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The Underworld Saga is the fifth saga in EPIC: The Musical and marks the final part of Act 1. It includes three songs that continue the story from The Circe Saga, following Odysseus’s journey into the Underworld. The saga was released on April 26, 2024, with a total length of 10 minutes and 43 seconds. It was created and produced by Jorge Rivera-Herrans and released under Winion Entertainment LLC.
SONGS
- THE UNDERWORLD
The Underworld is the first song of The Underworld Saga in EPIC: The Musical. In this dark and emotional track, Odysseus and his crew journey into the Underworld in search of the prophet Tiresias, hoping to find a way back home. Along the way, they encounter spirits from their past, including fallen comrades and loved ones. The song is performed by Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus, with Steven Dookie as Polites, Wanda Herrans as Anticlea, and the cast of Greek soldiers and fallen Greek soldiers.
This is the second longest song in Act 1, only behind Ruthlessness.
The chorus references Ismarus, one of the songs that was cut from the musical.
When the fallen crewmates sing, there are callbacks to earlier songs like Ruthlessness and Just A Man.
At the end of Ruthlessness, Poseidon says 43 crew members remain, meaning 557 have died. In this song, the spirits say 558 died — a nod to Elpenor, who died after falling off Circe’s roof while drunk.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus meets Elpenor in the Underworld before seeing Tiresias and Anticlea.
Elpenor was originally going to appear in the song but was cut. He still makes cameos in Storm and Keep Your Friends Close, played by Luke Holt.
The church bells that play as Odysseus remembers the infant he killed echo the melody from the music box in The Horse and the Infant, when he first sees Astyanax.
When Polites appears, he sings the chorus of Open Arms.
Anticlea, Odysseus’s mother, is voiced by Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s real-life mother, Wanda Herrans.
In The Odyssey, Anticlea dies from grief while Odysseus fights in the Trojan War — mentioned by Aphrodite in God Games.
Odysseus tries to hug her three times, but she’s a ghost and slips through his arms, causing him heartbreak.
Jorge has said the lines sung by the fallen soldiers, Polites, and Anticlea reflect their final thoughts before death.
This is the first song to use the “Waiting” motif, which returns in Love in Paradise, Get in the Water, The Challenge, and Would You Fall in Love with Me Again.
LYRICS
LYRICS
[ODYSSEUS]
Friends, Circe's instructions were clear
No matter what we hear
[CREW]
Full speed ahead
[ODYSSEUS]
Until we find the prophet
My comrades, this land confuses your mind
So no matter who we find
[CREW]
Full speed ahead, until we find the prophet
[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Good
[ODYSSEUS, CREW]
All I hear are screams, every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream, only nightmares of those who've died
Nothing's what it seems
Nothing's what it seems
And here in The Underworld, the past seems close behind
This land confuses your mind
[FALLEN SOLDIERS]
When does a man become a monster?
558 men who died under your command...
CAPTAIN!
CAPTAIN!
CAPTAIN!
CAPTAIN!
Why would you let the cyclops live when
ruthlessness is mercy?
[ODYSSEUS, CREW, ALL]
All I hear are screams, every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream, only nightmares of those who've died
Nothing's what it seems
Nothing's what it seems!
But in The Underworld, the past seems close behind
I keep thinking of the infant from that night...
I keep thinking of the infant from that night...
[POLITES]
This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms
[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Polites
[POLITES]
Whatever we face, we'll be fine if we're leading from the heart
No matter the place, we can light up the world
Here's how to start:
Greet the world with open arms
Greet the world with open arms
[ODYSSEUS]
Polites...
[ANTICLEA]
Waiting
[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
That voice, it can't be...
[ANTICLEA]
Waiting
[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Mom?
[ANTICLEA, ODYSSEUS, BOTH]
Waiting
Odysseus, when you come home I'll be waiting
Even if you're the last thing I see, I'll be waiting I'm right here, mom
Waiting Can't you see? I'm
Waiting
[ODYSSEUS, ANTICLEA]
I took too long
I'll always love you
And ventured too far
I'll stay in your heart
While you were
[BOTH]
Waiting, waiting, waiting
[ODYSSEUS, spoken]
Bye, Mom...
[ODYSSEUS, SOLDIERS, ALL]
All I hear are screams
All I hear are screams
Every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream
I no longer dream
Only nightmares of those who've died
Nothing's what it seems
Nothing's what it seems
But in The Underworld, your past is always close behind
Your past is always close behind
Down in The Underworld
2. NO LONGER YOU
2. NO LONGER YOU
No Longer You is the second song of The Underworld Saga in EPIC: The Musical (Act 1). In this haunting and emotional moment, Odysseus finds the prophet Tiresias in the Underworld. Instead of offering hope, Tiresias delivers a grim prophecy that shakes Odysseus to his core, revealing the cost of his journey. The song is performed by Mason Olshavsky as Tiresias and Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus.
This song is in C minor and has a 3/4 time signature.
The chorus foreshadows events in Act 2:
"I see a song of past romance" – refers to Suffering, where a Siren impersonates Penelope to kill Odysseus.
