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.
Otherworld
Nobuo Uematsu Lyrics
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An otherworld awaits you
Don't you give up on it.
You bite the hand that feeds you.
All alone cold fields you wander
Memories of it, cloud your sight
Fills your dreams, disturbs your slumber
Hold now, aim is steady
An otherworld awaits you.
One thousand years, you ready?
The otherworld it takes you
Go into the sand and the dust in the sky
Go now, there's no better plan than to do or to die
Free me pray to the faith in the face of the light
Feed me fill me with sin now get ready to fight
You know you will
You know you will
You know you know you know you know that you will
You know you know you know you know that you will
Fight fight fight
Fight fight fight
Fight fight fight
Hope dies and you wander
The otherworld it makes you
Dreams they rip asunder
The otherworld it hates you
Free now ride up on it
Up to the heights it takes you
Go on if you want it.
An otherworld awaits you
The lyrics to "Otherworld" by Nobuo Uematsu depict a fallen knight wandering in cold, desolate fields as memories cloud his sight and fill his dreams. The song encourages the listener to keep pushing forward towards a new, mystical otherworld that awaits them, even if it means biting the hand that feeds them. The chorus repeatedly asserts the determination to fight, with the belief that one will ultimately succeed in the end.
The song's lyrics evoke a sense of perseverance and the will to overcome obstacles, no matter how daunting they may seem. The concept of an otherworld creating a sense of promise and possibility, even amidst destruction and defeat, is a powerful one that can resonate with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Go on if you want it.
Encouragement to pursue the untold wonders of a mystical world waiting to offer treasures to those brave enough to seek them.
An otherworld awaits you
A fantasy land with remarkable secrets, awaiting those who desires to discover it.
Don't you give up on it.
Perseverance is needed to attain what may seem unattainable in the mysterious world hidden from the mundane one.
You bite the hand that feeds you.
Loyalty and gratitude is pivotal in times when one discovers incredible things from unknown sources.
All alone cold fields you wander
Roaming alone in desolate areas, finding oneself lost in deep thoughts and emotions.
Memories of it, cloud your sight
Reminiscences of the sights and sounds of the inexplicable world at times may make it difficult to grasp reality.
Fills your dreams, disturbs your slumber
The longing for the otherworldly splendor and agitation embeds in the psyche, causing disruptive dreams.
Lost your way, a fallen knight
A once courageous warrior, now lost and disconnected from the mundane world, yearning for the lavishness he once knew.
Hold now, aim is steady
Discipline and a focused mind must guide one into the strange world awaiting them.
One thousand years, you ready?
The path to the unknown may seem eternal but the seeker must arise from the past and be ready to triumph over it.
The otherworld it takes you
Assurance that this lucid world will envelop and guide you into an ethereal unknown territory.
Go into the sand and the dust in the sky
Leaping bravely into the unknown with not a single care, leaving the mundane world behind.
Go now, there's no better plan than to do or to die
Courageous warriors of the intangible world don't contemplate but act with valour knowing that victory or doom is the only option.
Free me pray to the faith in the face of the light
The faith that will liberate oneself from internal doubts can only come from the enlightened side of oneself.
Feed me fill me with sin now get ready to fight
Those who bring power must be prepared to consume its dark side to fight and conquer the deeper unknown world.
You know you will
The everlasting confidence that comes from within, knowing that ‘I will succeed.'
Fight fight fight
A battle call for the seeker/s to begin the challenging, unknown journey ahead.
Hope dies and you wander
Hope fades as the new world takes the traveler and the sense of disorientation prevails.
The otherworld it makes you
The seeker gets consumed by the enigmatic world which has it's own agenda to be revealed.
Dreams they rip asunder
The seeker is continuously pulled back into reality from their dreams, as the inexplicable world unravels.
The otherworld it hates you
The ambiguous realm ready to destroy and punish the ones who finds themselves in it's midst.
Free now ride up on it up to the heights it takes you
The free spirit who rode bravely into the unknown now needs to go higher and beyond to find the secrets and wonders of the lucid world.
Fight fight fight
Encouragement and motivator to the seeker, to continue pushing and fighting onwards.
An other world awaits you
Confirmation of a celestial world, awaiting and the end of the journey (even though there's still more battles to come).
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NOBUO UEMATSU, SMITH ALEXANDER O
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind