Can you feel it, see it, hear it today?
If you can't, then it doesn't matter anyway
You will never understand it 'cause it happens too fast
And it feels so good, it's like walking on glass
It's so cool, it's so hip, it's alright
It's so groovy, it's outta sight
You can touch it, smell it, taste it so sweet
But it makes no difference 'cause it knocks you off your feet

You want it all but you can't have it

It's cryin', bleedin', lying on the floor
So you lay down on it and you do it some more
You've got to share it, so you dare it
Then you bare it and you tear it

You want it all but you can't have it
It's in your face but you can't grab it

It's alive, afraid, a lie, a sin
It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win
It's dark, it's moist, it's a bitter pain
It's sad it happened and it's a shame

You want it all but you can't have it
It's in your face but you can't grab it

What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it

What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?

You want it all but you can't have it
It's in your face but you can't grab it

It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it
What is it?
It's it (yeah, yeah, yeah)
What is it?
It's it


Lyrics submitted by jt

Epic Lyrics as written by Roddy Christopher Bottum Michael Andrew Bordin

Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, BIG THRILLING MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Epic song meanings
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155 Comments

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  • +8
    General Comment

    Everybody wants something in life... What is it? Something that would satisfy us... What is it? The answer to it all... What is it? We try so hard to bring ourselves closer... but we're already there. We can't grab what we've had from the beginning. We overlook the thing that is before every other thing we see. It's what we had before we started deciding what we have and don't have.

    It's just us.

    kyutoreruon November 09, 2006   Link
  • +7
    General Comment

    I think this song has some kind of mysterious meaning, whether it be about society or in a spiritual sense. I just can't see a song with a great piano outtro being about drugs.

    pianomanon June 30, 2003   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    It's a song about it.

    mowion May 30, 2004   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    Its about the "epic" that is our lives...some of us try to feel the mystical pull from God/the other side (like The Door's sang about) in our lives because we can feel it, see it, hear it today...we want to grasp it and understand it completely because it feels so good, it's like walking on glass...we want it constantly, but we want it all, all the time, but we can't have it, its always starting us in the face in some way but we can't grab it....WHAT IS IT?!?...what is this reality, this life, this existence?

    Willingham420on May 09, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I remember an interview on MTV with Mike Patton by [I think] Riki Rachtman when the song first came out. It was Headbangers Ball I believe too. Anyway, Mike said, "Epic is about what everything around us is about - SEX". The quote may be missing some words, but that's pretty accurate.

    NJBillyon June 17, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    The lyrics of this song have an universal meaning, which can mean anything to anyone. I'd say it's about a certain obsession with something, not being able to get what you want, maybe due to an mental, phyiscal handicap or just plain rules which don't allow you to. I found this due to the experience that this song already fitted twice in my life with totally different experiences.

    Yeah, it's about masturbating while watching porn! Yeah, it's about drugs, which keep asking more and more! Yeah, it's about not reaching your goals in life! Yeah, it's about falling in love with your best friend. Etc.

    That's what makes this song so great. Wherefor most songs only fit one. two or maybe three meanings, this song can have any meaning you want. He explicitly asks what it means to you in the ending ;-).

    TwoFacedCreativeon December 05, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    Decided to post because I've seen some horrible explanations as well as some that are close. Here's what Epic is really about:

    "It" is your meaningless existence.

    "Can you feel it, see it, hear it today? If you can't, then it doesn't matter anyway You will never understand it 'cause it happens too fast"

    • You will never understand what your existence means because your life is short.

    "But it makes no difference 'cause it knocks you off your feet"

    • No matter what you think your existence means, eventually you will die anyway.

    "You want it all but you can't have it It's in your face but you can't grab it"

    • You want to live forever, but can't. Life is all around you but you can't hold onto it.

    "Piano outro"

    • That's the sound of your meaningless life fading away.
    FuckTheGOPon December 06, 2018   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I, personaly, dont agree with any of the whole "its about drugs" scenarios on here. Mike Patton did not do drugs. Hes clean. I believe it is about just anything at all. "It" represents anything that we take for granted. Everyones song writing equation or process isnt the same. You should actually know something about the person who wrote the song before you start blaming the genius of talented artists such as Mike Patton on drug use. Ok, and now to quote Mr. Mackee, "Drugs r' bad...mmkay?" )O(Marilyn)O(

    Disintegratoron May 20, 2004   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I love this song because, yeah, most songs are riddles (kind of) but this is streight up in riddle form. I think it's about that one kick that everyone is looking for, some people have found it, some people are still trying to find out what that one thing is that just grabs you deep inside, inflates you and makes all your cares just float away. That's why he sais "IT", because "IT" is something different to everybody. And you say "What is it?"

    Musixexon January 07, 2008   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    i think the subject of the the song is everything that you want to have or reach to and feeling so close but can't fully reach it. for me it's about quantum physics and exploring the secrets of the universe the thungs that we can't fully understand but yet they are all around us and are very accessible but still we can't fully reach them. maybe human alchemy ;-) hey it fits fullmetal alchemist brotherhood!

    nukeyon December 05, 2009   Link

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