Faith No More – “Epic”:
What Is It? It’s Everything.
When “Epic” absolutely exploded onto MTV in 1990, it didn’t just introduce Faith No More to the mainstream—it kicked the door down and then some. Released as the second single from their third album, The Real Thing, this track was a wild fusion of rap, funk, metal, and just sheer weirdness that felt totally new. It was loud, it was cryptic, and you simply couldn’t ignore it.
A Riddle Wrapped in a Riff
The song’s lyrics, penned by their newly recruited frontman Mike Patton, are a wild, surreal swirl of sensations and contradictions. “You want it all but you can’t have it” quickly became the song’s catchphrase—a line that perfectly captured the frustration of desire without ever quite naming what “it” actually was. Patton later admitted the song was inspired by sexual frustration, but its ambiguity is definitely part of what made it so compelling. It’s truly a riddle wrapped in a killer guitar riff.
A Sound That Shouldn’t Work — But Does
Musically, “Epic” is like Frankenstein’s monster, but in the best way possible. It’s stitched together from different styles: Roddy Bottum’s funky keyboards, Billy Gould’s slapping bass, Jim Martin’s heavy metal guitar crunch, and Patton’s manic, incredible vocal delivery. On paper, it shouldn’t work—but it does, brilliantly. The song actually helped pave the way for the rap-metal and nu-metal scenes that would pop up later, even though Faith No More always kept one foot firmly planted in the avant-garde.
The track became the band’s biggest hit, climbing to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in Australia. It also earned them a coveted spot on Saturday Night Live and a permanent place in the alt-rock hall of fame.
The Fish, the Piano, and the Chaos
The music video for “Epic” is just as unforgettable. Directed by Ralph Ziman, it features the band performing in a rain-soaked warehouse, cool slow-motion shots, and that now-infamous scene of a fish flopping on the floor—which, believe it or not, reportedly belonged to Björk! The final shot of Roddy Bottum calmly walking away from a piano that explodes in slow motion is pure MTV-era spectacle. It was weird, it was controversial, and it was absolutely everywhere.
“Epic” wasn’t just a song—it was a moment. It captured the chaotic, unboxed energy of a band that didn’t fit any mold and didn’t care to try. More than three decades later, it still sounds like a dare.