Jordan Raskopoulos, a comedian, Benny Davis, a classically trained musician and Lee Naimo came together to form the group in 2006. Since that time they’ve been wowing audiences across the world with with their mixture of quirky original songs, catchy pop-parodies and hilarious banter.
The video of their “4 Chords Song” has had over 28 million hits on YouTube, and is their most widely recognized song.
The Glorious Epic of Three Men who are Awesome
The Axis of Awesome Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rides a man, a mighty lord
His foes fall in pain
Women cry his name
The gift of rock his reward
With a voice that can power lightbulbs
Wound a bear and shatter souls
All the single ladies
Put your hands up
Rock 'n Roll
Under rock and craggy mountain
In the ancient hall he dwells
His piano shines with glory
He sings an ancient story
Of betrayal by the Elves
Wait, sorry. Ancient halls? Elves?
You're making me a dwarf, aren't you?
No, no. You are a mighty warrior
His six brothers, grim and beardy
They saw a maid, as white as snow
A magic mirror found her
Now she's off, they flounder
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work he goes
Ah, thanks. I'm a dwarf then, a Disney dwarf
Yes, yes! A mighty, mighty dwarf!
Man of earth and man of fire
Battle brothers to the core
Valor soaring ever higher
But we're empty, lost without one more
Hello, my name is Lee
And I play the guitar
And I play the guitar!
What?
And so we ride onwards to destiny
Our foes and enemies slain
Fighting fierce beasts, eating their meats
We ride!
And Awesome's our name
Jordon!
Riding on a skeleton horse of fire!
Lee!
Riding on a skeleton horse of fire!
But no, I'm riding a skeleton horse of fire
Ya, you have to pick something different
Lee!
Riding on a skeleton horse of... water!
What? A waterhorse?
You mean like a seahorse?
Well, at least I'm not riding on a chicken!
Who said I'm riding on a chicken?
Benny!
Riding on a chicken!
But why do I have to ride a chicken?
You guys got to choose yours!
I want to ride a dragon!
And so we ride onwards to destiny
On horse, seahorse, and hen
Evil destroyed, homeless employed
We ride!
From now till the end
And in the misty halls of Asgard
Where the Gods watch over man
They tried to curse the Axis for our pride
But alas, we were too awesome
Their powers weak against our might
So we kicked them in the balls
And then they cried
And so we ride onwards to destiny
With swords and weapons and shit
Lightning will flash
Thunder will clash
We ride into infinity!
We fly and don't need a plane
We'll fill you with love
Till heaven and earth combine!
And Awesome's our name
The Axis of Awesome's song The Glorious Epic of Three Men who are Awesome is a comical and exaggerated portrayal of three men going on a grand adventure, slaying their foes, and conquering all obstacles to be known as "Awesome." The lyrics are laced with references to fantasy and fairy tale tropes such as dwarves, Elves, magic mirrors, Asgard, and Hades. The song portrays each member of the group as a powerful and heroic figure who rides forth to destiny with swords, guitars, and magical horses, spreading love and vanquishing enemies.
The first verse introduces the first man, a mighty lord of rock, who rides through a "mist of smoke and flame," leaving his foes in pain and women crying his name. The lyrics use hyperbole, describing his voice as having the power to "power lightbulbs, wound a bear, and shatter souls." The second verse introduces the second man, who lives in an ancient hall, playing a piano and singing an "ancient story of betrayal by the Elves." This verse also references Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by describing his six brothers as "grim and beardy" and seeing a maid, as white as snow. The final verse introduces the third man, Lee, who plays the guitar and is initially confused about what he is meant to be in the fantasy setting. The song ends with the trio riding off into infinity, on horses, seahorses, and even chickens.
Overall, the song is a comical tribute to fantasy storytelling and rock music. It uses exaggerated and fantastical language to paint a portrait of three larger-than-life characters who are meant to be taken with a grain of salt. It's a celebration of fun and adventure, full of references to popular fairy tales and fantasy stories.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the mist of smoke and flame
Amidst the chaos and destruction
Rides a man, a mighty lord
A powerful and respected leader
His foes fall in pain
He defeats his enemies easily
Women cry his name
He is admired and desired by many
The gift of rock his reward
His musical talent brings him fame and success
With a voice that can power lightbulbs
His singing voice is incredibly strong
Wound a bear and shatter souls
His voice can cause physical and emotional harm
He calms the hounds of Hades
Even the underworld's creatures are tamed by his music
All the single ladies
A reference to a popular song, calls for women to dance and sing along
Put your hands up
Encourages audience participation
Rock 'n Roll
Celebrates the genre of rock music
Under rock and craggy mountain
In a secluded and ancient place
In the ancient hall he dwells
Lives in a place of great history and importance
His piano shines with glory
His musical instrument is impressive and revered
He sings an ancient story
Shares a tale from long ago through his music
Of betrayal by the Elves
A story of being wronged by mythical creatures
Wait, sorry. Ancient halls? Elves?
