Shangri-La (1946 song) Shangri-La (1946 song) "Shangri-La" is a popular song written by bandleader Matty Malneck and Robert Maxwell in 1946 with lyrics by Carl Sigman. The term comes from "Shangri-La" as the hidden valley of delight in James Hilton's 1933 novel "Lost Horizon". The term "Shangri-La," especially in the 1930s and 1940s, was slang for heaven or paradise, and the song is about the joy of being in love. Composer Maxwell's instrumental version (saxophone/organ lead with brass and rhythm), which featured his harp solo, which is heard in the introduction as well as in the coda section of the song, charted in
Lost in Paradise (song) ballad "Lost In Paradise", where her breathy vocals in the beginning awaken as she passionately apologizes for not sticking with the guy who believed in her." "Digital Spy"s Lewis Corner said that the song "continues the trend as a black-eyed rock ballad of towering string sections and lyrics of despair and heartbreak." "Billboard" magazine's Christa Titus wrote that Lee's voice was "powerful and flexible as ever" in "the deep croons that introduce 'Lost in Paradise'." A more mixed review for the song was given by Marc Hirsh of "The Boston Globe" who wrote that the slow tempo of the song