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Nobuo Uematsu (植松伸夫 Uematsu Nobuo) (born March 21, 1959) is a Japanese composer of video game music. He is best known for his work with game developer Squaresoft (now Square Enix), having provided scores for a majority of installments of Square's Final Fantasy series of role-playing games. Uematsu's body of work - composed, in its entirety, on keyboards - is known for its distinct eclecticism, and has secured his status as one of the most popular and beloved composers of video game music in the world.

Nobuo Uematsu was born in Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. A self-taught musician, he began to play the piano when he was eleven or twelve years old, and he did not take any formal piano lessons. After graduating from Kanagawa University, Uematsu played the keyboard in several amateur bands and composed music for television commercials.

When Uematsu was working at a music rental shop in Tokyo, a Square employee asked if he would be interested in creating music for some of the titles they were working on. Although he agreed, Uematsu considered it a side job, and he did not think it would become a full-time career. He said it was a way to make some money on the side, while also keeping his part-time job at the music rental shop. His first score for Square was Cruise Chaser Blassty, released in 1986.

Uematsu enjoyed massive commercial success with the song "Eyes on Me" performed by 王菲 and featured in Final Fantasy VIII. The single sold 400,000 copies, a record for a video game song, and won the "Song of the Year" award at the 1999 Japan Gold Disc Awards. Uematsu was subsequently named in Time Magazine's list of the Top 100 Innovators - Music, and has toured Japan playing classical concerts on several occasions.

His music itself is notoriously eclectic, tracks featured skip between pop-style balladry, to fusion styles incorporating African traditions, to, in recent years, a number of Celtic-influenced recordings and releases. Many of his works also contain elements of progressive rock and hard rock. His formation of The Black Mages, a rock band, in 2003, allowed him to experiment with his own compositions, releasing band renditions of a significant number of tracks from his soundtracks. The Black Mages disbanded in 2010, but Uematsu formed a new band featuring other ex-Black Mages members and some new faces, Earthbound Papas, in its wake.

In 2004, Uematsu formed his own production company, Smile Please, to which Uematsu's compositions for CG-animated film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is credited. Uematsu continues to compose for Square Enix and other video game developers, such as Mistwalker. Notably, he worked on the soundtrack for the Nintendo crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, having composed its main theme.

Eye to Eye
植松伸夫 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Whenever I sang my songs,
On the stage,
On my own.
Whenever I said my words,
wishing they would be heard.
I saw you smiling at me,
Was it real or just my fantasy?
You'd always be there in the corner, of this tiny little bar.

My last night here for you,
same old songs just once more.
My last night here with you?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
I kind of liked it your way,
how you shyly placed your eyes on me.
Did you ever know that I had mine on you?

Darling so there you are!
With that look on your face.
As if your never hurt.
As if your never down.
Shall I be the one for you,
Who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I will know that you are no dreamer.

So let me come to you
Close as I want to be.
Close enough for me
to feel your heart beating fast
and stay there as i whisper
how i loved your peaceful eyes on me
did you ever know that i had mine on you?

Darling so share with me,
your love if you have enough,
your tears if your holding back,
or pain if that's what it is.
How can i let you know?
I'm more than the dress and the voice.
Just reach me out then,
You will know that you are not dreaming.

Darling so there you are!
With that look on your face.
As if your never hurt.
As if your never down.
Shall I be the one for you,
Who pinches you softly but sure?

If frown is shown then,
I will know that you are no dreamer.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Eyes on Me" by 植松伸夫 feat. Crystal Kay depict the singer reflecting on their experiences as a performer, specifically on stage singing their own songs. The singer wonders if the smiles they see from the audience are genuine or merely a figment of their imagination. They mention a small bar where someone was always present, observing from the corner. It is implied that this person holds a special significance to the singer.

In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that this may be their last night together, potentially alluding to their departure from the stage or even a farewell to a relationship. They express an appreciation for the way this person looked at them, shyly placing their eyes on the singer. The singer reveals that they, too, had their eyes fixed on this person all along.

The chorus then transitions to a tender moment. The singer addresses this person as "darling," implying a romantic connection. They observe the expression on their face, as if they have never been hurt or down. The singer contemplates whether they could be the one to provide support and comfort, symbolized by softly pinching them. If this person shows any sign of sadness, it would assure the singer that they are not merely existing in a dream.

The bridge continues this intimate exchange, with the singer wanting to be as close as possible to feel the person's heartbeat. They express the desire to whisper how much they loved the peaceful look in their eyes. The singer questions how they can convey that they are more than just their appearance and voice. They urge this person to reach out and touch them to discover that they are not in a dream but a reality.

Overall, "Eyes on Me" conveys the longing for genuine connection and the uncertainty of whether the feelings are reciprocated. It explores themes of vulnerability, the desire to be seen, and the willingness to offer support and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

Whenever I sang my songs,
Every time I expressed myself through my music,

On the stage,
In front of an audience,

On my own.
Without anyone else by my side.

Whenever I said my words,
Whenever I spoke my truth,

wishing they would be heard.
Hoping that my message would resonate.

I saw you smiling at me,
I noticed you smiling in my direction,

Was it real or just my fantasy?
Was it genuine or simply a figment of my imagination?

You'd always be there in the corner, of this tiny little bar.
You were always there, in the corner of this small establishment.

My last night here for you,
This is my final evening here, performing for you,

same old songs just once more.
Singing the familiar tunes one final time.

My last night here with you?
Could this be our last night together?

Maybe yes, maybe no.
Possibly yes, possibly no.

I kind of liked it your way,
I actually enjoyed the way you approached things,

how you shyly placed your eyes on me.
The way you timidly gazed at me.

Did you ever know that I had mine on you?
Were you aware that I had my eyes fixed on you too?

Darling so there you are!
My love, here you are!

With that look on your face.
Sporting that expression on your face.

As if you're never hurt.
As if you've never experienced pain.

As if you're never down.
As if you've never felt down.

Shall I be the one for you,
Should I be the one who cares for you?

Who pinches you softly but sure?
Who gently reminds you of reality?

If frown is shown then,
If a frown appears on your face,

I will know that you are no dreamer.
I will realize that you are not lost in dreams.

So let me come to you
Allow me to approach you

Close as I want to be.
As close as I desire to be.

Close enough for me to feel your heart beating fast
Near enough for me to sense your rapidly pulsating heart

and stay there as I whisper
And remain there by your side as I quietly speak

how I loved your peaceful eyes on me
Expressing my affection for your serene gaze upon me

did you ever know that I had mine on you?
Were you aware that my focus was locked on you?

Darling so share with me,
Dearest, open up to me

your love if you have enough,
Your love, if it is abundant,

your tears if you're holding back,
Your tears, if you're suppressing them,

or pain if that's what it is.
Or your pain, if that's your reality.

How can I let you know?
How can I make you understand?

I'm more than the dress and the voice.
There is more to me than my attire and vocal ability.

Just reach me out then,
Simply reach out to me

You will know that you are not dreaming.
You will realize that you're not lost in a dream.

Darling so there you are!
My love, once again, you're here!