Epiphany
Taylor Swift Lyrics
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Keep your life, son
Just a flesh wound
Here's your rifle
Crawling up the beaches now
Sir, I think he's bleedin' out
And some things you just can't speak about
With you, I serve
With you, I fall down
Down
Watch you breathin'
Watch you breathin' out
Out
Something med school
Did not cover
Someone's daughter
Someone's mother
Holds your hand through plastic now
Doc, I think she's crashin' out
And some things you just can't speak about
Only twenty minutes to sleep
But you dream of some epiphany
Just one single glimpse of relief
To make some sense of what you've seen
With you, I serve
With you, I fall down
Down (down)
Watch you breathin'Watch you breathin' out
Out
With you, I serve
With you, I fall down (down)
Down (down)
Watch you breathin'
Watch you breathin' out (out)
Out
Only twenty minutes to sleep
But you dream of some epiphany
Just one single glimpse of relief
To make some sense of what you've seen
The lyrics of the song Epiphany by Taylor Swift paint a vivid and poignant picture of the horrors of war, as well as the shared experiences of doctors and soldiers who inevitably cross paths on the battlefield. The opening lines of the song reference the importance of protecting oneself during battle, highlighting the casual banality of warfare and the way it permeates everyday life. The chorus emphasizes the shared sense of duty and sacrifice between the two groups and the weight of witnessing and surviving traumatic events.
The second verse of the song shifts focus to the role of doctors in wartime, describing the painful and often heartbreaking experience of watching patients die despite their best efforts. The imagery of holding someone's hand through plastic suggests a sterile, clinical environment in which human connection is at a minimum, and the powerlessness felt by the medical staff further emphasizes the brutality of war.
The final lines of the song evoke a sense of hopefulness in the face of devastation, highlighting the power of dreaming and the possibility of experiencing moments of clarity and resolution in the midst of chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep your helmet
Protect yourself and remain safe
Keep your life, son
Stay alive and out of danger
Just a flesh wound
A minor injury that can heal
Here's your rifle
Take your weapon, be prepared for the danger
Crawling up the beaches now
Soldiers storming the beaches during a battle
Sir, I think he's bleedin' out
A soldier is losing blood and may die soon
And some things you just can't speak about
Some events during war cannot be discussed or expressed
With you, I serve
Being a part of a group fighting together
With you, I fall down
If you go down, I go down with you
Watch you breathin'
Monitoring someone's breathing to ensure they are still alive
Watch you breathin' out
Monitoring someone's final moments as they pass away
Something med school did not cover
There are things even medical school cannot prepare you for
Someone's daughter
A young woman with a family who loves and misses her
Someone's mother
A woman who gave birth to and raised children
Holds your hand through plastic now
A loved one holds the hand of a dying person through plastic gloves
Doc, I think she's crashin' out
The doctor fears the patient may not make it through the night
Only twenty minutes to sleep
Soldiers only have a small window of time to get rest
But you dream of some epiphany
Hoping for a revelation or a solution to their problems
Just one single glimpse of relief
Praying for a moment of peace in the midst of chaos
To make some sense of what you've seen
Trying to process and understand the trauma they have experienced
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aaron Brooking Dessner, Taylor A. Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xhele18
THIS SONG IS TO HONOR ALL THE SOLDIERS, NURSES, MEDICS, DOCTORS OUT THERE
WHO ARE SERVING FOR THEIR COUNTRY,
WHO RISK THEIR OWN LIVES TO SAVE OTHERS,
WHO WORK ALL DAY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
AND MAYBE SADLY LOST THEIR LIVES, BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
YOU ARE ALL HEROES.
THIS IS FOR YOU. IN HONOR.
THANK YOU.
@drippingmascara
as a first year doctor in NYC during the time of COVID, this “historical” song is something cut out of a contemporary time. It is lovely as a “story handed down” that this song is about Taylor’s veteran grandfather, but the beauty of music (especially Taylor’s) is that a song can be interpreted one’s own way.
This song makes my experience feel seen in melody and really meant a lot to me to translate this song to my experience (and that of many others who fought COVID on the frontlines).
“Something med school did not cover
Someone's daughter, someone's mother
Holds your hand through plastic now
‘Doc, I think she's crashing out’
And some things you just can't speak about
Only twenty minutes to sleep
But you dream of some epiphany
Just one single glimpse of relief
To make some sense of what you've seen
With you I serve, with you I fall down, down
Watch you breathe in, watch you breathing out, out”
... could literally be a page from my diary the past few months that found me unprepared but full of unforgettable meaning. So grateful for this gorgeous album 🤧♥️
@elizzybec
When I was a little girl, I didn't know why my grandfather was the way he was. He was always apart from us. drinking. alone. One time he called me over while I was playing outside with my cousins in my grandparents house. He never spoke so this was startling. I sat next to him and he began to tell me a story about boats and bullets and having to crawl up a beach. He said if you lifted your head up the bullets would take it off. He said he could only try to bury himself in the sand and he began to dig desperately, he told me. Then he started crying and I was in shock. I had never known a man to cry. But he rocked back and forth and continued...he told me when he was digging he found a rosary in the sand. He cried and showed me a rosary. Then he stayed quiet and stopped talking and just looked and held the rosary as I slunk away from what I thought was a crazy man. I was so little. Now as an adult I understand. He was a Normandy D Day survivor. My mom told me later what it meant. I never knew anything about him but that. I know he stayed there, even if he returned home. I know he lost his mind and heart there. This song brings back my grandfather's memory so vividly. Now I cry too, for his tears were so real, and that's all I ever knew of him.
edit: Thank you to the doctors, nurses, and all medics who stood heroically against horrific circumstances and gave so much to bring our loved ones home. From the waves off the beaches of Normandy and the South Pacific to the waves of Covid we are still battling...thank you with all my heart.
@violetryugamine9929
I wanted to say something but my words disappear as I continued to read your comment. Let's cry for the sacrifices and survivors together. ❤️
@aissalubisi_17
💜.
@blve.january
@@TiffanyRusell are you.. advertising on a sad comment?
@amyleahmulholland
Thank you for sharing your grandfather’s story. So moving.
@mikashal-bar8887
That's an amazing story, I'm sorry your family had to go through that❤️❤️
@ashlananne
I feel like this is truly a passion project for Taylor, it’s like nothing else she has ever done.
@keylimetea
Ashlan Gruwell YES!
@afz5355
I agree, this seems so personal and just not for anyone? Ykwim? This is just for herself and us, her fans
@anjalipardhi4688
True