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 albumsβHall of the Mountain King (1987), Gutter Ballet (1989), Streets: A Rock Opera (1991) and Edge of Thorns (1993)βwere 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 yearsβpartly even before the hiatusβmembers 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)
Necrophilia
Savatage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I set a course for L.A.
Midnight flight
Now she tried to tell me
That she comes from the grave
Such a sight
Stay away
Your hands are cold
Evil soul
Yeah
She's a deceiver
Disbeliever
Inconceiver
Necrophilia
Black candles burning
On her altar of ice
She's no fight
Heavy metal maiden
On her way through the night air
Get away
Your hands are cold
Cadaver eyes
Wicked soul
Yeah
No
Black candles burning
On her altar of ice
She's no fighting
Heavy metal maiden
On her way through the night air
Stay away
Your hands are cold
Frigid lips
Evil soul
Yeah
She's a deceiver
Disbeliever
Inconceiver
Necrophilia
In "Necrophilia," Savatage tells a story of a protagonist who is seduced by an alluring woman with a dark and disturbing secret. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about the last time she touched him, which compelled him to take a midnight flight to L.A. However, things take a sinister turn when she reveals she comes from the grave. The singer is warned to stay away from her, as her hands are cold, lips are frigid, and soul is evil. The woman is described as a deceiver, disbeliever, and inconceiver. The singer bears witness to a ritualistic scene where black candles are burning on her altar of ice, painting a picture of a dark and occult realm.
The song's lyrics are filled with symbolism, metaphors, and imagery that reflect themes of death, decay, and moral decay. The woman in the song represents the dangers of necrophilia, the sexual attraction to corpses, or a metaphor for the allure of death, decay, and destruction. The black candles, altar of ice, and cadaver eyes are all objects and images associated with death and decay. The heavy metal maiden, on the other hand, is a symbol of rebellion and nonconformity, a rebellious force that propels one to the darker sides of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Last time she touched me
The last time this person was touched by the subject of the song
I set a course for L.A.
They traveled to Los Angeles after being touched by the subject
Midnight flight
The flight to Los Angeles took place at midnight
Now she tried to tell me
At a later point, the subject of the song tried to convey something to the artist
That she comes from the grave
The subject of the song claimed to be dead and buried
Such a sight
This revelation was surprising to the singer and possibly frightening
Stay away
The singer warns others to keep their distance from the subject of the song
Your hands are cold
The subject's touch is unnaturally cold
Frigid lips
The subject's lips are also cold and possibly blue or pale
Evil soul
The artist believes the subject to be evil or malevolent
Yeah
A simple interjection expressing agreement, emphasis, or confirmation
She's a deceiver
The artist believes the subject to be deceiving or misleading
Disbeliever
The subject does not believe in conventional morals or values
Inconceiver
The subject is beyond the singer's comprehension or understanding
Necrophilia
The subject is revealed to have a sexual attraction to corpses
Black candles burning
The subject is associated with dark, occult or ritualistic practices
On her altar of ice
The subject has a place of worship or ritual that is cold and lifeless
She's no fight
The subject does not resist or struggle against the singer's warnings or accusations
Heavy metal maiden
The subject is portrayed as a rebellious or dangerous figure, possibly associated with heavy metal music
On her way through the night air
The subject is traveling or moving with a sense of purpose or urgency
No
A simple interjection expressing disagreement, disbelief, or rejection
Cadaver eyes
The subject's eyes are described as lifeless or corpse-like
Wicked soul
The singer continues to believe the subject to be evil or immoral
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER M OLIVA, JOHN N OLIVA, KEITH COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angel Samolis
Last time she touched me
I set a course for L.A.
Midnight flight
Now she tried to tell me
That she comes from the grave
Such a sight
Stay away
Your hands are cold
Frigid lips
Evil soul
Yeah
She's a deceiver
Disbeliever
Inconceiver
Necrophilia
Black candles burning
On her altar of ice
She's no fight
Heavy metal maiden
On her way through the night air
Get away
Your hands are cold
Cadaver eyes
Wicked soul
Yeah
No
Black candles burning
On her altar of ice
She's no fighting
Heavy metal maiden
On her way through the night air
Stay away
Your hands are cold
Frigid lips
Evil soul
Yeah
She's a deceiver
Disbeliever
Inconceiver
Necrophilia
Pervo the Clown
Stay away! Your hands are cold!!! Criss Oliva kills on this one . Love his guitar work.
The1WhoKnowsTheTruth
Jon and Criss could write about anything and make it Metal worthy.Β Miss them both.
David Bruggeman
In my opinion..the olivas were the best brother duo in metal..an I'd say the guys from raven second...πππͺπ€πΈπ§πΊπΈ
Jason Waller
Damn right my brotha!!!π€
Brad Brown
Pantera . Abbott bros
Dawson
@Brad Brownnot even close
xk
2:25 one of the best screams in the history of metal
Carlos mas
its Fuckin bananas!!!!!!
FarmerFrankie44
one of my favorit vocalists this is. such power. such talent. and so damn heavy \m/
santy snowdog.
i love this song and i`m 47 years old, but I discovered this bad las year... OMG Β is a great band. Β i love it.