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) Immortal", a song from the band's first studio album "Fallen" (2003), "before it was re-recorded with that massive guitar breakdown." The song received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Montgomery wrote that the song "is unapologetically epic and uncompromisingly raw, a song that manages to seem both all-encompassing and intimate, often at the same time." In his review of "Evanescence", Rick Florino of Artistdirect concluded "The record's centerpiece is the elegantly dark ballad, 'Lost in Paradise'. It's in 'Paradise' that Lee's genius floats to the forefront most prominently. She paints a poignant picture of yearning for redemption from heartache