Questioning the relevance of the story being told
You're making me a dwarf, aren't you?
Realizing he is being cast as a certain fictional character
No, no. You are a mighty warrior
Reassuring the person that they are portraying a formidable figure
His six brothers, grim and beardy
Describing the man's perceived companions
They saw a maid, as white as snow
The group became infatuated with a fair maiden
A magic mirror found her
A supernatural object revealed her existence
Now she's off, they flounder
They struggle to cope without her
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work he goes
Quoting a classic song about working men
Ah, thanks. I'm a dwarf then, a Disney dwarf
Accepting the assigned role with humor
Yes, yes! A mighty, mighty dwarf!
Affirming his powerful and heroic interpretation of the character
Man of earth and man of fire
Two individuals with different elemental associations
Battle brothers to the core
Comrades who fight alongside one another
Valor soaring ever higher
Growing more and more courageous
But we're empty, lost without one more
Feeling incomplete without a missing member
Hello, my name is Lee
Introducing oneself
And I play the guitar
Sharing one's musical instrument of choice
What?
Expressing surprise/confusion
And so we ride onwards to destiny
Heading toward a pre-determined fate
Our foes and enemies slain
Having defeated those who would oppose them
Fighting fierce beasts, eating their meats
Conquering dangerous creatures and consuming their flesh
Jordon!
Calling out one person by name
Riding on a skeleton horse of fire!
Describing how one person is portrayed
Lee!
Now addressing someone else by name
Riding on a skeleton horse of water!
Choosing a unique mode of transportation
But no, I'm riding a skeleton horse of fire
Correcting a previous misrepresentation
Ya, you have to pick something different
Negating someone else's choice
But why do I have to ride a chicken?
Questioning the fairness of the assigned roles
You guys got to choose yours!
Feeling left out as others receive more desirable parts
I want to ride a dragon!
Expressing a desire for a different character portrayal
And in the misty halls of Asgard
Depicting a mythical location
Where the Gods watch over man
Describing the divine presence in the world
They tried to curse the Axis for our pride
Being targeted by malevolent powers
But alas, we were too awesome
Overcoming the curse with their exceptional qualities
Their powers weak against our might
Prevailing through sheer strength
So we kicked them in the balls
Responding to the attempted curse with aggression
And then they cried
Claiming victory over their adversaries
With swords and weapons and shit
Equipping themselves for battle
Lightning will flash
Nature's elements will react to their power
Thunder will clash
Their strength and foes' resistance will collide
We ride into infinity!
Embarking on a journey that will last forever
We fly and don't need a plane
Defying gravity and reality itself
We'll fill you with love
Spreading positivity and inspiration
Till heaven and earth combine!
Promising unification of all things
And Awesome's our name
Reiterating their shared identity as the Axis of Awesome
Contributed by Adalyn N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fendroca
I've been listening to this song on spotify since 2018.. and only now do I see the actual MV.. this is amazing <3
Logan Goddard
I love how ya'll are playing Hero Quest haha. Brilliant music and video as usual! Great Job!!
InCytphul
Finally, an accurate portrayal of what happens in my epic Fantasy Epics! board games.....Thank you Awesome, thank you.
polymphus
True story: immediately after I watched this video, my speakers stopped working.
This video is so awesome, it blew up my speakers.
spejic1
They knew they would never play anything as awesome as that ever again and simply gave up even trying.
MeMusicLikes
Did they really play "Hero Quest"? I had no clue, that anybody still knows this epic game
matt beshears
".. With swords and weapons, & Shit!!" FUCKIN LOVE IT!!! Been following for years love yall
Melissa Salisbury
Amazing! I love this song. Glad you guys finally made a video for it :)
chaosmastermind
OH my God, the nostalgia overload from them playing Hero Quest.. :D
Masud Hoque
Finally! It's here.
I've been waiting for a video from the first day I heard the song.
Had all the fire and explosions I imagined.
also, using RP games as setup. Awesome.
Job well done guys. A+