The story that is My Epic has been in the works for se… Read Full Bio ↴[From myepic.net]
The story that is My Epic has been in the works for several years. The whole process started in 1998 when Aaron, Jesse, and Matt first started playing together in what quickly became their first band, The Right Wing Conspiracy, later known as Shaddai. Through their experiences together, the five boys in Shaddai grew as musicians and as a band, and by the summer of 2004, after playing shows ranging from their home town of Fredericksburg, VA to Cornerstone Festival in Illinois and earning a reputation for their energy as well as their technical ability and songwriting prowess, Shaddai was on the brink of taking over the world. Jesse was about to join the rest of the band in the college world, and with the whole band living close together, good things looked to be just ahead. The momentum of the band was brought to a halt in the later part of the summer with the departure of Jono, and the remaining members of Shaddai were faced with the decision of whether to press on, reform, restart, or retire. They knew that it was time to put Shaddai in the past. They threw the ashes of Shaddai to the wind and looked back on the era with a grin. Within a short amount of time, after very little discussion, Aaron, Jesse, and Matt realized the obvious: they had to keep playing together, but something new was in the air. What began as a dilemma actually became a blessing as the three of them found themselves with a chance to refine their focus and take their music in a more adventurous direction. Jono stuck around as the band's closest friend and applied his savvy of all things business to the task of managing the band.
_____It was easy enough to realize the opportunity to begin something new, but the band still needed to complete their lineup with a bass player. Over the remainder of the summer, the as yet unnamed band were working hard to put their heads together, and there was very quick agreement that their school friend Jeremiah would be just the person for the job. As Aaron tells it, the band was thinking of the people they knew, and "the whole time, Jeremiah was just the only person we could think about." They returned to school to find that Jeremiah had moved into the dorm in the room next to Jesse's, and this turn of events was too big to be coincidence. The fit was too natural not to be perfect, and in September of 2004, there were four members of the band with a common vision and a passion waiting to be released. By February, the band was ready to play their first show, which ended up being a very successful and impressive debut in front of a few hundred receptive and enthusiastic audience members. My Epic spent a few days in March of 2005 recording a two-song teaser with their good friend and producer extraordinaire Andrew Prousalis. With the band out of the blocks and off at full speed, it's just a matter of time before their momentum carries them to the attention of anyone with their ear to the ground.
Royal
My Epic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who You are
Crush like wave
Speak as storm
I never comprehend and cannot keep it in
But as the seas roll tidal bowed and bound to the moon I am
Overcome
Call me out
In the wild
Lay me bare
Fill my mind
I leap and laugh within
To stretch my native skin
And as the trees reach skyward surge and sway with the wind I am
Overcome
I remember who You are
Shield my eyes and I cry “just condemn me”
But Your grace reigns
Over shame (overthrowing, overwhelming)
I come alive again here in Your light
I remember who I am
Shake the curse and I burst into singing
All the royal
In my veins (all my passion, to the heavens)
Rings out with all You’ve made
But still we understate
Overcome to overcome
Onward to the kingdom
The lyrics to My Epic’s song “Royal” are a prayerful and meaningful expression of the human desire to pursue and follow God, despite often feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. The opening lines, “Say again, who You are / Crush like wave, speak as storm” allude to God’s power and majesty, which can be both awe-inspiring and intimidating. The following lines, “I never comprehend and cannot keep it in / But as the seas roll tidal bowed and bound to the moon I am / Overcome / And I desire nothing more,” suggest that despite the overwhelming nature of God’s presence, the singer is drawn to it and finds fulfillment through it.
The song goes on to express the desire to be “called out in the wild” and “laid bare” in order to be filled with God’s presence. The lines “To stretch my native skin / And as the trees reach skyward surge and sway with the wind I am / Overcome” refer to the idea of shedding earthly boundaries and constraints in order to fully embrace one’s spiritual identity. The later lines, “I remember who You are / Shield my eyes and I cry ‘just condemn me’ / But Your grace reigns / Over shame / I come alive again here in Your light,” further emphasize the theme of grace and redemption, suggesting that despite feelings of guilt and unworthiness, the singer is brought back to life through God’s unconditional love.
Overall, the lyrics of “Royal” convey a powerful message of spiritual awakening and renewal, emphasizing the transformative power of faith and the significance of embracing one’s divine nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Say again
Request to repeat a statement or question
Who You are
Asking for the identity or nature of a person or deity
Crush like wave
A surge of emotions or thoughts that overpower like a crashing wave
Speak as storm
Speaking with great power or intensity like a violent storm
I never comprehend and cannot keep it in
Unable to fully understand and contain the overwhelming nature of the experience
But as the seas roll tidal bowed and bound to the moon I am
Being swept away and controlled by the powerful force of the experience, like the tides under the influence of the moon
Overcome
To be emotionally overwhelmed and defeated in a positive way by the experience
And I desire nothing more
There is no greater desire or need than what is being experienced currently
Call me out
To challenge or summon an individual in a significant way
In the wild
In the natural environment or away from civilization
Lay me bare
To expose oneself completely and vulnerably
Fill my mind
To be consumed by profound thoughts or emotions
I leap and laugh within
To experience a great sense of joy and liberation
To stretch my native skin
To grow and expand one's own sense of self
And as the trees reach skyward surge and sway with the wind I am
To be deeply connected and influenced by the natural world
I remember who You are
To recall the identity and significance of a powerful authority
Shield my eyes and I cry “just condemn me”
To be overwhelmed by guilt or shame and desire to be punished for it
But Your grace reigns
Despite the guilt and shame, the power of forgiveness and mercy is still present
Over shame (overthrowing, overwhelming)
The power of grace overcomes the weight and burden of shame
I come alive again here in Your light
To experience rejuvenation and new life through the presence of a higher power
I remember who I am
To recall one's own identity and purpose
Shake the curse and I burst into singing
To break free from negative patterns or circumstances and experience great joy and celebration
All the royal (all my passion, to the heavens)
To fully embrace and express one's deepest emotions and desires
In my veins
To possess and be deeply connected to these emotions and desires
Rings out with all You’ve made
To contribute to the greater beauty and grandeur of the world
But still we understate
To acknowledge that our expression of these emotions and desires is limited in comparison to their true essence
Overcome to overcome
To rise above and overcome challenges and obstacles
Onward to the kingdom
To continue on a journey towards a greater spiritual destination
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
drbroberts
I remember when this first came out, I was so excited to see how worship could “sound” and “feel” different than what I was used to (mostly ccm like Bethel and such). Now, worship as a practice and discipline, as a pattern of life, means so much more to me now than how I understood it then, and because of that, this album’s pursuit of exemplifying worship has renewed meaning for me. Same with a lot of Sleeping Giant songs after seeing the documentary you at Facedown put out. Thank you for allowing bands to pursue a heart of worship unconstrained! It’s super uplifting to see and experience.
Alyssa V
Love the entire album especially this song. Always listen to it :)
Kevin Delgado
I cry "just condemn me" but your grace still reign :)
Holiday
Holy shit this reminds me of decoder :D
MOJOEFUL
Jesus is comming, surrender and he will give you eternal life!
Mr. Rich B.O.B
Must be speechless. That's the only thing that can explain the grammar...
maryem513
vocals kinda remind me of deftones a lil bit ,just a lil ,this is good tho i like this but not deftones so much