Shambala (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Shambala" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Song by Three Dog Night | ||
| from the album Cyan | ||
| Released | 1973 | |
| Genre | pop/adult contemporary | |
| Length | 3:25 | |
| Label | Dunhill | |
| Writer(s) | B.W. Stevenson | |
| Cyan track listing | ||
| "Ridin' Thumb" (4) |
"Shambala" (5) |
"Singer Man" (6) |
"Shambala" is a song written by songwriter Daniel Moore. In 1973, versions by two different artists appeared in the Billboard Hot 100.
Contents |
[edit] B.W. Stevenson
The first version of Shambala was recorded by Texan singer-songwriter B.W. Stevenson. The single of this version hit the Billboard charts on May 12, 1973 and peaked at number 66 during its eight week run.[1][2][3]
This lesser-known version by Texas-native Stevenson is often regarded as country pop or country rock and appears on collections of such. The twang of Stevenson's steel-string acoustic guitar, his southern accent and a sort of folk music hand clapping all distinguish it from the better-known version soon to follow.[4]
[edit] Three Dog Night
One week after Stevenson's version fell off the charts, rock band Three Dog Night released it as a single that reached the number 3 position in both the pop singles and adult contemporary categories.[2]
That same year, it also appeared on Cyan, Three Dog Night's tenth album. This and other Three Dog Night versions have subsequently appeared on numerous anthologies, both those solely of that band's work and those featuring the work of other artists as well.[2][5]
Although the lyrics of Shambala draw on a theme from Asian spirituality, All Music Guide notes the "very strong gospel feeling" of the album Cyan is most evident on this song. This comment was probably based on both the instrumentation (including the characteristic gospel keyboard organ sounds that accompany the chorus) and the bluesy vocals of Cory Wells.
All Music Guide calls this hit single "one of the group's finest later period records." This same version appeared in the 1998 movie Slums of Beverly Hills and the 2005 movie The Devil's Rejects.[2] The hit version also figured prominently in an episode of the television series Lost which aired on February 28, 2007, as well as the pilot of the ABC series, "October Road," which aired on March 15, 2007 and the October 5, 2006, episode of Supernatural, "Everybody Loves a Clown".
[edit] Lyrics
The song is about the mythical kingdom of Shambala, said to be hidden somewhere within or beyond the peaks of the Himalayas and mentioned in various ancient texts including the Kalachakra Tantra and ancient texts of Tibetan Buddhism.[6]
Shambala is also a theme in Sufism and it is through this tradition that the notion of Shambala became the song discussed. Songwriter Daniel Moore became a Sufi in 1970.[1]
The lyrics refer to a situation where kindness and cooperation are universal, joy and good fortune abound, and psychological burdens are lifted:
Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain
With the rain in Shambala
Wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala [...]
Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind
On the road to Shambala
Everyone is lucky, everyone is so kind
On the road to Shambala [...]
How does your light shine, in the halls of Shambala?
While the lyrics include the refrain "in the halls of Shambala", much of the song actually refers to "the road to Shambala", perhaps alluding to the idea of Shambala not as a physical place but as a metaphor for the spiritual path one might follow.[6]
[edit] Other versions
- Despite having two successfully incarnations in the same year (one of which has remained a classic rock standard), few additional artists have covered Shambala. The most notable of these may be the version by Rockapella.
- On Feb. 28th, 2007, "Shambala" appeared three times in the ABC television show Lost in the episode "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead". The episode included two excerpts from the song and was concluded with an orchestral version composed by Michael Giacchino.
- There are several other songs with "Shambala" or "Shambhala" in the title that have no direct connection to the Daniel Moore composition described here.
[edit] External links
- Audio Clip of Live Version of "Shambala" from 35th Anniversary Hits Collection
- A Three Dog Night Tribute band called "Shambala", warning: loud music plays automatically when link is opened
[edit] References
- ^ a b [1] DJM Records: Daniel Moore.
- ^ a b c d [2] All Music Guide
- ^ As Stevenson was a songwriter himself, and co-wrote the top ten hit My Maria with Moore, some sources erroneously list Stevenson as the writer or co-writer of Shambala. Incidentally, some sources either recognize musical similarities between these two songs or refute those that do.
- ^ [3] Country & Country-Rock Collection: B.W. Stevenson
- ^ [4] Last fm music, "Shambala"
- ^ a b [5] Mistaken Foreign Myths about Shambhala
