Some of the guest vocalists and musicians that have been featured on Avantasia are Michael Kiske, Jørn Lande, Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine, Dee Snider, Hansi Kürsch, Jon Oliva, Biff Byford, Joe Lynn Turner, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Geoff Tate, Kai Hansen, Rudolf Schenker, Bruce Kulick, Sascha Paeth, Eric Singer, Bob Catley, Roy Khan, Russell Allen, Timo Tolkki, Rob Rock, David DeFeis, Andre Matos, Sharon den Adel, Floor Jansen, Ralf Scheepers, Marko Hietala, Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Henjo Richter, Markus Grosskopf, Jens Johansson, Eric Martin, Ronnie Atkins, Oliver Hartmann, Mille Petrozza, Candice Night and Amanda Somerville.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avantasia
Studio albums
The Metal Opera (2001)
The Metal Opera Pt. II (2002)
The Scarecrow (2008)
The Wicked Symphony (2010)
Angel of Babylon (2010)
The Mystery of Time (2013)
Ghostlights (2016)
Moonglow (2019)
A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society (2022)
The Glory of Rome
Avantasia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jesus Christ I'm coming - terrestrial home.
I'm allowed to guide their train
To visit you in Rome.
I am sick of preachers telling to be plain
While you got it nice in here.
They'd better feel ashamed.
Oh, ways of gold
Lead is into Your blaze of fame.
Oh, are You waiting
For what we have brought You from hell?
[Gabriel:]
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Praising the king of the kings.
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Reaching for haloes and wings.
[Johann Adam von Bicken:]
Heading for the angels, heading for the feast,
Heading for salvation and the ruin of the beast.
Let us fight the outcast, let us brin 'em fire,
Let us lock the center of their wicked, mad desire.
Oh, ways of gold lead us into Your blaze of fame.
Oh, are You waiting
For what we have brought You from hell?
[Gabriel:]
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Praising the king of the kings.
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Reaching for haloes and wings.
[Pope Clemens IIX:]
Holding in my hand: Seven parts of a seal
To unlock the land of illumination I feel.
And it's been foretold: after touching the light
We shall lock the world.
But now it's our time to transcend,
The ultimate key in our hand.
[Gabriel:]
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Praising the king of the kings.
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Reaching for haloes and wings.
The lyrics of Avantasia's song The Glory of Rome contain a mix of religious and historical references. The song seems to be set in a time period where Christianity was spreading throughout the Roman Empire. "Falk" starts the lyrics by invoking Jesus Christ and mentioning that he is coming to Earth to visit Rome. He seems to be addressing the hypocrisy of religious leaders who preach simplicity and plainness while they themselves live in comfort.
The following verses by "Johann Adam von Bicken" and "Gabriel" continue to reference Rome's glory, with "Johann" mentioning "fiery" punishment for outcasts and Gabriel praising the "king of the kings." The lyrics may be alluding to the rise of Christianity in Rome and the belief that by converting to Christianity, one would achieve salvation, represented by “reaching for halos and wings”. The final verse by "Pope Clemens IIX" mentions unlocking the land of illumination and using the ultimate key, which likely symbolizes knowledge and enlightenment through Christianity.
Overall, the lyrics of The Glory of Rome seem to be a commentary on the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and the belief that it would bring a new age of enlightenment and glory.
Line by Line Meaning
Jesus Christ I'm coming - terrestrial home.
I am nearing my earthly destination, seeking to visit Rome.
I'm allowed to guide their train
I have the privilege to lead and guide others on their journey alongside me.
To visit you in Rome.
My purpose is to reach Rome as a place of significance and power.
I am sick of preachers telling to be plain
I am tired of being told to be ordinary and mediocre by religious authorities.
While you got it nice in here.
Amidst your grandeur and luxury, you are content with your current status.
They'd better feel ashamed.
Religious leaders should feel guilty for not encouraging people to strive for greatness.
Oh, ways of gold
Material wealth and power are desirable and admirable qualities.
Lead is into Your blaze of fame.
Pursuit of these qualities leads us towards fame and glory.
Oh, are You waiting
Are you anticipating the rewards we bring to you?
For what we have brought You from hell?
We have fought fiercely to obtain the ultimate prize and want to present it to you.
Heading for the angels, heading for the feast,
Our ultimate goal is to reach heaven and receive divine rewards.
Heading for salvation and the ruin of the beast.
Along the way, we aim to defeat evil and bring about salvation.
Let us fight the outcast, let us brin 'em fire
We must battle against those who reject or oppose our beliefs with great force.
Let us lock the center of their wicked, mad desire.
We must prevent these people from unleashing their evil desires on the world.
Holding in my hand: Seven parts of a seal
I possess a powerful tool to unlock and control spiritual power.
To unlock the land of illumination I feel.
I sense that this tool will grant access to spiritual knowledge and insights.
And it's been foretold: after touching the light
Prophecy has predicted that this tool will lead to enlightenment and power.
We shall lock the world.
With this tool, we will be able to control and rule over the entire world.
But now it's our time to transcend,
Now is the moment for us to rise above our earthly limitations and achieve something greater.
The ultimate key in our hand.
With this tool, we hold the ultimate source of power and control.
Glory of Rome, glorious home.
Rome represents a place of great power and status, worthy of admiration.
Praising the king of the kings.
We worship and admire the one in charge of this great empire.
Reaching for haloes and wings.
We aspire towards heaven and the divine, hoping to achieve everlasting glory.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOBIAS SAMMET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind