Christopher & Natasha

Prince and the Gypsy

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This is an epic ballad describing our Great Grandparents’ love, many generations ago in Poland. This is based on a true story. Our Great Grandfather was the first-born son, first in line for his father’s title, lands and fortune. However, he fell in love with the serving girl. His parents told him that if he married her, he would be disowned. What did they do? Listen and find out! (Of course, the fact that we were born should give you a hint at the choice they made)

Prince and the Gypsy

One Polish morning just like this
The prince discovered his truest bliss
The simple girl he’s forbidden to see
But his heart won’t let him abandon it’s plea

He said you my dear are the fairest of fair
In all my kingdom or anywhere

Adorning only a heart of gold
And Gypsy girls were bought and sold
No royal blood coursing through her veins
Courtship would only bring his family shame

He said you my dear mean so much more
Than this crown of jewels my birthright implores

When you dance, when you sing
I hear my heart stings play out a beautiful melody
But the words aren’t so clear

So I rhyme and I scheme
Try to find meaningful verse describing you
But all my phrasing is so in vain

His family vowed his banishing
In spite of all attempts no compassioning
If he asked the Gypsy for her hand
Stripped of title, fortune and all his land

He asked would you my dear
Adore me as much
If our only wealth was the two of us

The simple girl’s heart of gold
Could be neither bought or ever sold
No royal kingdom did she desire
A palace of love did she aspire

She said you my dear are the bravest of brave
Only to true love are you a slave

When you dance, when you sing
I hear my heart stings play out a beautiful melody
But the words aren’t so clear

So I rhyme and I scheme
Try to find meaningful verse describing you
But all my phrasing is so in vain

Gypsy girl run away with me
Life won’t be easy but we’ll be free
We’ll sail past sunset to the promised land
And in the wild, wild west ask you for you hand

My Gypsy girl

That first Saskatchewan winter hell froze over
The prince fell ill, all but died from exposure
His simple girl never left his side
Nursed his faith, restored his pride

She said you my dear, always a prince to me
I’d choose the same again, to live this free

When you dance, when you sing
I hear my heart stings play out a beautiful melody
But the words aren’t so clear

So I rhyme and I scheme
Try to find meaningful verse describing you
But all my phrasing is so in vain
So I just dance and I sing
I grant my heart strings
This beautiful melody
Instrumentally describing true
What no word in this language could ever do
No kingdom on earth could take the place of you

One Canadian morning just like this
The prince discovered his truest bliss
The simple girl now his wife
The richest he’d been in all his life

His Gypsy girl

Malaika

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I first heard "Malaika" while I was on music tour in Kenya, Africa. I immediately fell in love with the soulful melody. The Swahili lyrics spoke to me in the way that truly inspired songs always do, whether or not one intellectually comprehends the meaning. Whilst taking a break from my busy performing schedule, I went on a safari in breathtaking Masai Mara National Park. One morning I returned to my room after breakfast and was totally enchanted as I heard several Kenyan women singing “Malaika” as they made up the room. I asked them what it meant and they explained to me that “Malaika” means angel, and that the lyrics were about a young man’s struggle to come to terms with the fact that he could not marry his true love as he didn’t have enough money to pay her dowry. I was so moved that I asked them if they would sing it into my tape recorder. They graciously gathered around and treated me to one of the most beautiful impromptu performances I’d ever heard. Their spirit and emotion poured forth, bringing me to tears. Upon my return to Canada, I listened for many hours to learn how to correctly pronounce the Swahili and wrote music to accompany the haunting melody. Whenever Natasha and I perform “Malaika” it is received in the most beautiful way. The melody and lyrics of this traditional Kenyan folk song touches one to the core of their very being. I hope you feel as moved as I did when I first heard this gorgeous song.

Malaika

Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
Nami nifanyeje
Kijana mwenzio
Nashindwa na mali sina wee
Ningekuoa Malaika

Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
Ningekuoa mami wee
Ningekuoa daada
Nashindwa na mali sina wee
Ningekuoa Malaika

Kindege, hukuwaza we kindege
Kindege, hukuwaza we kindege
Ningekuoa mami wee
Ningekuoa daada
Nashindwa na mali sina wee
Ningekuoa Malaika


English Translation:

Angel, I love you my Angel
Angel, I love you my Angel
And I your young lover
What can I do
Were I not defeated by lack of fortune
I would marry you my Angel

Money is troubling my soul
Money is troubling my soul
I feel as strongly for you as I feel for my mother
I feel as strongly for you as I feel for my sister
Were I not defeated by lack of fortune
I would marry you my Angel

