They are contemporaries of fellow Celtic artists Enya and Clannad; however, Iona's works are also influenced heavily by jazz-fusion, prog-rock and ancient Christian themes.
For Iona's 1990 debut album, the band added: drummer Terl Bryant, bassist Nick Beggs (former bassist of Kajagoogoo) and several studio musicians -- Fiona Davidson (Celtic harp), Peter Whitfield (strings), Troy Donockley (Uillean pipes) and Frank Van Essen (tuned percussion). The self-titled album received very little press, even in their home country, though a Dutch network compiled a documentary based on Iona, the band and the island.
Two years later, Iona returned with "Book of Kells", and the album was praised by North American critics
as well as those of the British Isles. David Fitzgerald left in 1992 to pursue a degree in music and, as a result, Iona lost much of its jazz influences by the following year's Beyond These Shores. The group made up for Fitzgerald's absence, however, by inviting Robert Fripp to guest on the album. Both albums also featured former Kajagoogoo bassist/stickist Nick Beggs. A contract with England's Alliance Music led to "Journey into the Morn"; the album was released in 1996 in the U.S. and Canada, and was listed among the top five folk albums in Q Magazine's Year End Review. "Heaven's Bright Sun", a live album, came the following year, then "Woven Cord" in 2000, and "Open Sky" in 2001.
Their latest release, new to 2007, is called "The Circling Hour".
iona has been a Leipzig, Germany based postrock-band from 2005-2010 that now reemerges as The Yuki Rush. https://ionanoise.bandcamp.com/album/a-noise
There is also a Romanian experimental / hip hop band who also go by the name "Iona",
Healing
Iona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With nothing in your hand
How can a flower grow in the desert
How can a boy grow in a wasteland
There is healing
A time will come when the pain will go
A time will come when love will flow
Healing
Someone paints you a view of Heaven
Someone touched your hand
There can be life for your warrior spirit
There can be freedom in this wasteland
There is healing
I watch you wait for the pain to go
I watch you wait for love to flow
I want you wait for your heart to know
Healing
The song Healing by Iona is a song about returning and healing. The first verse talks about someone returning to the singer without anything and being likened to an unsung hero. The second line asks a rhetorical question about how a flower can grow in the desert, which is an obvious metaphor for growth and change in hard and dry environments. The verse ends with another metaphor, "how can a boy grow in a wasteland," suggesting that a nurturing environment is necessary for growth and development.
The chorus of the song is hopeful, promising that there will be healing, and the pain will eventually go away. It emphasizes that there will be a time when love will flow, and the hearts of those who are hurting will know healing. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that someone has given the subject of the song a view of heaven and has touched his/her hand. The line "there can be life for your warrior spirit" suggests that the subject of the song is a strong individual but has been battered by life's challenges. The verse ends again with the emphasis on healing.
The song is ultimately about providing hope to someone who has been through a difficult time, assuring them that they will heal eventually. It highlights the importance of having loved ones around to support and factors that are essential for personal growth, such as a nurturing and accepting environment.
Line by Line Meaning
You've returned like some unsung hero
You came back to me like a hero who didn't receive the recognition you deserved
With nothing in your hand
You came back empty-handed, without anything tangible to offer
How can a flower grow in the desert
How can something as delicate and beautiful as a flower grow in a harsh and arid environment like a desert?
How can a boy grow in a wasteland
How can a young and vulnerable boy thrive in a desolate and inhospitable wasteland?
There is healing
Despite the challenges, there is hope for healing and recovery
A time will come when the pain will go
The pain you're feeling now won't last forever, eventually it will subside
A time will come when love will flow
There will be a time when love and positivity will fill your life, replacing the negativity and pain
A time will come when your heart will know
You will eventually come to a point where you truly feel healed, and your heart will know it
Healing
The process of getting better, both mentally and physically
Someone paints you a view of Heaven
Someone shows you a glimpse of something beautiful and peaceful, like a heavenly view
Someone touched your hand
Someone reached out to you in a comforting way, providing a sense of human connection
There can be life for your warrior spirit
You have a strong and resilient spirit, capable of overcoming difficult situations and finding new life
There can be freedom in this wasteland
Even in the midst of chaos, there is still a possibility for freedom and a better life
I watch you wait for the pain to go
I'm here with you, watching and supporting you as you wait for the pain to pass
I watch you wait for love to flow
I'm here with you, waiting for the time when love and positivity will come back into your life
I want you wait for your heart to know
I hope you'll wait patiently until your heart truly feels healed and at peace
Contributed by Penelope Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alyson Kelly
on Revelation
Revelation
by Iona
____________________________________________________
Waiting for the Spirit of Truth to tell
Power on Earth to stand in the face of hell
Waiting for the sky to clear
Waiting for the Son to appear
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Learning the purifying flame
Regeneration after the growing pain
Longing for the words to flow
Longing for the world to know
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your, your, your
Revelation