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.
Undiscovered Soul
Richie Sambora Lyrics
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Small town suitcase in her hand
There were dreams she found inside her
That no one cared to understand
She never talks about her childhood
So much past to leave behind
She's so scared to go
But still she says goodbye
You walk alone
Just an undiscovered soul
In the great unknown
When your only hope
Is to find a home
Just an undiscovered soul
In the great unknown
The great unknown
Born and raised in poverty
Daddy died when he was young
All the fears that raged inside him
His spirit needs to overcome
Each day he tears down the reflection
Of who he used to be
And with a little luck
He'll rise eventually
When you walk that road
When you walk alone
Just an undiscovered soul
In the great unknown
When your only hope
Is to find a home
Just an undiscovered soul
In the great unknown
The great unknown
In the search of our salvation
Relentlessly we climb
Just looking for a reason
In creation's grand design
If patience is a virtue
Then let us humbly begin
We'll be here waiting
'Til our ship comes sailing in
When you walk that road
When you walk alone
Just an undiscovered soul
In the great unknown
When your only hope
Is to find a home
You're just an undiscovered soul
In the great unknown
In the great unknown
Don't want to walk through life
An undiscovered soul
Searching for the road
Looking for a home
In the great unknown
Don't want to walk through life
An undiscovered soul
Searching for the road
Looking for a home
In the great unknown
Don't want to walk through life
An undiscovered soul
Patience, virtue, identify, soul
The lyrics of Richie Sambora's song "Undiscovered Soul" speaks to those who feel lost and alone, searching for a place to call home. The first verse tells the story of a woman who leaves her small town with her dreams in tow. She has a past that she wants to leave behind and no one seems to understand her. She's scared to go, but she still leaves. The chorus emphasizes the loneliness found on the road less traveled. The second verse is about a man who grew up in poverty and lost his father at a young age. He wrestles with the demons of his past and hopes to overcome them. The bridge speaks of humanity's search for purpose and meaning in this world. The final chorus serves as a reminder to not live life as an "undiscovered soul," and to keep searching for a place to belong.
Throughout the song, the themes of patience and perseverance are woven in. The journey of finding oneself and a place to belong can be long and difficult, and it requires a certain level of patience and resilience. The lyrics also speak to the importance of identity and shedding the weight of past hurts and struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
She was standing at the station
A woman is waiting at the station.
Small town suitcase in her hand
The woman holds a small suitcase that shows she is from a small town.
There were dreams she found inside her
The woman has aspirations and dreams within her.
That no one cared to understand
No one seems to understand the woman's dreams.
She never talks about her childhood
The woman does not like to discuss her past.
So much past to leave behind
The woman wants to forget her past and move on.
She's so scared to go
The woman is afraid to leave.
But still she says goodbye
Despite her fear, the woman says goodbye.
When you walk on that road
Life is a journey.
You walk alone
No one else can walk your path for you.
Just an undiscovered soul
The person is unknown and undiscovered.
In the great unknown
The future is uncertain and unknown.
When your only hope
Hope is what keeps us going in life.
Is to find a home
We all need a sense of belonging and comfort.
Born and raised in poverty
A man grew up in poverty.
Daddy died when he was young
The man's father died while he was young.
All the fears that raged inside him
The man has many fears.
His spirit needs to overcome
The man needs to overcome his fears to succeed.
When you walk that road
Life is a journey.
Just an undiscovered soul
The man is unknown and undiscovered.
In the great unknown
The future is uncertain and unknown.
In the search of our salvation
We are trying to find meaning and purpose in life.
Relentlessly we climb
We keep striving to reach our goals.
Just looking for a reason
We seek reasons for our existence.
In creation's grand design
We examine the grand design of the universe.
If patience is a virtue
Patience is an admirable trait.
Then let us humbly begin
We should start practicing patience.
We'll be here waiting
We will wait for the right moment.
'Til our ship comes sailing in
We will wait for our success to come to us.
Don't want to walk through life
We don't want to live life without purpose or meaning.
Searching for the road
We are looking for our path in life.
Looking for a home
We all need a sense of belonging.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD S SAMBORA, RICHIE SUPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind