone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't be confused baby, the way is clear
And if you want it you got it forever
Just for a one night stand in bed
Let the music take your mind
And, just release and you would find
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
I love it when we're cruising together
Baby tonight belongs to us
Everything's right, do what you must
And inch by inch we get closer and closer oh
Every little part is in touch
Oh baby, baby oh
Let the music take your mind
Just release and you would find, baby
I love it I love it
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
I love it when we're cruising together
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
I love it when we're cruising together
Oh oh, cruise for me babe
Oh baby let's cruise
Let's flow, let's glide
Oh let's open up, and go inside
And if you want it you got it forever
I can just stay there inside you
And love you baby, oh
Let the music take your mind
Just release and you would find, baby
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
I love it when we're cruising together
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
I love it when we're cruising together
Oh, we gonna fly
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
I love it when we're cruising together
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
I love it when we're cruising together
The song "Cruisin" by David Arkenstone is a romantic and sensual invitation to escape from reality and enjoy a carefree night of cruising with a loved one. The opening lines of the song, "Baby let's cruise, away from here, Don't be confused baby, the way is clear" indicate a desire to escape from the pressures and stresses of everyday life and enjoy the pleasures of being together with someone special. The lyrics suggest that if the other person wants the same thing, they can have it forever, even if it is just for a one night stand in bed.
The chorus of the song, "We gonna fly away, plan to go my way, I love it when we're cruising together, Music was made for love, cruising is made for love, I love it when we're cruising together," reinforces the idea of getting away from it all and enjoying each other's company. The lyrics are infused with a sense of freedom and romance, with the idea of cruising acting as a metaphor for a journey of discovery and exploration.
The song's lyrics also touch on the physical aspect of being in a relationship, with lines like "Let the music take your mind, Just release and you would find" suggesting that the power of music can be a catalyst for intimacy. The lyrics of the song are simple yet effective, and they capture the essence of what it means to be with someone you love without the distractions of the outside world.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby let's cruise, away from here
Let's leave this place and go on a cruise together
Don't be confused baby, the way is clear
Don't worry, the path ahead is clear
And if you want it you got it forever
If you want our relationship to last forever, I am all in
Just for a one night stand in bed
Our love is not just about a one-time physical encounter
Let the music take your mind
Relax and let the music transport you to a different place
And, just release and you would find
Let go of your worries and you will discover something beautiful
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
Let's journey together and follow my lead
I love it when we're cruising together
I enjoy spending time and cruising with you
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
Music and cruising are both activities that can enhance romantic love
Baby tonight belongs to us
Tonight is our special night together
Everything's right, do what you must
Everything is perfect, do whatever you desire
And inch by inch we get closer and closer oh
Our love is growing stronger as we get closer physically and emotionally
Every little part is in touch
Every part of our bodies is connected and intimate
Oh baby, baby oh
I am deeply in love with you
Oh oh, cruise for me babe
Come on a cruise with me, my love
Let's flow, let's glide
Let's move together gently and smoothly
Oh let's open up, and go inside
Let's become vulnerable and explore each other's hearts and minds
I can just stay there inside you
I want to remain deeply connected with you
And love you baby, oh
I love you deeply, my sweet
Oh, we gonna fly
We are going to soar to new heights together
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marvin Tarplin, Smokey Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind