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",
Revelation
Iona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Power on Earth to stand in the way of hell
Waiting for the sky to clear
Waiting for the sun to appear
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
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
The lyrics of Iona's song Revelation talk about waiting for the Spirit of Truth to come and guide humanity towards a path of righteousness. The vocalist sings about their eagerness to witness the power of the Spirit, which can help overcome the obstacles that prevent us from reaching our true destination. The lyrics describe a sense of anticipation as the singer and perhaps the listener wait for clarity and understanding to emerge. They express a hope for spiritual enlightenment by waiting for the sky to clear and the sun to appear. This could also be understood as a metaphor for waiting for the darkness to be lifted and for a new light to shine on our souls.
The following verses describe the process of purification through faith and regeneration amidst the growing pains of life. The singer longs for the right words to express themselves and a hope that the message of their faith will reach the wider world. They finally conclude by repeating their desire to see and hear the revelation. This could be interpreted as the eventual coming of the Spirit of Truth and the revelation of a new order of things that would bring peace and harmony.
Overall, the lyrics of Revelation are an expression of hope, faith, and a desire for spiritual enlightenment that transcends the mundane and discordant realities of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Waiting for the Spirit of Truth to tell
Yearning for the guidance of the divine truth to show me the way
Power on Earth to stand in the way of hell
Praying for the strength to fight against evil forces that try to harm us
Waiting for the sky to clear
Hoping for a brighter future, free of darkness and uncertainty
Waiting for the sun to appear
Anticipating a time of happiness and prosperity after a period of gloom
Waiting to see you
Longing to witness the divine presence and feel its grace
Waiting to hear you
Eagerly expecting to receive a message of spiritual revelation
Waiting for vision
Hoping to experience a moment of epiphany and see the truth clearly
To see your, your
To witness the glory and majesty of the divine essence
Revelation
An epiphany or realization of the truth that brings meaning and purpose to life
Learning the purifying flame
Experiencing the transformative power of spiritual rebirth and purification
Regeneration after the growing pain
Finding new strength and vitality after overcoming personal hardships and struggles
Longing for the words to flow
Desiring to express a heartfelt message of hope, love, and inspiration
Longing for the world to know
Wishing to share a universal message of truth and wisdom with humanity
Contributed by Miles S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alyson Kelly
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
Patti M
I LOVE this band So much! Their music is so peaceful, majestic & blessed. Iona, one of my favorite ways to practice the presence of God!
John Kelly
Exceedingly powerful. Praise God!!! They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and shall mount up with wings as eagles.
Kristen Clark
I have loved this song for 25 years :) It is such a teaser though... builds and builds and drops and builds and then WHAM! Lays it OUT! Love it!
Stu Stig
Same here, about 25 years loved it - God always inspires beautiful things
olivierguiu
Best song ever. She has such a wonderful voice. I saw them live when no-one really new them and they were fantastic.
Carlos Duran
Excelente canción, Iona, Dios te continúe bendiciendo hermana, me bendice mucho tu música, de Costa Rica un abrazo enorme.
Helmut Biehl
Still incredible after all these years. And still moving. I saw them LIve in Cologne in 199? in a fantastic concert.
The live sound was groundbreaking - And The ruling voice of that shy lady JOANNE HOGG was so clear, pure and crystalline...
Rich Gouette
man, I almost forgot about this tune...
good heavens these guys made some mighty music
Accolaidia
This music has carried me through the years...God has spoken to me many times through these songs....they are apart of me. Those who have been close to me know this music.....they had no choice...lol!