Initially the project consisted entirely of solo recordings by Oliva, but after several months of work he was joined in 2004 by former members of Circle II Circle to form a band. After hearing the results of their earliest studio sessions together he then decided to repeat the solo work from scratch with the band, releasing their first album 'Tage Mahal on the SPV label early that year. Originally slated to be released on the same label in May 2006, JOP subsequently signed to AFM Records for the release of the follow-up entitled Maniacal Renderings, which was released in September 4th 2006. Oliva credits his late brother Criss (with whom he had founded Savatage) as co-writing some of the work on this latest album (particularly the track "The Answer"), after finding some working tapes they had recorded together immediately before Criss' death in a road accident in 1993.
Jon Oliva's Pain hit the road fequently, visiting mostly Europe. 2006 saw some appearances at the larger European festivals. In april 2007, Jon Oliva was reunited with Chris Caffery onstage at the Pestpop festival in Belgium. This festival featured three Savatage related bands: Jon Oliva's Pain, Circle II Circle and Chris Caffery.
October 2007 saw Jon Oliva's Pain headlining ProgPower Europe, among the played songs was Chance, which was never performed with Jon on lead vocals before.
In 2008 JOP released Global Warning, which received excellent reviews from all over the globe. The album includes an ode to the bands past sound engineer Greg Marchak (O to G.) The band is currently preparing the fourth JOP album and will be hitting some of the annual summer festivals in Europe.
The music and themes bear comparison with the likes of Alice Cooper, focussing as they do on elements of obsession, pain, confusion and insanity. Oliva himself cites The Beatles, Queen and The Who amongst his and hence the band's influences.
JOP always play a bunch of classic Savatage songs onstage. Typical Savatage songs that are played are Sirens, Hall Of The Mountain King, Gutter Ballet and a lot of songs from the Streets album.
Lineup:
Jon Oliva (vocals, keyboards)
John Zahner (keyboards)
Matt LaPorte (guitars)
Kevin Rothney (bass)
Christopher Kinder (drums)
Tom McDyne (guitars)
Former Members:
Jerry Outlaw (guitars)
Shane French (guitars)
All the Time
Jon Oliva's Pain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreams and visions
That I ponder, so clearly now
There before me, figure in darkness
Rage and anger, cold and heartless
He wants to take me back somehow
I can't take it no more
I can't take it no more
The influence imprisons me
With it's intrigue, as you can see
A punishment I live out all the time
Something inside me wants to break out
Lies with conviction, leaving no doubt
He's waiting there
Looks for weakness, tries to persuade me
His certain ending is all that I see
He wants to take me back somehow
I can't take it no more
Tempting fate, my soul awaits it's crucifixion
I can't take it no more
The influence imprisons me
With it's intrigue, as you can see
A punishment I live out all the time
The lyrics to Jon Oliva's Pain's song "All The Time" are about the internal struggle that one experiences when dealing with temptation and the influences that come with it. The singer describes feeling trapped by a dark and heartless figure that constantly tries to persuade him to give in to the temptation. He admits to feeling overwhelmed by the influence, which has a tight grip on him, making him feel like he's being punished, and he can't escape from it. The chorus stresses the repetition of the punishment that the singer is enduring and alludes to the fact that the temptation will lead him to his ultimate downfall or "crucifixion."
The lyrics convey a sense of desperation, helplessness, and an inner conflict that one experiences when they are struggling with a temptation that they are unable to resist. The imagery of the dark figure waiting for the singer to slip up, and the singer's admission that "something inside me wants to break out" illustrates the internal struggle that people face when they are trying to overcome their temptations. The chorus repeatedly reinforces the singer's progressive deteriorating state, indicating that giving in to the temptation will result in his ultimate destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I can only stare and wonder
I am filled with bewilderment and amazement
Dreams and visions
I am experiencing intense and vivid thoughts
That I ponder, so clearly now
I am analyzing my thoughts with great clarity
There before me, figure in darkness
I am observing a mysterious and ominous presence in front of me
Rage and anger, cold and heartless
The presence embodies feelings of fury and cruelty without any warmth or compassion
He wants to take me back somehow
The presence is attempting to bring me back to a past state or situation
I can't take it no more
I am unable to handle the current circumstances any longer
Tempting fate, my soul awaits it's crucifixion
By pursuing this path, I am risking great harm to my soul
The influence imprisons me
I am trapped in the power and control of an external force
With it's intrigue, as you can see
This force is alluring and captivating to onlookers
A punishment I live out all the time
I am constantly living with the consequences of my actions and the influence upon me
Something inside me wants to break out
There is a desire within me to escape or rebel against the external force
Lies with conviction, leaving no doubt
The external force propagates falsehoods with great certainty
He's waiting there
The presence is patiently and persistently waiting for me
Looks for weakness, tries to persuade me
The presence is searching for a vulnerability to exploit and convince me
His certain ending is all that I see
I can only envision a negative and irrevocable outcome from continuing down this path
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN OLIVA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@billyalou790
This album is a masterpiece!!!!
@immortalsoloist
Jon Oliva is a Musical genius!
@childhood.treasures9671
what a brilliant song ... gives me vibes of "streets" and "wake" equally ...
@nunyabidness6733
Sadly forgotten, but to those who know of him and Savatage will never forget.
@18Brendonn
TOTALMENTE SAVATAGE(fase Gutter Ballet e Streets)com outros músicos.Por que ele não lançou os cds do JONOLIVA'SPAIN sob o nome SAVATAGE?Does anyone know?
@MrNazunia
Por algumas declarações que ouvi da boca de Jon. Julgo que nesta fase ele estava a envolver-se mais no projecto de Transiberian-Orqhestra e se lançasse albuns com o nome "Savatage" isso iria obrigar-lhe a mais compromissos em termos de concertos. Assim, na minha opinião John Oliva quis ter mais privacidade colocando o seu próprio nome. É um pouco estranho, mas desse modo ele pode estar em TRO e em Savatage simultaneamente mas sem o nome "Savatage"...faz algum sentido para si?...
E tem razão quando diz que é Savatage, por causa da música, sonoridade, temática e tudo o mais. John Oliva é de facto a alma de Savatage. E se reparar neste 1º album, a capa com o rosto dele, o trocadilho do título do álbum...e até na 1ª música ouvimos ecos de músicas de antigos álbuns de Savatage.
@abizon3454
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@dimitrissavalegion9096
ποσο κομματαραααααα \m/
@coachhamza7597
very close to "| turns to me " in wake of magellan's album