Song Lyrics in FFXIV: Compilation, Discussion, and Interpretation

[Damnhedge]

Is this still the right thread for Lyrics discussion? I haven't been around in ages. Anyway! new Expansion new main theme! For once in 10 years the CGI Teaser's music isn't just Soken Mumbling Syllables! It's actual words! Here's my first go on "Dawntrail (Teaser Edition.)" We can hear the raw cuts in the track so I can't WAIT to hear the full track in.....January .

We back baby! More Lyrics and more SFX to go with them! Not as bad as with JC and his whispering (side note I'm so glad Amanda is still here, I was scared she wouldn't be singing our Ending Song anymore now that Mom's gone ) Gunn, Soken and the rest of the Primals absolutely hitting it out of the park! Here's my take for the lyrics as far as I could tell at 3 am haha.

Time!
No more Once Upon A Time
Take Flight!
Find your Wings and Spread Them Wide
It's Time!
For the Journey of our lives

We beget this Realm Reborn
Into the Heavens we fly
Fighting through the Storm
Leaving the Shadows far behind
And we walked right through the End
<With more> Trials we're faced
<Turn back to Transcend>
Only we decide our fate
Where do we go
Where do we go
Where do we go
Where do we go
No more Running

Time!
Seize the Day and Hold on Tight
The sun is rising
Fly!
Take it slow and take a bite
One Day at a Time!

So <x> your Heart and
<x> <x> <x> <x> <x> disappear
<x>
Tonight <x> (Absolutely no clue, too much SFX and Amanda)

Just imagine what's around the bend
What we <x>
<x> (Again too many SFX while Krile is dancing around and doing PCT stuff)
<x>
<x>
sally forward there's so much to see
<x> for you and me!

Discover a new <rainbow>
<> in the Night
In laughter/after Light
The path that we take
<Ours to create>
<x>
We can find our way
<x> let's go
on this trail where we can't see the end
Until we close our <eyes>

Time!
Seize the Day and Hold on Tight
The sun is rising
Fly!
Take it slow and take a bite
One Day at a Time!

Our time to shine
Join in the sun <x>
<x>
Come and join <x>
Hold your head up High!

High!
On the Dawn we set our Sights
A New Horizon
Fly!
Ever Forward Starry Eyed
To Another Sky!

[Dikatis]

Sorry for the necro bump, but Amanda Achen actually sang the part of the Dawntrail trailer obscured by Krile's Pictomancer sound effects on stream a while back and this was recently shared to me.

From this we get:

Just imagine what's around the bend, maybe...
Endless marvels, mysteries, newfound friends
Tender hearts or sorrow skies to mend, oh
Steady forward, there's so much to see
For you and me!

Discover anew, the rainbow in you
And color the night, in laughter and light
The path that we take is ours to create, oh
Running in stride, we can find our way.
Yeah we can, let's go!

[Zero-ELEC]

With the release of GROWING LIGHT: FINAL FANTASY XIV Original Soundtrack we now have official lyrics for "Athena, the Tireless One".

Soul laid bare
Foul and fair
Every secret, every odyssey
Answers unfold
One with the truth, the divine

By my guiding hand
Perfected we stand
I won't be denied
You are mine, you are blind, a fool till the end
Cast down forevermore
I create, manipulate
Your kind in my image, my chosen ones
For you, the time has come
The sun is setting

Say goodnight
With each bite does your sanity die
Sucking the life out, letting the dark
Inside
Say a prayer as the light leaves your eyes
Or scream all you like, your gods can't hear you

Say goodnight
To the weakness that you hide behind
Believing the lies, feeding the fear
Inside
Never once were you truly alive
So scream all you like, no one can hear you

Pride, greed, in mud thrive these seeds
Rotten and reeking the fruits of your making
Testify
Come take a bite

Writhe, bleed, resist me no more
Twisted and broken, farewells left unspoken
Journey's end
As I ascend

Here I rise
Claim my prize
Every moment, every sacrifice
In Anabaseios
I am the truth, the divine

By my guiding hand
Perfected we stand
I won't be denied
You are mine, you are blind, a fool till the end
Cast down forevermore
I create, manipulate
Your kind in my image, my chosen ones
For you, the time has come
The sun is setting

Dark horizons, boiling seas
(Pandemonium)
From the borders chaos bleeds

Savage nobles, cultured thieves
(Pandemonium)
Here be lions, follow me

[Enkidoh]

Huh, some surprising differences there that none of us correctly guessed...

Thanks for posting that!

[Damnhedge]

We back baby! More Lyrics and more SFX to go with them! Not as bad as with JC and his whispering (side note I'm so glad Amanda is still here, I was scared she wouldn't be singing our Ending Song anymore now that Mom's gone ) Gunn, Soken and the rest of the Primals absolutely hitting it out of the park! Here's my take for the lyrics as far as I could tell at 3 am haha.

With the release of Open Sky's MV I figured I might as well update the lyrics for Open Sky we can hear more clearly now. Parts where I <wrote like this> I'm still uncertain about, i love Soken and GUNN but understanding them is a trial in itself sometimes. I also don't really vibe with "With one more Trial We're faced, turn back to transcend", but it's all I can hear.

Time!
No more Once Upon A Time
Take Flight!
Find your Wings and Spread Them Wide
It's Time!
For the Journey of our lives

From the Ashes we're reborn
Onto the Heavens we fly
Fighting through the Storm
Leave our Shadows far behind
And we walked right through the End
<With one more Trial we're faced>
<Turn back to Transcend>
Only we decide our fate
Where do we go
Where do we go
Where do we go
Where do we go
No more Running

Time!
Seize the Day and Hold on Tight
The sun is rising!
Fly!
Take it slow and take a bite
One Day at a Time!

