The band revised some of Uematsu's most popular fighting themes from the games of the Final Fantasy line in order to publish them in newly-arranged shape on the album The Black Mages: Battle Music of Final Fantasy. The Black Mages' overall style is a complex hybrid of progressive rock and neo-classical power metal. The songs on the first album are all instrumental and all arrangements of battle themes. The Black Mages' second album, entitled The Black Mages II: The Skies Above, was released in Japan on December 22, 2004. This album features guest vocalists on two tracks and features arrangements of a few tracks that were not originally battle themes, but the majority of tracks are still instrumental arrangements of battle themes.
The Black Mages performed live at Shibuya-AX, April 26-27, 2003. The performance was released on DVD exclusively to fanclub members residing in Japan. The performance marked the debut of the later released "Matoya's Cave" and featured additional solos within songs. During the introduction of band members, Michio Okamiya performed a rendition of the Chocobo Theme and Nobuo Uematsu performed the intro to Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water".
The Black Mages released their third album, The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight, on March 19th, 2008. The Black Mages themselves sing the chorus for the song "Darkness and Starlight", a new, extended arrangement of the opera "The Dream Oath: Maria and Draco" from Final Fantasy VI.
They disbanded in 2010. Uematsu still performs some Final Fantasy music in his new band Earthbound Papas, which also contains other ex-Black Mages members.
The Skies Above
The Black Mages Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Higher and higher oh I want to fly
Out of the story this time I'll be free
Wake up for a moment from that dream of me
Just a legend cold words on a page
Lift up my eyes and I'm soaring away
On silver wings spread out to the sun
Over the ruins an ancient light
Never lost never failing
Follow me on my path to the heights
Before the shadows fade into night
Running back but I'm out of time
I could tell everything
Hear the words that fill my mind
How can I say she was mine
The lyrics of The Black Mages's song The Skies Above tell a story of escapism from the mundane reality, where the singer seeks freedom by flying high above the world beneath. The opening lines of the song represent the singer's desire to transcend the complexities of life and venture into an unexplored realm of the skies. It suits the theme of the song as the sky has often served as a symbol of freedom in literature and art. The singer wants to break free from the mundane routine and stretch the boundaries of the imagination, where they can be anything that they want to be.
The lyrics further work to contrast reality to the singer's fantasy world. The second verse speaks of a world beyond the page, where the singer desires to soar on silver wings and leave behind the city for good. The line "over the ruins an ancient light" may be an allusion to the metaphorical ruins of the present and society itself. The singer seeks a way to escape the ruins of the present, and the ancient light can be seen as a means of guidance on this journey. The song's chorus encourages the listener to follow the singer's path and to chase after the light that leads them to the heights of the skies above. The closing verse speaks of the singer's regret, suggesting that they were unable to exploit the opportunity to say what they felt before it was too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Sparks from the fire rise up to the sky
The sparks ignited from the fire are rising higher and higher into the sky.
Higher and higher oh I want to fly
I yearn to soar higher and higher into the sky above.
Out of the story this time I'll be free
This time, I will break free from the restrictions of the story and its characters.
Wake up for a moment from that dream of me
Wake up and realize that I am not just a character in a story, but a real person with a life to live outside of it.
Just a legend cold words on a page
I am depicted as a mere legend, just words on a cold and lifeless page.
Lift up my eyes and I'm soaring away
As I lift my gaze, I'm soaring away from the mundane existence of my story.
On silver wings spread out to the sun
I'm soaring with my silver wings spread out, reaching towards the warmth of the sun.
I'm leaving this city for the skies above
I'm abandoning this lifeless city and flying up towards the infinite skies above.
Over the ruins an ancient light
There is an ancient light shining over the ruins of my past.
Never lost never failing
Its purity and brilliance are never lost and never fail.
Follow me on my path to the heights
Follow me on my journey to attain greater heights and reach my fullest potential.
Before the shadows fade into night
Before the dark shadows of my past fade into oblivion and darkness envelops us all.
Running back but I'm out of time
I may be running back, but I'm running out of time.
I could tell everything
I can reveal all the secrets, but it may be too late.
Hear the words that fill my mind
Listen closely to the thoughts that consume me.
How can I say she was mine
How can I express that she belonged to me?
Contributed by Julia N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Highmer Ziker
Sparks from the fire rise up to the sky
Higher and higher, oh I want to fly
Out of the story this time I'll be free
Wake up for a moment from this dream of me
Just a legend, cold words on a page
Lift up my eyes and I'm soaring away
On silver wings spread out to the sun
I'm leaving this city for the skies above
O'er the ruins and ancient light
Never lost, never failing
Follow me on my path to the heights
Before the shadows fade into night
Running back, but I'm out of time
I could tell everything
Hear the words that fill my mind
How can I say "she was mine"?
Dar S
"What is Nobuo Uematsu's favourite band?"
"Yes."
"That's correct."
"Who?"
"The band."
"Yes?"
"Correct."
"The who?"
"No, the band."
"The band who?"
"Yes."
"So I'm correct?"
"No."
Highmer Ziker
Sparks from the fire rise up to the sky
Higher and higher, oh I want to fly
Out of the story this time I'll be free
Wake up for a moment from this dream of me
Just a legend, cold words on a page
Lift up my eyes and I'm soaring away
On silver wings spread out to the sun
I'm leaving this city for the skies above
O'er the ruins and ancient light
Never lost, never failing
Follow me on my path to the heights
Before the shadows fade into night
Running back, but I'm out of time
I could tell everything
Hear the words that fill my mind
How can I say "she was mine"?
Sebastián Román
Finally got off my butt and bought the three albums, it gave me a chance to listen to each track more carefully.
At first I wasn't too hot about this one, but today it finally clicked, what a masterpiece. Being able to read the lyrics on the physical booklet sure made a difference.
I would urge everyone to try and get the physical copies, just make sure to replace the CD cases as they get brittle after so many years.
TheKingOfSpaeds
I cannot begin to state just how much I love Nobuo Uematsu.
Shmokay Rabbit
One of my all time favorite songs.. The lyrics and musical emotion is superb.
Timothy Babcock
Same here. Great lyrics and just an awesome song.
EDX616
I also can only agree 👍
Gav Hoynes
The chills at 4:38. After that build-up. Genuine shivers down my spine and goosebumps up my arms.
piccolo113
I absolutely love it. It perfectly vocalizes the sheer depressing nature of the game. This song is easily a 10/10. 5 stars!
House of Solidor
Exactly!
Ryan O'Neill
Confirmed as part of the song list for Theatrhythm Final Bar Line