Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

epiphany
Taylor Swift Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Keep your helmet
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

Overall Meaning

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
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@drippingmascaraofficial

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 🤧♥️



@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.



All comments from YouTube:

@hedishouse

epiphany: a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.

@till-coppola

It's also a moment of absolute revelation

@shrey549

A moment of realirealization?

@user-hf2sn8bq7w

@@shrey549 kind of, it's like when you understand something entirely, each minimal detail

@ishar2129

@@shrey549 it's a great moment of realisation ♡

@thutrang.1512

Thank you 😍 It's so important that I finally know this 😍

77 More Replies...

@bsasso123

she did not write this gem for people to be calling it the worst song on folklore. it singlehandedly immortalizes the pandemic and she does it with such compassion and grace and i love her.

@monalletinie143

People are calling it the worst song on folklore?? Never heard that, but it's awful if it's happening

@thvf2381

just bcs it's their least fav song in the album doesn't mean they immortalize the pandemic

@daviddushaj4723

best song imo

More Comments

More Versions