Little bird, I dream of you little bird
Little bird, I dream of you little bird
I feel as strongly for you as I feel for my mother
I feel as strongly for you as I feel for my sister
Were I not defeated by lack of fortune
I would marry you my Angel

If You Loved Me Enough

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One the hardest songs I've ever written. This was during one the toughest times in my life when I was struggling with addiction, in several forms. It's been very cathartic to get this out of my consciousness and into a song. I just cut the lead vocal to this song yesterday with Dave Percy at his studio. I allowed myself to really get into the emotions of what I was going through when I wrote this song, which is always challenging. I'm on the other side now and feeling really great about how my vocals have turned out. It'll be ready to share with you very soon. Whew, glad that one's over. ; )

We are in the process of recording our new album entitled "Prince & The Gypsy." This version is without my vocal and the rest of the arrangement. Just Daeed's guitar and my guitar. The more I hear it, the more I feel that it actually stands on it's own as an instrumental. We will post updated versions as we continue recording new parts for "If You Loved Me Enough."

Latin Guitar Arrangements by Daveed, Six String Acoustic Guitar by Christopher.

*Lead vocals to come.

I start slipping further entangled in sins
Whether real or imagined
The final verdict of guilt not yet in

Convoluted perceptions, my mind so amuck
Intoxication prevailing, in denial so stuck
Conflicted intentions
Was it you or did I self destruct

You’d have me believe

If you loved me enough
How rich would that be
If you loved me enough
You would set me free
From the torment that plagued me in the wee hours of night
At times through the noon hour on past the twilight

If you loved me enough swore you’d quell the pain
A superstar you’d create
Stop the runaway train
But it’s not enough

Enchanted evening the way movies begin
Like an Angel from heaven you floated in
Awe struck by your beauty
Threw intuition and care to the wind

Something so wrong from our very first embrace
Such charm, such wit, you moved with such grace
Seduced by your dark side
That a fool thinks his light can replace

Why did our love grew just to disappear
A spring flower dying, our autumn is here
How do you stop love in full flight
And crush the emotion before it crushes me tonight

After all this reflection, berating you, berating me
I’ve come to no conclusions, no cures or remedies
For the pain’s been inflicted
Broken hearts but even worse broken dreams

This confusion still swirls in my head at mach five
So numb, so bruised, am I dead or alive
Vain words of devotion
Well rehearsed were but sweet lines contrived

If you loved me enough
How rich would that be
If you loved me enough
You would set me free
From the torment that plagued me in the wee hours of night
At times through the noon hour on past the twilight

If you loved me enough swore you’d quell the pain
A superstar you’d create
Stop the runaway train
But it’s not enough

Roses Love the Rain

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I wrote this song for my loved ones I left behind in Canada when I first moved to Los Angeles to go to music school. Some have also interpreted it as God saying these words to us. That's the beautiful thing about songs, they have unique meaning to different people. I've performed this same song at several weddings as well as at several funerals.

Roses Love The Rain

No matter how far
No matter where you go
I’ll always be there
In your heart don’t you know

Through the longest darkness
Through the hardest ache
Sailing through a hurricane
‘Cause I love you don’t you know

And when a frightened child
Look into your soul
I’m there with open arms
I’m there don’t you know

I love you
I’ll always need you
Always, like the roses love the rain

No matter how far
No matter where I go
You’re in my dreams tonight
In my heart don’t you know

Across the wildest oceans
Back through time
Childhood of innocence
True promises don’t you know

We’re in each other’s souls
Together ‘till the end
No matter how far
How far apart we are

I love you
I’ll always need you
Always, like the roses love the rain

When the rain falls down
You know I’ll be there

love you
I’ll always need you
Always, like the roses love the rain

Roses love the rain
The rain loves the clouds
The clouds love the sky
The roses love the rain
I love you

Gypsy Winds of Change

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"You can sail the seas of fate, but you can't control the winds. Can pray to skies above, can't save a dying love."

Song of the Angels

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I was walking along the beach in Santa Monica, CA one day, not even thinking about music, when this whole song just popped into my head. Seemingly all at once, the guitar parts, lyrics, melody and all just downloaded.

River

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I had a girlfriend who had a very serious illness that I wrote this song for. I imagined that this was the voice of Spirit telling her that she was strong, dearly adored and that she would make it through it. And so she has.