"I see the sacrifice of man" – refers to Scylla, where Odysseus sacrifices six men to pass through.
"I see portrayals of betrayals" – refers to Mutiny, where Eurylochus turns against Odysseus.
"And a brother's final stand" – refers to Thunder Bringer, when Eurylochus and the crew make one last stand before being struck by Zeus.
"I see you on the brink of death" – refers to Love in Paradise, where Odysseus nearly gives in to despair
"I see you draw your final breath" – refers to Get in the Water, symbolizing Poseidon's final attack on Odysseus.
"I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it's no longer you" – refers to The Ithaca Saga, showing that Odysseus returns home changed forever.
The line "WHO?!" in the second verse has become a meme in the fandom.
Jorge made a video jokingly titled “POV: I am a very angry owl”, where he says the line and flaps his hands like wings.
Fans joke that the way he yells "who" sounds like an angry owl hooting.
LYRICS
LYRICS
[TIRESIAS]
I am the prophet with the answers you seek
Time, I've unlocked it
I see past and future running free
There is a world where I help you get home
But that's not a world I know
[ODYSSEUS]
What?
[TIRESIAS]
I see a song of past romance
I see the sacrifice of man
I see portrayals of betrayals
And a brother's final stand
I see you on the brink of death
I see you draw your final breath
I see a man who gets to make it home alive
But it's no longer you
[ODYSSEUS]
This can't be
We've suffered and sailed through the toughest of hells
Now you tell us our effort's for nothing?!
[TIRESIAS]
I see your palace covered in red
Faces of men who had long believed you're dead
I see your wife with a man who is haunting
A man with a trail of bodies
[ODYSSEUS]
WHO?!?!
[TIRESIAS, ENSEMBLE]
I see a song of past romance
I see the sacrifice of man
I see portrayals of betrayals
And a brother's final stand
I see you on the brink of death (Siren song, Scylla throat)
I see you draw your final breath (Mutiny, Lightning bolt)
I see a man who gets to make it home alive (Hurt Poseidon, Kill all the suitors for love)
But it's no longer you
[ENSEMBLE]
O-dy-sse-us
O-dy-sse-us
3. MONSTER
3. MONSTER
Monster is the third song in The Underworld Saga and serves as the powerful finale of Act 1 in EPIC: The Musical. In this intense and emotional number, Odysseus comes to terms with the harsh truth of his journey — realizing the kind of person, or monster, he must become in order to survive and make it back home. The song is performed by Jorge Rivera-Herrans as Odysseus, alongside the cast of EPIC: The Musical.
The melody of this song originated from a cut song featuring Elpenor, titled Cope with That.
The first few seconds are a more intense version of the opening score from The Horse and the Infant.
The electric guitar riffs at the beginning of Monster are taken from the choir section after the second chorus of Remember Them.
On April Fool’s Day, the day before the Underworld Saga’s release date was announced, Jorge jokingly said that Monster had been scrapped for being "too dark" and released a joke version of the song.
The joke version has since become a popular meme in the EPIC fandom.
LYRICS
LYRICS
[ODYSSEUS]
How has everything been turned against us?
How did suffering become so endless?
How am I to reunite with my estranged?
Do I need to change?
I'm surrounded by the souls of those I've lost
I'm the only one whose line I haven't crossed
What if the greatest threat we'll find across the sea
Is me?
What if I'm the monster?
What if I'm in the wrong?
What if I'm the problem that's
been hiding all along?
What if I'm the one who killed you
Every time I caved to guilt?
What if I've been far too kind to foes
But a monster to ourselves?
What if I'm the monster
Is the cyclops struck with guilt when he kills?
Is he up in the middle of the night?
Or does he end my men to avenge his friend
And then sleep knowing he has done him right?
When the witch turns men to pigs, to protect her nymphs
Is she going insane?
Or did she learn to be colder when she
got older and now she saves them the pain?
When a god comes down and makes a fleet drown
Is he scared that he's doing something wrong?
Or does he keep us in check so we must respect him
And now no one dares to piss him off?
Does a soldier use a wooden horse to kill sleeping Trojans cause he is vile?
Or does he throw away his remorse and
save more lives with guile
If I became the monster, and threw
that guilt away
Would that make us stronger?
Would it keep our foes at bay?
If I became the monster to everyone but us
And made sure we got home again
Who would care if we're unjust
If I became the
[SOLDIERS]
Monster
[ODYSSEUS]
Oh, ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves
[SOLDIERS]
Monster
[ODYSSEUS, CREW, ALL]
And deep down I know this well
I lost my best friend, I lost my mentor, my mom,
500 men gone, this can't go on!
I must get to see Penelope and Telemachus
so if we must sail through dangerous oceans and beaches,
I'll go where Poseidon won't reach us,
and if I got a drop another infant from a wall
in an instant so we all don't die
Then I'll become the monster!
I'll deal the blow!
And I'll become the monster like none they've ever known!
So what if I'm the monster lurking deep below?
I must become the monster and then we'll make it home!
Monster
Penelope
Monster
Telemachus
Monster
Oh, ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves
Monster
I'll become the monster
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