Uematsu enjoyed commercial success with the track “Eyes on Me” from Final Fantasy VIII, performed by Hong Kong singer Faye Wong (Wang Fei - 王菲). This song, released in 1999, sold 400,000 copies, a record for any track taken from a video game, as well as winning 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.
In October 2004, Uematsu formed Smile Please Co., Ltd. and continues to compose for Square Enix along with several other companies. In his composition for the sequel-film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Uematsu was credited from Smile Please Co.
One-winged Angel
Nobuo Uematsu Lyrics
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Ira vehementi
Estuans interius
Ira vehementi
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
Estuans interius
Estuans interius
Ira vehementi
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
Sors immanis
Et inanis
Sors immanis
Et inanis
Estuans interius
Ira vehementi
Estuans interius
Ira vehementi
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias,
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
(Gloriosa, Generosa,
Gloriosa, Generosa)
Veni, veni, venias
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias,
Ne me mori facias
(Gloriosa, Generosa,
Gloriosa, Generosa)
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
The lyrics of "One-Winged Angel" by Nobuo Uematsu are mostly in Latin and are heavily associated with the character Sephiroth in the game Final Fantasy VII. The lyrics express a strong sense of anger, intensity, and brutality, emphasizing the character's menacing nature. The first stanza alone, "Estuans interius Ira vehementi," loosely translates to "Burning inside with violent anger," setting the entire tone of the song. The repetition of the phrase "Sephiroth" throughout the song serves as a reminder of the person the song is attributed to, serving to further his reputation as a formidable antagonist.
The lyrics progress to express the concept of an "immense and empty fate" that is to befall anyone who opposes Sephiroth, but also contain a plea for his arrival, with the repeated phrase "veni, veni, venias" being a call for him to come. The phrase is repeated with a change in pacing, with the latter part of the song building up to an almost chant-like culmination of the phrase, along with the addition of the words "gloriosa, generosa." These words can be interpreted to further accentuate Sephiroth's god-like presence and gifts, as the words themselves mean "glorious" and "generous."
Overall, the lyrics of "One-Winged Angel" serve to portray the character of Sephiroth as an unstoppable, fierce, and powerful being, highlighting his feared essence and establishing his reputation as one of the most iconic villains of video game history.
Line by Line Meaning
Estuans interius
Burning inside
Ira vehementi
With intense anger
Sephiroth
The character Sephiroth
Sors immanis
Terrible fate
Et inanis
And empty
Veni, veni, venias,
Come, come, O come,
Ne me mori facias
Do not make me die
(Gloriosa, Generosa,
Glorious, generous,
Sephiroth
The character Sephiroth
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.