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.
Fallen From Graceland
Richie Sambora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you find out that you're lost
When your world is closing in
And it crawls under your skin
And the heart's always blind
When it's in this state of mind
There's a burning light in this town
Here tonight
You're stranded out there in the rain
And you just can't see past the pain tonight
You've fallen from Graceland
Fallen from Graceland
When you're too proud to crawl
It keeps your back against the wall
You wanna die, but you live
With nothing left to give
And there's no place to hide
When you're tangled up inside
There's a burning light in this town
For every heart that's broken down tonight
Here tonight
You're stranded out there in the rain
But you just can't see past the pain tonight
You've fallen from Graceland
Fallen, you've fallen from Graceland tonight
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen from Graceland
And tonight
And there's no place to hide
When you're tangled up inside
There's a burning light in this town
For every heart that's broken down tonight
Here tonight
You're stranded out there in the rain
But you just can't see past the pain tonight
You've fallen from Graceland
Fallen, you've fallen from Graceland tonight
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen from Graceland
And tonight
There's a light
A bright light burning
For every broken heart in this world tonight
Deep inside
Yes, there's one light burning
That will lead you through the storm tonight
It's gonna be alright
Be alright, yeah
Gonna be alright, yeah
It's gonna be alright
( oh, it's gonna be alright, tonight)
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen from Graceland
(Fallen from Graceland)
Tonight
The lyrics to Richie Sambora's song "Fallen From Graceland" describe the feeling of being lost and alone in the world, with nowhere to turn. The "line that you cross" refers to the moment when you realize that you are truly lost, and that your world is closing in around you. Your heart becomes blind to anything outside of your own pain and suffering. The song talks about the feeling of being stranded in the rain, with nothing left to give and no place to hide.
The chorus of the song talks about a "burning light in this town," which represents hope and renewal for those who are broken. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of light that can lead you out of the storm. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the repetition of "it's gonna be alright" serving as a reminder that even though you may have fallen from grace, there is always a way back up.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement about the human condition and the struggles we all face at times. It's a reminder that even though we may fall, we can always get back up again.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a line that you cross
There's a point of no return you reach
When you find out that you're lost
When you finally realize you have no idea where you're going
When your world is closing in
When everything is overwhelming and suffocating
And it crawls under your skin
And the feeling becomes a physical sensation that won't go away
And the heart's always blind
And emotions can cloud judgment and decision-making
When it's in this state of mind
When emotions are heightened and difficult to control
There's a burning light in this town
There's hope and support available
For every heart that's broken down tonight
For everyone who's struggling and hurting
You're stranded out there in the rain
You're alone and helpless in a difficult situation
And you just can't see past the pain tonight
And the pain is so intense that it's hard to imagine a future without it
You've fallen from Graceland
You've lost your sense of security and stability
When you're too proud to crawl
When pride prevents you from admitting weakness or asking for help
It keeps your back against the wall
It limits your options and traps you in a bad situation
You wanna die, but you live
You're in so much pain that death seems like a better option, but you keep going anyway
With nothing left to give
When you're exhausted and depleted, and there's nothing else you can do
And there's no place to hide
And there's nowhere to go to escape the pain
When you're tangled up inside
When you're confused and overwhelmed by emotions and thoughts
There's a light
There's still hope
A bright light burning
A strong and persistent hope
For every broken heart in this world tonight
For everyone who's hurting and struggling, wherever they may be
Deep inside
In your own heart and soul
Yes, there's one light burning
Yes, there's still hope and support available
That will lead you through the storm tonight
That will help you survive the difficult times
It's gonna be alright
Everything will eventually work out
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen from Graceland
Emphasizing the loss and pain of falling from a place of stability and security
(Fallen from Graceland)
Repeating the theme and title for emphasis
Gonna be alright, yeah
Emphasizing the hope and belief in a better future
(oh, it's gonna be alright, tonight)
Repeating the assurance that everything will eventually work out
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BRYAN, RICHARD S SAMBORA, RICHIE SUPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind