The band first reached substantial commercial success with its third studio album Fight for the Rock (1986), which peaked at number 158 on the Billboard 200. Its next four albums—Hall of the Mountain King (1987), Gutter Ballet (1989), Streets: A Rock Opera (1991) and Edge of Thorns (1993)—were also successful but more critically acclaimed than Fight for the Rock. On October 17, 1993, six months after the release of Edge of Thorns, guitarist Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident. Following his death, Jon (along with producer Paul O'Neill) decided to continue Savatage in memory of his brother. The band released four more studio albums, and went through several line-up changes before going on an extended hiatus in 2002. During the years—partly even before the hiatus—members founded various new bands such as Jon Oliva's Pain, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Circle II Circle and Doctor Butcher. On August 2, 2014, Savatage announced that they were reuniting for the 2015 Wacken Open Air; despite having discussed the possibility of more shows and new music, the band went on hiatus once again. Although Savatage technically remains inactive, half of the members of the band claimed in interviews during throughout 2020 and 2021 that they have been working on new material for a possible follow-up to Poets and Madmen (2001).
Studio albums
Sirens (1983)
Power of the Night (1985)
Fight for the Rock (1986)
Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
Gutter Ballet (1989)
Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)
Edge of Thorns (1993)
Handful of Rain (1994)
Dead Winter Dead (1995)
The Wake of Magellan (1997)
Poets and Madmen (2001)
He Carves His Stone
Savatage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here with memories so closely guarded
There's an old man standing all alone
As he waits among the unforgiven
Here among the souls no longer living
Lost in chains of sin still unatoned
Well a man's got to do what a man must do
But I'll never give my soul to you
No fallen angel's prophecy
Will ever take hold of the man you see
So here I stand all alone
With chisel in hand I work my stone
And leave a message for all to see
I've lived a life of insanity
And carve that stone
And on that final night
You know I dream of you
And in a flash of light
I carved that stone right through
Yeah I carved that stone right through
The above lyrics are from the song "He Carves His Stone" by the American heavy metal band Savatage. The song is about an old man who is standing alone and waiting among those who were unforgiven and no longer living. He is lost in chains of sin which are atoned. However, he carves his stone, which refers to carving his own tombstone, with a chisel in hand. This act symbolizes the man's acceptance of his fate and his willingness to leave behind a message for others to see. He is not afraid to confront his own mortality and is determined to live the life he wants to lead on his own terms.
The lyrics also talk about how a man must do what he needs to do, but he will never give his soul away to anyone. No prophecy or external force can ever control him. He stands alone and proud, with his own identity and values intact. He may have lived a life of insanity, but he has also carved his stone, leaving behind a legacy that will endure through time.
In conclusion, "He Carves His Stone" is a powerful song about acceptance, courage, and living life to the fullest, regardless of the consequences. It encourages people to embrace their own fate and to confront their own mortality, while also leaving behind a message that others can learn from.
Line by Line Meaning
Among the images of dear departed
In this place where memories of loved ones who have passed away are kept
Here with memories so closely guarded
The memories of these loved ones are closely guarded
There's an old man standing all alone
An old man stands alone among the memories of the deceased
As he waits among the unforgiven
He waits among the souls who were not forgiven during their lifetime
Here among the souls no longer living
These souls are no longer alive
Lost in chains of sin still unatoned
They are trapped in their unatoned sins
He carves his stone
The old man carves a stone to represent his life and legacy
Well a man's got to do what a man must do
A man must fulfill his duties and responsibilities
But I'll never give my soul to you
But he will never give in to temptation and sell his soul
No fallen angel's prophecy
No prophecy or prediction from a fallen angel
Will ever take hold of the man you see
Will ever influence the man he is today
So here I stand all alone
The old man stands alone in his convictions
With chisel in hand I work my stone
He uses a chisel to work on his stone
And leave a message for all to see
He leaves a message on the stone for others to read
I've lived a life of insanity
The old man reflects on his life, which he considers insane
And carve that stone
He continues to carve his stone to represent his life
And on that final night
On the night of his death
You know I dream of you
He dreams of someone important to him
And in a flash of light
Suddenly, in a burst of light
I carved that stone right through
He finishes carving his stone, completing his legacy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN OLIVA, PAUL O'NEILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Peric
He Carves His Stone
Savatage
Among the images of dear departed
Here with memories so closely guarded
There's an old man standing all alone
As he waits among the unforgiven
Here among the souls no longer living
Lost in chains of sin still unatoned
He carves his stone
Well a man's got to do what a man must do
But I'll never give my soul to you
No fallen angel's prophecy
Will ever take hold of the man you see
So here I stand all alone
With chisel in hand I work my stone
And leave a message for all to see
I've lived a life of insanity
And carve that stone
And on that final night
You know I dream of you
And in a flash of light
I carved that stone right through
Yeah I carved that stone right through
Adam Jensen
"He Carves His Stone"
Among the images of dear departed
Here with memories so closely guarded
There's an old man standing all alone
As he waits among the unforgiven
Here among the souls no longer living
Lost in chains of sin still un-atoned
He carves his stone
Well a man's got to do what a man's got to do
But I'll never give my soul to you
No fallen angel's prophecy
Will ever take hold of the man you see
So here I stand all alone
With chisel in hand I work my stone
And leave a message for all to see
And contemplate mortality
And carve that stone
And on that final night
You know I dream of you
And in a flash of light
I carve that stone right through
Yeah I carved that stone right through
amon-91
My God, that solo at the end... Criss fuckin' rule!
David Peric
He Carves His Stone
Savatage
Among the images of dear departed
Here with memories so closely guarded
There's an old man standing all alone
As he waits among the unforgiven
Here among the souls no longer living
Lost in chains of sin still unatoned
He carves his stone
Well a man's got to do what a man must do
But I'll never give my soul to you
No fallen angel's prophecy
Will ever take hold of the man you see
So here I stand all alone
With chisel in hand I work my stone
And leave a message for all to see
I've lived a life of insanity
And carve that stone
And on that final night
You know I dream of you
And in a flash of light
I carved that stone right through
Yeah I carved that stone right through
David Gaddis
What bothers me the most is criss Olivia never gets the notariety he truly deserves. Criss is the best, to me he is better than Van Halen and any other guitarist ever to play
Danilo Attilio
Only Blackmore and Dimebag compare to Criss!
Brian Vos
Agreed Criss Oliva is a truly legendary guitarist that many people don’t know. His guitar work is astounding
Hazardeur
dude i mean just listen to the last 1.5 minutes of He Carves His Stone. Or Light's out. Or any other song. Criss was insane on the guitar. If that's not some absolute godly soloing right there I dont know what is. That phrasing is so insane I can't even comprehend it. Also, he's got that lively bluesy stuff to it while still being absolutely modern and technical. fat wide vibrato, crazy speed, accuracy, amazing chord work. Fat riffs, tons of quniueness, Interesting note choices. This guy truly had it all. God Damn.
1980'sRareAndUnreleased
Why does it matter?
Miss E
One of the most underrated bands EVER!
MetalMusicFromAcrossTheWorldYT
This track will always mean life!! R.I.P Criss. Still after all these years untouchable!
\m/
Ado Podrinje
@SavatageIsMyReligion I can not find any bands like Savatage! was a new fan in 2002 and then also love Death/black, but heavy or power metal like these bands? there aint no other Savatage? I do like Iced Earth and Hammerfall and nightwish too, but really dunno where to search for better cuz Savatage IS the best in this genre...