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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.
Eyes On Me
植松伸夫 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the stage, on my own
Whenever 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 you're never hurt
As if you're 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 love 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 you're 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're not dreaming
Darling, so there you are
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt
As if you're 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
The lyrics to "Eyes on Me" by 植松伸夫 speak of a performer who has always sung their songs on their own. They wonder if the person they see smiling in the corner of a small bar is real or just a fantasy. The singer admires the shy way that person looks at them and wonders if that person knows that the singer has their eyes on them too. The singer offers to be there for this person, someone who appears to be unassailable, to offer comfort and to be someone they can confide in. They plead with this person to let them get close enough to feel their heart beating fast and to convey how much they are drawn in by the peaceful look in their eyes. The lyrics close with the singer asking this person to share their love or their pain with them, to see them beyond their voice and their appearance, to recognize that they are real.
The lyrics to "Eyes on Me" present the common human experience of yearning to connect with someone in a world that can sometimes feel alienating. The singer takes the risk of stepping beyond the fantasy of performing on stage and seeing someone in the crowd who seems to be looking at them specifically. They seek to form a relationship with this person, acknowledging their hurt and pain and offering to be there for them. The song suggests that it is only through taking these risks that we can truly connect with someone else on a meaningful level.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever sang my songs
On the stage, on my own
Every time I sang my songs, it was always on stage by myself
Whenever said my words
Wishing they would be heard
I always wished that my words would be heard by someone
I saw you smiling at me
Was it real or just my fantasy?
When I saw you smiling at me, I couldn't tell if it was real or just my imagination
You'd always be there in the corner
Of this tiny little bar
You were always in the corner of this small bar
My last night here for you
Same old songs, just once more
My last night here with you?
Maybe yes, maybe no
This could be my last night with you and I'm going to sing the same old songs, but I'm not sure if it really is my last night with you
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?
I really enjoyed the way you looked at me with your shy eyes, did you know that I was also looking at you?
Darling, so there you are
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt
As if you're never down
There you are with a look on your face like you've never been hurt, never been 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
Should I be the one who pinches you gently to make sure you're not dreaming? If you frown, then I'll know that you're not dreaming
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 love your peaceful eyes on me
Did you ever know
That I had mine on you?
Let me come close to you, as close as I want to be, close enough to feel your heart beating fast. I want to stay here and whisper how much I love when you look at me with those peaceful eyes. Did you know that I was also looking at you?
Darling, so share with me
Your love if you have enough
Your tears if you're holding back
Or pain if that's what it is
Darling, please share your love with me if you have enough to give. If you're holding back tears or struggling with pain, I am here for you.
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're not dreaming
How can I make you understand that I am more than just what you see on the surface? Just reach out to me and you will know that you're not dreaming
Darling, so there you are
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt
As if you're 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
There you are, looking like you've never been hurt, like you've never been down. Should I be the one to gently pinch you to make sure you're not dreaming? If you frown, then I'll know that you're not dreaming
Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rjfaye05
- Eyes on Me - FFVIII
- Melodies of Life - FFIX
- Suteki Da Ne - FFX
- Thousand Words - FFX-2
- Depend on You - Thousand Arms
- (Opening Theme song) - Lunar Silver Star Story Complete
- (Boat Song) - Lunar Silver Star Story Complete
So much more but these are some of the most memorable RPG game for me with such great soundtracks!
@wolfking1981
We finally got final fantasy VIII remastered. Thanks square enix. Look forward to playing on PS4 and hearing this song again on console
@dzammath917
Remastered for REAL !!!!?!!!!!
@wolfking1981
@@dzammath917 yes was announced yesterday (Monday/Tuesday) will be out this year on PC, Switch, PS4 and xbox One
@siamean1
@@wolfking1981 Wait i thought the remake was ff7. ff8 too!!!
@wolfking1981
@@siamean1 7 is a remake 8 is been remastered.
@callasky
I wish they remake it with current technology..
@SlateTCOP
2024 who still watching? This song has brought me far, and has got me wanting to keep going in what I’m searching for!😭😪Hope Everyone Is Doing Good And That All Is Well! 😁
@SlateTCOP
Me
@Nyang1207
Me too..😢😢😢😢
@darkaoshi27
Xenogears Soundtrack is the best. But this is a REALLY close second.