So find your Heart and
<find your worries disappear>
Here <every tale is fading far>

Our time to shine
Join in, <The sun/the song> is <quiet>
<And we're wrapped up in the tide>
<Come and join the Ray>
Hold your Head up High

High!
On the Dawn we set our Sights
A New Horizon
Fly!
Ever Forward Starry Eyed
To An Open Sky!

[Zero-ELEC]

With the release of the DAWNTRAIL 7-inch Vinyl Single record, we now have lyrics for "Dawntrail". Additionally, along with the vinyl release, the single is also available digitally: https://sqex.lnk.to/AosoFe

Time, no more once upon a time
Take flight. Find your wings and spread them wide

It's time for the journey of our lives

From the ashes we're reborn
Unto the heavens we ride
Fighting through the storm
Leaving our shadows far behind

Having walked right to the end
With one more trial we are faced
Turn back, transcend
Only we decide our fates

Were do we go?
Were do we go?
Were do we go?
Were do we go?
No more runnin'

Tight! Seize the day and hold on tight
The sun is risin'
Life, take it slow and take a bite
One day at a time

(Unwind your heart and find your worries'll disappear)
(Here ev'ry trail is paved with hope)
(Tonight the stars align, our fortunes, are crystal clear)
Tonight the stars are crystal clear, they are.
(Now turn the page to tales untold)
All tomorrow's twists and turns—tales to see unfold with each step we take

Just imagine what's around the bend (maybe)
(Magic or mischief? Gods forfend!)
Endless marvels, myst'ries, newfound friends
(Wilder than wildest dreams portend)
Tender hearts or sorrow's skies to mend (oh oh)
(Fill them with golden tones instead)
Steady forward, there's so much to see (for you and me)
(Together you and me)

Discover anew, the rainbow in you
And color the night in laughter and li-ight
The path that we take is ours to create
Oh, running in stride, we can find our way
Yeah we can. Let's go!

On this trail but we can't see the end
(Until we close our eyes so)

Tight! Seize the day and hold on tight
The sun is risin'
Life, take it slow and take a bite
One day at a time

Our time to shine
Join in the salt wind's choir as we wander with the tide
Come enjoy the ride
Hold your head up high

High, on the dawn we set our sights
A new horizon
Fly, ever forward, starry-eyed
To an open sky

[MercuryD]

I honestly love these lyrics, a definite change in pace but fitting for our new adventure

[Zero-ELEC]

The part that seems most interesting to me is the bit immediately after the references to the expansions:

Having walked right to the end
With one more trial we are faced
Turn back, transcend
Only we decide our fates

Were do we go?
Were do we go?
Were do we go?
Were do we go?
No more runnin'

After walking to the end (Endwalker), there's a trial that we're faced with (that being Dawntrail presumably, being the "trail" that we "can't see the end [of]" until we "close our eyes", meaning basically its a new beginning that we can only know the end of through our imagination), but what does it mean by "turn back, transcend/only we decide our fates"? Why would we "turn back" and "transcend" what? What fates are being decided for us? Who was "runnin'", away from what?

[Annana]

I've spent the last few hours trying to parse the lyrics to Smile, the credits song for Dawntrail.

At the crossroad, standing here
Not a star in the sky to guide me tonight
If we're lost in loss and fear
Deep in darkness rang my cries
All this pain inside of me
Don't know where it starts or when it'll end
Try to tame the agony, as I close my eyes and scream to the wind.

Look around and find I'm standing all alone (Look again, we're standing there)
Cause the storm is taking everything I know (Deep in loss, you needn't bend)
Don't know why I thought I'd make it by myself (After all that we've been through)
Out of time, I'm running, locked inside my hell (We were always there for you)
There's so much in life I couldn't understand (Understand we're by your side)
Standing tall, we'll face tomorrow hand in hand (Mine in yours, and yours in mine)
We remember, through the war, through everything (This our tale, our tapestry)
Never losing sight of everyone I met (No matter where we're gonna be)

In lightning's reign did naught but ash remain
Yet winds and rain, the sun will ring again[?]
Our wish and forms are beyond this place[?]
It carries on, we will carry on.

So fly along the rainbow sea (We remember who we'll be)
Alive with everything it reaches (Love and peace and harmony)
We walk a never ending trail (May your heart find happiness)
Our love, our wish will never pale (This is your inheritance)
Just imagine what's around the bend? (Magic, or mischief? Gods forfend)
Endless marvels, myst'ries, newfound friends (Wilder than wildest dreams portend.)

Tight, seize the day and hold on tight, the sun is rising
Life, take it slow and take a bite
So high, on the dawn, we set our sights, a new horizon
Fly, ever forward stary eyed

Hold tight, this land we call our home (...)
We fight, to never let it go (...)
[...](...)
We rise again once it's passed[?] (...)

Just imagine what's around the bend
Endless marvels, myst'ries, newfound friends[?]
Tender hearts or sorrow's skies to mend[?]
Steady forward, there's so much to see (Together you and me)

Captain and sea, and from the heavens, right down to me
So we go on and on
We're never gonna stop (Never gonna stop)
Never gonna stop
[...]
[...] we won't end

[Foxowl]

I've spent the last few hours trying to parse the lyrics to Smile, the credits song for Dawntrail.

I can offer a maybe correction on the chorus?

In lightning's wake did naught but ash remain
(Yet winds and) rain did our song ring again
Our ancient (???) beyond the place
It carries on, we will carry on

This song is a lot harder to parse than previous credits songs