Ray Carlos Nakai was born in Flagstaff, Arizona on April 16, 1946 and now resides in Tucson, Arizona. He began his musical career as a freshman at Northern Arizona University studying brass instruments and playing in the NAU marching band. In his second year, he enlisted in the US Navy with the hope of eventually playing in the Armed Forces Band. He passed the highly competitive auditions for the Armed Forces School of Music and was 28th on the waiting list for admission. Playing with the Armed Forces Band became impossible, however, because an auto accident damaged his mouth, making it impossible to produce the correct embouchure to continue playing brass instruments. Shortly after this accident, he was presented with a gift of a traditional Native American cedar flute and challenged to master it.
Nakai has said that most of his inspiration comes from the expressions of native communities and his desire to preserve his own Native American heritage. In addition, he likes to blend his native music with that of other cultures, thereby helping to preserve their heritage as well. To that end, he has collaborated with a Japanese folk ensemble, the Philadelphia Orchestra's Israeli cellist Udi Bar-David, guitarist William Eaton, American composer Philip Glass, Tibetan flutist Nawang Khechog and flutist Paul Horn. A 2005 collaboration with slack key guitar master Keola Beamer fused two very different indigenous American cultural forms and resulted in the album Our Beloved Land. He has expressed his philosophy and views of Native American culture in the modern world in an interview with Native Digest.
The Library of Congress has more than 30 of his recordings preserved in the American Folklife Center.[6]
His Earth Spirit and Canyon Trilogy albums are the only Native American albums to be certified gold and platinum, respectively, by the RIAA.
Nakai developed a system of tablature notation (commonly known as Nakai tablature) that could be used across a wide variety of flute keys and tunings. He published this in The Art of the Native American Flute (1996) with James Demars, Ken Light and David P. McAllester. This provided resources and support for other musicians playing the Native American flute.
In 2005, he was inducted into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Arizona Governor's Arts Award in 1992. He received an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University in 1994 and the NAUAA Dwight Patterson (1934) Alumnus of the Year Award in 2001. Nakai earned a master's degree in American Indian studies from the University of Arizona.
Shelter
R. Carlos Nakai Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But in this feeling i put my faith
Like an angel bound to fall
I surrender to your love
Shelter me
Shield me with your body
Cover me
Shelter me
Shield me with your body
Cover me
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Ooh
Oh
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
I don’t even know your name
Your na name
But in this feeling i put my faith
Put my faith
Like an angel bound to fall
Bound to fall
I surrender to your love
Shelter me
Shield me with your body
Cover me
Protect me with your love
Shelter me
Shield me with your body
Cover me
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Protect me with your love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love
Love love love
Ooh
Oh!
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Protect me with your love
Aah aah aah aah aah
Aah aah aah aah aah
Yeah
Protect me with your love
In the lyrics of "Shelter" by R. Carlos Nakai, the singer expresses vulnerability and a deep emotional connection to someone unidentified. The opening lines, "I don’t even know your name, but in this feeling I put my faith," suggest a sense of trust and surrender to an unknown entity. The reference to an angel bound to fall hints at a sense of impending vulnerability or risk in opening up to this unknown person, symbolizing a leap of faith in the face of uncertainty.
The repeated refrain of "Shelter me, shield me with your body, cover me, protect me with your love" conveys a plea for emotional protection and security. The imagery of being shielded and covered implies a desire for comfort and safety in the presence of this mysterious figure. The refrain is a cry for emotional shelter and a plea for the other person to provide a sense of safety and solace.
The repetition of "Ah" in the lyrics serves to emphasize the emotional intensity and urgency of the singer's plea for protection and love. The repetition of these sounds adds a haunting and ethereal quality to the song, capturing the depth of the singer's longing and need for reassurance and care.
Overall, "Shelter" by R. Carlos Nakai is a poignant and emotive exploration of vulnerability, trust, and the yearning for emotional protection. The lyrics convey a sense of surrender and devotion to an unknown force, highlighting the universal human desire for love, safety, and emotional shelter in the face of uncertainty and risk. The song captures a raw and authentic expression of longing and a plea for comfort and security in the midst of emotional unknowns.
Line by Line Meaning
I don’t even know your name
I am in a state of uncertainty about your identity
But in this feeling i put my faith
I trust in the emotions I am experiencing
Like an angel bound to fall
Similar to a heavenly being destined to descend
I surrender to your love
I give myself over to the love you offer
Shelter me
Provide me with protection and safety
Shield me with your body
Act as a barrier using your physical presence
Cover me
Envelop me in safety and security
Protect me with your love
Keep me safe with the power of your affection
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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