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)
Paragons Of Innocence
Savatage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into night
Into day
Into I don't know you anymore
But I stand
Where you say
Thinking all the time you planned it
You've been gone away too long
Leaving us to carry on
Though in truth you never tried
Just stepped back and watched the slide
Paragons of innocence
Questioning of your intent
Never quite sure what you meant
From the other side
Moments on the carousel
Must admit we ride it well
And the horses never tell
All throughout the ride
That no one leaves
No one leaves
No one leaves...
Alive
Time
On my hands
Slips away
`Til I just don``t feel it anymore
Thinking back
When I can
To the time when it began with
Bits of dreams all in a line
And somehow we missed the signs
That it all was never real
And in truth a fatal deal
Paragons of innocence
Questioning of your intent
Never quite sure what you meant
From the other side
Moments on the carousel
Must admit we ride it well
And the horses never tell
All throughout the ride
No one leaves
No one leaves
No one leaves...
Alive
There always comes a time
When you do what you want to do
You know you shouldn't do it
But you do it anyway
And when he had that time
When he knew what he wanted to
He quickly placed his order
Though he never thought he'd pay
But the lines turned to lies
And the lies turned to tangles
And you're pale as a cadaver
Though you think it doesn't show
So you live with the lies
And the friends that it gathers
But somewhere in your heart you know you
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Got to let it
Go
Paragons of innocence
Questioning of your intent
Never quite sure what you meant
From the other side
Moments on the carousel
Must admit we ride it well
And the horses never tell
All throughout the ride
No one leaves
No one leaves
No one leaves...
Alive
The song "Paragons of Innocence" by Savatage seems to be talking about the aftermath of a tragedy or mistake of some sort. The lyrics suggest that someone has left and not taken responsibility for their actions, leaving the others to deal with the consequences. The line "You've been gone away too long, leaving us to carry on" implies that this person has abandoned their responsibilities and left others to pick up the pieces.
The chorus of the song, where they sing "Paragons of innocence, questioning of your intent, never quite sure what you meant from the other side," suggests that this person may have had good intentions or seemed innocent, but their actions have led to something negative. The metaphor of the carousel and riding it well implies that the others are moving on and trying to enjoy life despite the tragedy, but there is still an underlying sadness and uncertainty.
The overall message of the song seems to be about coming to terms with a difficult situation and letting go of the past. The repeated line "No one leaves alive" suggests that everyone is affected by the tragedy in one way or another and that it is impossible to escape its impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Day
The beginning of a cycle
Into night
The transition into a period of darkness, uncertainty and confusion
Into day
The transition back into a period of clarity, hopefulness and certainty
Into I don't know you anymore
The realization that someone you trusted and knew very well has changed, become unrecognizable or unfamiliar
But I stand
Resilience and determination to face the situation
Where you say
Following someone else's lead or directions
Thinking all the time you planned it
Suspicion that the other person had ulterior motives and calculated their actions
You've been gone away too long
Feeling abandoned or neglected
Leaving us to carry on
Having to deal with the consequences and pick up the pieces
Though in truth you never tried
Realizing that the other person didn't put in the effort and was indifferent to the outcome
Just stepped back and watched the slide
Passively witnessing the downfall and not intervening
Paragons of innocence
People who were once naive, idealistic and virtuous
Questioning of your intent
Doubting the true motives and intentions of the other person
Never quite sure what you meant
Feeling perplexed and uncertain about the meaning behind their actions
From the other side
Seeing things from a different perspective or position
Moments on the carousel
Life as a cycle of ups and downs, highs and lows
Must admit we ride it well
Acknowledging one's ability to cope and adapt
And the horses never tell
The cyclical nature of life is inevitable and non-judgmental
All throughout the ride
The entire journey of life, with all its twists and turns
No one leaves
No one is exempt from the cycle of life and death
Alive
Hinting at the possibility of spiritual or emotional survival beyond physical death
Time
The passage of time and its effect on one's perception and memory
On my hands
Having time that feels idle or unproductive
Slips away
Time passing by quickly and without notice
Til I just don't feel it anymore
Feeling numb or detached due to prolonged exposure
Thinking back
Remembering the past with a sense of nostalgia or regret
When I can
When the opportunity arises or when it feels safe to do so
To the time when it began with
Tracing back to the origin or starting point of a situation
Bits of dreams all in a line
The initial hopes and aspirations for the future
And somehow we missed the signs
Realizing that the signs of trouble were present all along but ignored or dismissed
That it all was never real
The realization that what was hoped for or expected was never truly attainable or sustainable
And in truth a fatal deal
The harsh reality of the outcome being predetermined or inevitable
There always comes a time
An inevitability in life to face challenges and difficult decisions
When you do what you want to do
Following your own desires or instincts, regardless of the consequences
You know you shouldn't do it
Being aware of the risks or dangers involved
But you do it anyway
Acting impulsively or despite the risks
And when he had that time
Referring to a specific individual who had a decisive moment
When he knew what he wanted to
Having a clear objective or goal
He quickly placed his order
Acting swiftly and decisively to pursue the goal
Though he never thought he'd pay
Not fully recognizing the consequences or price of his actions
But the lines turned to lies
The initial plan or objective becoming corrupted or deceitful
And the lies turned to tangles
The lies becoming more complex and harder to unravel
And you're pale as a cadaver
Emotional or physical exhaustion and depletion
Though you think it doesn't show
Feeling like others can't see your struggles or pain
So you live with the lies
Living with the consequences of your actions, even if it means perpetuating the lies
And the friends that it gathers
Surrounding yourself with people who may condone or enable the behavior
But somewhere in your heart you know you
A sense of inner conflict or guilt, despite external appearances
Got to let it
The need to move on and let go of the past
Go
Accepting that the past cannot be changed and focusing on the future
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN OLIVA, JOHN N. OLIVA, PAUL O'NEILL, PAUL F. O'NEILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alan R.S. antisociety
A MUSICA MAIS BEM FEITA Q JA OUVI !!!!! E OLHA Q EU NAO CONHEÇO POUCA COISA NAO HEIN !! MAIS DO Q INCRIVEL ,, UMA OBRA PRIMA INTOCAVEL....
macmcc030261
One of many great songs on a killer album!
Tye Cox
paragon
păr′ə-gŏn″, -gən
noun
A model of excellence or perfection of a kind; a peerless example
Zolkiewska
"So you live with the lies and the friends that it gathers
but somewhere in your heart, you know you gotta let it go"
i'm just in love with these lines
Tye Cox
paragon
păr′ə-gŏn″, -gən
noun
A model of excellence or perfection of a kind; a peerless example
Fraevo10
There is an outro musical passage right at the end of this song that's beautiful but unfortunately they let it fade out and ended the song..
I'd love to hear the full edit of this song with that outro played out fully.
Zachary Mccormick
I agree. I've always felt the same.
onpoc
+Fraevo10 It sounds similar to what they did at the end of "Surrender" from Poets and Madmen. Maybe they took that bit and put it there. They have already done this for other songs.
Rose Marie Nielsen
Great love it !!!
пингвин маньяк
очень круто!Это моя любимая песня!