The Healer

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My Mother is a massage therapist/healer. People have come from all over the world to experience her healing hands. At times there has been a year and a half waiting list to see her. She hasn't studied any formal healing techniques, she just prays for people during their sessions and the magic happens. At my concerts many of her clients would tell me their amazing stories of how my Mom healed them of chronic issues they'd had for years. They had sought out every means to help their condition for years and years, they'd tell me, but got no relief until they had a session with her. Their stories inspired me to write "The Healer" about her God given gift and how she so selflessly has used it to help countless people over the years. If you have met my Mom, just been in her presence, you know exactly what I mean. She lives her whole life in service to others. She's the most joyous, loving, wonderful person who deeply cares about everyone who is fortunate enough to cross her path. Her deep love for you is healing in every way. I am so very blessed to have her as my Mother. 

Magic Hour

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"The one thing that strikes me the strangest by far, the sun how it shines down upon you wherever you are."

Skies Are Blue

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I've written and recorded many songs with serious, deep themes, from my experiences, the inner most pages of my diary, so to speak. I've realized that it's equally important to have songs that are just fun and playful that you can sing along to. Sometimes a reprieve from such intensity is most welcome. This is one of those.

My Mom called me up one day, many moons ago, to tell me how bummed she was as she just broke up with her then boyfriend. I was sad for her as she's the most wonderful person in the world and I really wanted her to have someone in her life equally as cool as she. I told her that I was going to write a song for her to cheer her up. It would be what her cowboy would say to her as they rode off into the sunset together, happily ever after. So I put down the phone and wrote her this song in about ten minutes. I had only ever written lyrics before. This was the first one I wrote the music, melody and lyrics for; my first complete song. I called her back and sung it to her over the phone. She was touched. "Skies Are Blue" started out as a Country song and morphed over time into what you hear here. Enjoy!  ; )

Learn To Love Somebody

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Sometimes the songs I write for others are the ones that have the most to teach me. I wrote "Learn To Love Somebody" for a special lady I was in a relationship with who felt totally unworthy and undeserving of the love I had for her. It was as if the more that I showered her with adoration, the more uncomfortable she became. No matter what I did, she could not be convinced of the great love that I had in my heart for her. In a last ditch attempt to express to her how wonderful I knew she was, how deserving she was, I wrote her this song. It is amazing to me how people respond to to something that I wrote from such a personal experience for a specific person. It's such a blessing to have people express to me time and again that they are so moved by "Learn to Love Somebody" that it brings them to tears every time they hear it. I guess the theme of needing to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else is a universal one that we all relate to and have struggled with at one time or another in life.

Learn to Love Somebody

Such a pretty soul all alone
A heart so full of tears
Such Sadness blinds your eyes
Loneliness your biggest fear

Feels like it's forever
Wonder what happened to that fairy tale
'Cause every time your ship's come in
Only your dreams sailed away

Desperately you try not to cry
Dreams do come true you pray
But do you believe you're worth it
To turn this dark into day

If you wanna learn to love somebody
You gotta learn to love yourself

There's romance all around you
But you feel like a flower in a desert sea
Thinking maybe I'm not worth it
Or maybe love is not for me

Like a child deserves their mother's touch
Like a rose deserves the rain
Your desires are straight from heaven
And your prayers won't end in vain

The whole world feels your beauty
Touched by the warmth within your eyes
But it's you who must believe it
Before your spirit can touch the skies

If you wanna learn to love somebody
You gotta learn to love yourself

There's a passion in your soul ready to ignite
If you'd open your heart and step into the light

If you wanna learn to love somebody
You gotta learn to love yourself

Keep the faith in your dreams
They aren't as far away as they seem

Sky of Many Waters

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My own Native legend of the creation of the earth. This song tells of how Great Spirit put the dolphin here first in order to teach humanity how to treat each other. The Lakota chanting, Native flute and Native percussion make this song a mystical, magical masterpiece. I envision "Sky of Many Waters" one day being the theme song in the soundtrack of a profoundly powerful movie.   

One More Door

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"I've been down this road before, one too many times." In Christopher's song, "One More Door", Christopher asks us to explore the space between our willful intention and our desire to serve. Isn't it interesting that we find ourselves caught between our will and the will of grace? "Every failed attempt takes it's toll" to be sure, however every attempt gives us an opportunity to learn and grow until finally we harmonize with grace and the door opens effortlessly. Join us as we explore the relationship between effort and surrender. It is the relationship between the two that is the key that unlocks the door to your dreams.

                    -From Inspirational talk by Maria Kliavkoff at Unity Church of Calgary

All Over Me

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Two great songwriter brothers from Los Angeles, James & Michael Butler, graciously hired me to sing on the original demo of this tear jerker they wrote entitled "All Over Me." I later re-recorded this song which appeared on the original release of "Song of the Angles". But when I re-released "Song of the Angles" with all new artwork, "All Over Me" ended up on the cutting room floor, not making it onto the current version. I haven't decided where this song will end up, but as it says in the lyrics, "Time will tell."