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)
Before I Hang
Jon Oliva's Pain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The name means nothing he's burnt and obsolete
He doesn't look to good, his body smells like wine
Lives life with a poisoned mind
He just waits for the perfect time
To let his demon break out
My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the fall
All the wicked things I've seen, I must have done them all
An endless cast of victims, I have sacrificed
In the name of my sweet lord who offers paradise
Before I hang...
I'll see the end of you all
Before I hang
I'll see the western world
I'll see the western world fall
Brainwashed, hypnotized
Since he was just a boy
M-16's, hand grenades are his only toy
He doesn't think to clear, he's sure to cross the line
Got his orders etched into his mind
Sits and waits for the perfect time
He'd rather die than give up
Before I hang...
I'll see the end of you all
Before I hang
I'll see the western world
I'll see the western world fall
The song "Before I Hang" by Jon Oliva's Pain explores the thoughts of a person who has been scarred and twisted by life, becoming a vessel for destruction and chaos. The first verse introduces us to a broken-down man lying on the street who has seemingly given up on life. His body smells like alcohol, and he appears to be waiting for something catastrophic to happen - like his "demon breaking out." The singer has seen too much horror and destruction, as evidenced by the line "All the wicked things I've seen, I must have done them all." The singer has an endless cast of victims that they have sacrificed in the name of their "sweet lord," presumably a reference to a higher power or ideology. The chorus, "Before I hang, I'll see the end of you all / Before I hang, I'll see the Western world fall," speaks to the character's desire to wreak as much destruction as possible before they face consequences for their actions.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's background, revealing that they were brainwashed and hypnotized from a young age with weapons becoming their only toys. They don't think to question orders and always toe the line. The song leads us to believe that the singer is a soldier or perhaps even a terrorist, but either way, he is a force of destruction that has grown out of control. The line "He'd rather die than give up" speaks to his unwavering commitment to his destructive ideals.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a person who has completely given in to their worst tendencies, embracing violence and destruction as a means to an end. The lyrics suggest that the character's fate is already sealed, as evidenced by the song's title, "Before I Hang," which likely refers to punishment for their crimes.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's this I have found lying on the street
Jon Oliva has discovered a person on the street and is curious about his identity
The name means nothing he's burnt and obsolete
The person Jon Oliva found is worthless and discarded by society
He doesn't look to good, his body smells like wine
The person Jon Oliva found appears sick and is intoxicated
Lives life with a poisoned mind
This person has lived their life with a corrupted and toxic mentality
He just waits for the perfect time
This person is biding their time for a moment to act on their destructive impulses
To let his demon break out
The person Jon Oliva found has an inner demon that they are eager to unleash
My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the fall
Jon Oliva has witnessed the downfall of society
All the wicked things I've seen, I must have done them all
Jon Oliva has personally experienced and possibly even committed immoral actions
An endless cast of victims, I have sacrificed
Jon Oliva has caused harm to countless individuals for a greater cause or belief
In the name of my sweet lord who offers paradise
Despite the suffering he has caused, Jon Oliva believes that his actions are justified by his faith
Before I hang...
Jon Oliva is contemplating his own impending execution
I'll see the end of you all
Before he dies, Jon Oliva wants to witness the downfall of society and all those who contributed to his demise
I'll see the western world
Jon Oliva believes that the Western world, particularly America, is culpable for the societal decay he has witnessed
I'll see the western world fall
Before he dies, Jon Oliva wants to witness the complete collapse of Western civilization
Brainwashed, hypnotized
The person Jon Oliva found has been indoctrinated and is entirely subservient to a higher authority
Since he was just a boy
This person has been manipulated since childhood
M-16's, hand grenades are his only toy
This person has been trained to use weapons and violence from a young age
He doesn't think to clear, he's sure to cross the line
Due to his indoctrination, this person does not question orders and is likely to act without regard for morality or consequences
Got his orders etched into his mind
This person's programming is so deeply ingrained that his orders are essentially a part of him
Sits and waits for the perfect time
This person, like the previous individual mentioned, is waiting for an opportunity to act on his training and impulses
He'd rather die than give up
This person is so committed to his cause that he would rather die than surrender or fail to carry out his orders
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.