--
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.
Mon P'tit Chat
植松伸夫 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aurait bien voulu savoir,
Comme tout enfants de son âge
Comment rencontrer la fée.
Celle des livres d’images
Qui punit tous les méchants.
Ou bien la fée des voyages
Pourvu qu’il rencontre une fée,
Il lui dirait :
« Madame, pouvez-vous m’aider
À retrouver et ramener mon p’tit chat ? »
In Mon P'tit Chat, 植松伸夫 tells the story of a little boy who wishes to meet a fairy. Like any child his age, the boy is curious about what the world has to offer, and wants to learn more about the magical creatures that he has read about in books. Specifically, he wants to meet the fairy who punishes bad people or the one who protects the poor.
The boy sees meeting a fairy as a solution to his current problems. He has lost his cat and wants to find it. He hopes that if he meets a fairy, he can ask for help in locating and bringing back his pet. Through this tale, 植松伸夫 captures the innocence and whimsy of childhood, as well as a sense of adventure and wonder.
Overall, Mon P'tit Chat is a charming and delightful song that speaks to the child in all of us. It celebrates curiosity, imagination, and the belief in magic, and reminds us that our problems can often be solved if we just ask for a little help.
Line by Line Meaning
Un petit garçon, bien sage,
A young, obedient little boy,
Aurait bien voulu savoir,
Wanted so much to know,
Comme tout enfants de son âge
Like all children his age
Comment rencontrer la fée.
How to come across the fairy.
Celle des livres d’images
The one in storybooks
Qui punit tous les méchants.
Who punishes all the wicked ones.
Ou bien la fée des voyages
Or maybe the fairy of travels
Qui protège les pauvres gens.
Who protects the poor folk.
Pourvu qu’il rencontre une fée,
If only he could meet a fairy,
Il lui dirait :
He would tell her:
« Madame, pouvez-vous m’aider
"Madame, can you help me
À retrouver et ramener mon p’tit chat ? »
Find and bring back my little cat?"
Contributed by Samantha D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.