Here is one of the songs that always hits me hard when I hear it, both because of the lyrics (which are a bit misleading in places) and the story behind the song.

This song was written by Jon Olivia in memory of his bandmate/brother, Criss Olivia. Criss and Jon were founders of Savatage, which grew out of an earlier band of theirs.

Early on the morning of October 17, 1993, while on his way to a music festival in Florida, a drunk driver struck Criss' car head on, killing him instantly and seriously injuring his wife.

I was at work when I heard the news, off of a radio station that had never and probably will never play a Savatage song. I had been and still am a huge fan of Savatage (and, in fact,my signature is from a Savatage song), so the news announcement is basically something that I'll never forget.

If my memory serves me right, by the time he died, Criss was the only original member left (Jon had left the band earlier in the year). Criss' death was almost the death of the band, but Jon came back and basically recorded as much of the album "Handful of Rain" himself as he possibly could, crediting the recordings to the band (such as it was after Criss' death). It is a great album in my opinion (if you are into their style of music), but it is also one of the ones I rarely listen to, because of this song.

"Alone You Breath" - Savatage

You were never one for waiting
Still I always thought you'd wait for me
Have you from your dream awakened
And from where you are what do you see

Which of us is now in exile
Which in need of amnesty
Are you now but an illusion
In my mind alone you breathe

You believed in things that I will never know
You were out there drowning but it never showed
Till inside a rain swept night you just let go

You're thrown it all away
And now we'll never see
The ending of the play
The grand design
The final line
And what was meant to be

In the dark a distant runner
Now has disappeared into the night
Leaving us to stand and wonder
Staring from this end into your life

You believed in things that I will never know
You were out there drowning but it never showed
Till inside a rain swept night you just let go

You've thrown it all away
And now we'll never see
The ending of the play
The grand design
The final line
And what was meant to be

And if this is all illusion
Nothing more than pure delusion
Clinging to a fading fantasy

Like Icarus who heeds the calling
Of a sun but now is falling
As the feathers of his life fall free
Can you see
See

Tomorrow
And after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here
Believing
That in the dark
There is a clue

Perhaps inside
This midnight sky
Perhaps tomorrow's new born eyes
Or then again
We'll never know
And after all
This was the show

What am I to do

Gotta get back
Gotta get back
Gotta get back

What am I to do

Gotta get back
Gotta get back
Gotta get back

What am I to do

Standing on a dream
Isn't what it seems
Could we then reclaim a dream refused
Knowing what we know
Could we let it go
Realizing that all the years are used

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue
I am the way
I am the light
I am the dark inside the night
I hear your hopes
I feel your dreams
And in the dark I hear your screams

Tomorrow and after
You tell me what am I to do
I stand here believing
That in the dark there is a clue

__________________
To those that understand, I extend my hand. To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am!