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)
You Never Know
Jon Oliva's Pain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sure they have arrived
Strange race seeking power
Countdown designated hour
Really want to know
Are they friend or foe
Or just a cast of lunatics
Oh no... you never know
They're here amongst us all
They seek the west to fall
Evil souls, twisted minds
Just waiting for a sign
Inside their hatred grows
From the lies they've been told
Who's the loser in the end
Oh... you never know
Oh no... you never know
Everywhere sleeper cells
Standing at the gates of hell
Satan smiles with delight
Soon to feed his appetite
Do you want to know
What he has in store
For you the pain
Will never end
The lyrics of Jon Oliva's Pain's song "You Never Know" seem to be related to the fear of the unknown, specifically when it comes to the possibility of hostile extraterrestrial life or other beings from unknown origins. The first lines of "Living in disguise, I'm sure they have arrived" could refer to the idea that these unknown beings could already be among us, perhaps disguised as humans or otherwise hiding in plain sight. The next lines "Strange race seeking power, Countdown designated hour" could suggest that these beings may have a plan or agenda involving power and that their arrival is imminent.
The chorus "Oh... you never know, Oh no... you never know" repeats the idea that we can never truly know what these beings want or what their intentions are, leaving us in a state of fear and uncertainty. The following verses continue to paint a picture of these beings as evil and twisted, with "Inside their hatred grows, From the lies they've been told" indicating that their intentions may be fueled by misinformation or propaganda. The final lines of "Satan smiles with delight, Soon to feed his appetite" suggest that these beings may have a demonic or otherworldly affiliation.
Overall, the song seems to express a cautionary sentiment about the potential dangers of the unknown and the fear that arises in the face of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in disguise
Living under false pretense
I'm sure they have arrived
They have definitely come
Strange race seeking power
An unusual group desiring dominance
Countdown designated hour
A pre-planned time to act
Really want to know
Desire to obtain information
Are they friend or foe
Are they an ally or enemy
Or just a cast of lunatics
Or simply a group of irrational people
Oh... you never know
Oh... it's impossible to predict
Oh no... you never know
Oh no... it's impossible to predict
They're here amongst us all
They are present and among us
They seek the west to fall
They intend to bring down the western world
Evil souls, twisted minds
Wicked individuals, distorted thoughts
Just waiting for a sign
Waiting for a signal to act
Inside their hatred grows
Their animosity develops internally
From the lies they've been told
As a result of the falsehoods they've heard
Who's the loser in the end
Who will bear the final consequences
Everywhere sleeper cells
Hidden groups waiting to strike
Standing at the gates of hell
Located at the entrance to the underworld
Satan smiles with delight
The devil is pleased with the situation
Soon to feed his appetite
About to satisfy his hunger
Do you want to know
Do you want to find out
What he has in store
What he has planned
For you the pain
You will experience agony
Will never end
Will persist forever
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MidasKnight
That one always hits the spot!
Smoke Bury
hell yessssssss!