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 and Tim Weisberg is a love song that describes a desire to escape everyday life and be together with someone special. The lyrics suggest that the perfect way to do this is through cruising, a leisurely drive where the destination is not as important as the journey itself. The song's opening lines invite the listener to join on this journey, with the promise that the way is clear and that the experience can be forever. The chorus further emphasizes that the act of cruising was made for love and that the music that accompanies it intensifies that feeling.
The second verse gives a picture of lovers inching closer and closer to each other, with every part of their bodies in touch. The lyrics suggest that this moment of intimacy is made even more special by the music playing in the background. The song then returns to the chorus, which is sung with greater intensity and passion as if to celebrate this moment of closeness.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby let's cruise, away from here
Let's take a ride and leave this place behind
Don't be confused baby, the way is clear
Don't be unsure, I know the direction we need to take
And if you want it you got it forever
If you want to be with me, I'll always be here
Just for a one night stand in bed
I'm not just looking for a physical relationship, I want something more
Let the music take your mind
The power of music can help you let go of your worries
And, just release and you would find
If you let go of your inhibitions, you'll find happiness
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
We're going to escape and follow my lead
I love it when we're cruising together
I enjoy being with you when we're just driving around
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
Music and driving create a romantic atmosphere
Baby tonight belongs to us
This evening is just about you and me
Everything's right, do what you must
Everything is going well, you can do whatever makes you happy
And inch by inch we get closer and closer oh
We're getting closer to each other with every passing moment
Every little part is in touch
We're intimately connected in every way
Oh baby, baby oh
I'm infatuated with you
Let the music take your mind
Let yourself be carried away by the music
Just release and you would find, baby
If you let go, you'll discover something amazing
Oh oh, cruise for me babe
Let's go on a drive together
Let's flow, let's glide
Let's move effortlessly together
Oh let's open up, and go inside
Let's be vulnerable and truly connect
And if you want it you got it forever
I'll be with you for as long as you want me
I can just stay there inside you
I want to be as close to you as possible
And love you baby, oh
I have deep feelings for you
We gonna fly away, plan to go my way
We're going to escape and follow my lead
Oh, we gonna fly
We're going to be free and happy together
Music was made for love, cruising is made for love
Music and driving create a romantic atmosphere
I love it when we're cruising together
I enjoy being with you when we're just driving around
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARVIN TARPLIN, SMOKEY ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind