The release of Jon's debut album "Northern Light" in 2006 was accompanied by the showing of a Granada TV documentary 'Chasing The Dream' giving a superb insight not only into Jon Christos the man, but also the album recording process. Also included was footage of Jon's trip and debut in the USA, performing with the world renowned Erich Kunzel and his Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at a special '9/11' commemorative concert. Jon's vocal artistry wowed Kunzel, in particular his performance of Puccini's Nessun Dorma and the impromptu performance of the US National Anthem at the concert, both of which made him a legion of fans in America.
Jon has performed on regional and national UK TV and also American and European TV a number of times including; ITV's Christmas Eve concert from Norwich Cathedral, chat show Lunchtime with Des & Mel, Act of Worship for Peace, Easter service, 6 performances on BBC 1's Songs of Praise show, Fox News (New York and Cincinnati) Canal 6, Sky Sports PFA Football Awards, Channel M and BBC Northwest. He was also a vocal coach on BBC's Just The Two Of Us, and has been a judge on the BBC Radio 2's Young Chorister of the Year competition as well as performing live 4 times on BBC Radio 2's illustrious Friday Night is Music Night show.
Highlights of Jon's appearances over the last couple of years include: Summer Prom concerts at Hyde Park and Heaton Park in Manchester, the Northern Prom in Durham, Manchester Five Stars Scanner Appeal Concert - A St Georges Day Extravaganza with the Royal Marines Band Service at The Bridgewater Hall, Brighton Dome Christmas Concerts, several performances of the "Sport Symphony" with Carl Davis in Pamplona, Spain, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow, Edinburgh and again with the Halle Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Jon has also performed with Carl and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in Liverpool and at Leeds Castle in Kent, and with the CBSO in Birmingham, and also performances at Vila Castagnoli in Tuscany, Italy, and for Football Reaching Out For Africa at The Royal Albert Hall in London, the launch of the new Cunard cruise liner The Queen Victoria at Southampton in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and a host of celebrities as one-third of the new Three Tenors, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Welsh Guards Band in Liverpool Cathedral to commemorate the final visit of RMS Q.E.II, and the televised opening ceremony of the FINA World Swimming Championships at the Manchester Evening News Arena.
Jon has performed at a number of high profile sporting events including; The Powergen Rugby Cup Final at Twickenham, The Heineken Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, The Professional Football Association Centenary Match at the City of Manchester Stadium and at the following gala Centenary dinner at Manchester's G-Mex centre, Bolton's Reebok Stadium, Salford Rugby League's The Willows, several half-time concerts at The City of Manchester Stadium, and he was the first artist to perform at the New Wembley Stadium for an England Under 16 International and also performed at Wembley for the Championship, F.A. Trophy and League One play-off finals.
In January 2007 Jon started his own radio show, Sacred Thoughts, on Premier Christian Radio, and in July 2008 started his new 2 hour live show called "Why We Love" on BBC Radio Lancashire, looking into what from a musician and producers point of view made songs from over the decades so successful and popular. Jon is also a proud good will Ambassador for the U.N. and Patron of EDN (Eating Disorder Network) His much anticipated second album "Artist" is due for release in 2009.
Editorial note: Jon Christos never "embarked on a solo career" in the opera since he only performed as a student in school productions, never in a professional environment. This sentence should be corrected to reflect his true background.
Shadow
Jon Christos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When my parents ran away
I was stuck inside a broken life
I couldn't wish away
She was beautiful
She had everything and more
And my escape was hiding out and running for the door
It used to be so hard being me
Living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Living in a nightmare
A never-ending sleep
But now that I am wide awake
My chains are finally free
Don't feel sorry for me
All the days collided
One less perfect than the next
I was stuck inside someone else's life and always second best
Oh I love you now 'cause now I realize
That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity
So if you're listening
There's so much more to me you haven't seen
Living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Living in a nightmare
A never-ending sleep
But now that I am wide awake
Then I can finally see
Don't feel sorry-
Mother sister father sister mother
Everything's cool now
Mother sister father sister mother
Everything's cool now
Oh my life is good
I've got more than anyone should
Oh my life is good
And the past in the past
I was living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
I'm living in a new day
I'm living it for me
And now that I am wide awake
Then I can finally be
Don't feel sorry for me
Don't feel sorry don't feel sorry for me
Don't feel sorry don't feel sorry for me
Living in living in living in the shadow
Living in living in living in a new day
The song "Shadow" by Jon Christos is a deeply personal and emotional track about the struggles of living in the shadow of someone else's dreams. The song speaks to Christos’ experience of growing up feeling stuck inside a broken life, trying to find his identity and his own dreams. The opening lines reveal the difficult experience of his childhood - his parents left when he was just six years old, leaving him to cope with the shattered remains of his family life. The line "And my escape was hiding out and running for the door" shows that the child was struggling to come to terms with the pain and trauma he was experiencing.
The chorus of the song is a plea for someone to pay attention to him, to see beyond the shadow of someone else's dream and to recognize his own identity. The repetition of "Living in the shadow" underscores the frustration and isolation of feeling trapped in a never-ending nightmare. The verse "All the days collided/ One less perfect than the next" suggests a sense of hopelessness and despair that can be overwhelming when living in someone else's shadow.
However, the tone of the song changes towards the end, as the singer breaks free from the chains of his past and discovers his own identity. The repetition of "Mother sister father sister mother/ Everything's cool now" suggests that the singer has found peace and reconciliation with his family. He declares, "My life is good/ And the past is the past", a testament to his resilience and strength in overcoming the difficulties of his past.
Line by Line Meaning
I was six years old
At the age of six years old
When my parents ran away
After my parents left
I was stuck inside a broken life
I was trapped in a difficult life
I couldn't wish away
I couldn't make it go away
She was beautiful
There was a person who was attractive
She had everything and more
This person had more than enough
And my escape was hiding out and running for the door
And my only escape was to hide and run
Somebody listen please
I need someone to listen to me
It used to be so hard being me
It was really difficult to be myself
Living in the shadow
Existing in someone else's shadow
Of someone else's dream
Being overshadowed by someone else's aspirations
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Searching for comfort, but nothing felt genuine
Living in a nightmare
Existing in a waking nightmare
A never-ending sleep
A life that felt like a sleepless nightmare
But now that I am wide awake
But now that I am conscious and aware
My chains are finally free
I am finally free from my metaphorical chains
Don't feel sorry for me
There is no need to feel sorry for me
All the days collided
Every day seemed to blend together
One less perfect than the next
Each day seemed worse than the last
I was stuck inside someone else's life and always second best
I was trapped in someone else's existence and was never the priority
Oh I love you now 'cause now I realize
I appreciate you now because I understand
That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity
It is safe to be myself and embrace my own identity
There's so much more to me you haven't seen
There is a lot that you do not know about me
Living in a new day
Living in a new and improved reality
I'm living it for me
I'm living for myself
Then I can finally be
Then I can finally exist
Mother sister father sister mother
Family members
Everything's cool now
Everything is good now
Oh my life is good
I am currently in a good place in my life
I've got more than anyone should
I have more than I ever thought I would have
And the past in the past
I have moved on from the past
Living in living in living in the shadow
Living in someone else's shadow
Living in living in living in a new day
Living in a new reality
Contributed by Maria L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DualThunder
top D at the end is amazing
@gaby3101
Not much to say. You definatly got a new fan.