Richie got his first guitar when he was just 12 years old. Throughout his career as a guitarist, Richie has displayed an impressive knack for feeling out a guitar solo to the point that it not only follows the key of the song, but the chord progression as well.
Sambora was a guitarist for the band "Message", and with that band put out an independent record titled "Lessons" which was copyrighted in 1982 and produced and arranged by Dean Fasano and Richie Sambora in Woodbridge, New Jersey. It was re-released in 1995 under the name Message, and in 2000 as Lessons. He was later in a band, Mercy, which was signed to Led Zeppelin-owned record label Swan Song Records, and then Duke Williams & the Extremes, who were signed to Capricorn Records. Sambora was also in an improvisational club band called Richie Sambora & Friends. He was part-owner of a club in New Jersey, and at age 19 owned his own independent label Dream Disc Records. Sambora's first professional tour was as an opening act for Joe Cocker in the early 1980s. Shortly before joining Bon Jovi in 1983, Sambora unsuccessfully auditioned for Kiss, to be Ace Frehley's replacement.
His technique displays remarkable variety - his soloing in "Wanted Dead or Alive" is laden with artificial harmonics, whereas his riffing for "Livin' on a Prayer" makes extensive use of palm muting. Developing his guitar technique in an era laden with wild soloing inspired by Eddie Van Halen, Richie developed a unique style of speed and precision but it took him a few attempts to impress Jon Bon Jovi. When Jon first saw Richie play he didn't think he was good enough: however he soon changed his opinion after working with Richie. Richie was also one of the first 80's mainstream guitarists to make use of the talk-box. Talk-box was also used by other guitarists, notably Slash from Guns N' Roses, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and Peter Frampton. The talk-box can be heard clearly in "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life".
In 2004, Sanctuary Records released a self-titled album which had been recorded in 1978 by Shark Frenzy, documenting Sambora's first recorded material. The mix tapes had been damaged in a flood and it had taken band member Bruce Foster to remaster them for them to be released so many years later.
Outside of Bon Jovi, Richie has released three solo albums and numerous songs for movie soundtracks (Banger Sisters, On The Line). He also made a cameo in the movie "On The Line".
His first solo outing was "Stranger In This Town", a blues-influenced album that was received well by many critics and guitar affectionados. Eric Clapton made an appearance on the album but it did not fare too well commercially. Richie later admitted that this was due to the fact that he was writing songs from an artistic point, rather than writing a radio oriented album. However, the album did establish Richie as a top rate guitarist, revealing a different side of him that was not widely recognizable during Bon Jovi's 80's heyday. His blues influences would later be present on some of Bon Jovi records as well, notably on 1995's "These Days".
"Undiscovered Soul" was Richie's second solo album, released in 1998. The album was produced by Don Was.
He has appeared in several movie and TV cameos, notably the film 'On The Line' as 'The Mick', and the 'Chris Isaak' show as himself. Recent ventures have seen him compose television theme tunes for both Entertainment Tonight and The Insider. He is a shareholder of the Philadelphia Soul, an Arena Football League football team.
Over the years, Richie has been an ardent fundraiser for many charities, such as Dream Street, the Steve Young Foundation and Michael J Fox's Parkinson's charity.
Chained
Richie Sambora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've never been down this far before
I was scared of believing
That love would never find my door
I was chained
Chained
Chained to my broken dreams
I never knew who I was supposed to be
Rescue me
Rescue me
Hey am I dreaming?
I never woke up from night before
Unaware I was bleeding
Slowly dying like the sun
Going down once more
I was chained
Chained
Chained to my broken dreams
I never know just where my life would lead
Hoping that someone would come and
Rescue me
Rescue me
Rescue me
Alone in the darkness
'Till I saw the light
Shining from your eyes
Now it burns inside and it keeps me alive
Lord I've been chained
I've been chained yeah
Was chained
Chained
Chained to these broken dreams
I never knew who I was supposed to be
Hoping someone would come and rescue me
I've been chained
Chained
I've been chained to these broken dreams
I never knew just where my life would lead
Waiting for you to come and rescue me
Hoping that someone would come and
Rescue me
Rescue me
Rescue me
Ooh yeah
Rescue me
The lyrics to Richie Sambora's "Chained" speak to his vulnerability and the deep emotional places he's been to in his life. The opening lines convey a sense of newfound emotional depth or intensity that he's experiencing. The singer is venturing into a new or unfamiliar emotional territory, as he's never been "down this far before."
The song speaks to his struggles with love and relationships. He's scared of believing that love can find him because of his past hurt, and has always felt chained to his broken dreams.
The singer sees the potential for salvation in a new love interest. The sense of hope is palpable in the lyrics. Sambora speaks to the darkness he felt before seeing "the light shining from [his love's] eyes." This light and hope keep him alive and moving forward.
Overall, "Chained" is a powerful emotional ballad, one that speaks to themes of vulnerability, trust, and the hope for salvation in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, what's this feeling
The singer is experiencing a new and unfamiliar emotion.
I've never been down this far before
The singer is in a difficult and challenging situation that they have never encountered before.
I was scared of believing
The singer was afraid to have faith in a positive outcome.
That love would never find my door
The artist believed that they were incapable of experiencing love.
I was chained
Chained
Chained to my broken dreams
The artist was trapped by their unfulfilled aspirations.
I never knew who I was supposed to be
The singer lacked a sense of identity and purpose.
Waiting for someone to come and rescue me
Rescue me
Rescue me
The singer hoped for someone to save them from their situation.
Hey am I dreaming?
The artist questions if their current situation is a figment of their imagination.
I never woke up from night before
The artist has been stuck in the same negative situation for a long time.
Unaware I was bleeding
The artist did not realize how much their negative situation was hurting them.
Slowly dying like the sun
Going down once more
The singer's negative situation is slowly and painfully bringing them closer to their end.
Alone in the darkness
'Till I saw the light
Shining from your eyes
Now it burns inside and it keeps me alive
The artist found hope and love in someone else, and this has given them the strength to keep going.
Lord I've been chained
I've been chained yeah
Was chained
Chained
Chained to these broken dreams
The singer reiterates that they had been trapped by their unfulfilled aspirations.
I never knew who I was supposed to be
Hoping someone would come and rescue me
The singer's lack of direction and purpose left them hoping for someone to save them.
I've been chained
Chained
I've been chained to these broken dreams
I never knew just where my life would lead
Waiting for you to come and rescue me
Hoping that someone would come and
Rescue me
Rescue me
Rescue me
Ooh yeah
Rescue me
The singer repeats their desire to break free from their unfulfilled aspirations, and to be saved by someone else.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FRANK EDWARD WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind