Song Lyrics in FFXIV: Compilation, Discussion, and Interpretation

[Iscah]

Regarding lyrics for "Close in the Distance"

You got it mostly right I think but here is what I heard:

Whispers, falling silently drifts on the wind
But I hear you
Our journey, now a memory fading from sight
But I see you
Unbroken promises we made so long ago
You're still here
Unspoken requiem for a river of tears

Flowing, winding to our eternal sea
And yet our hope remains
Guiding! Lighting our way
No time for mourning

Rises on a memory born from the ashes
With the heaven's true sunset
Blood red skies tranquil after the storm
Blessed shadow -------> (This entire verse is a reference from ARR to ShB)

Turning, wending always
Night follows day
The sun will shine again
Walk on, never look back
Through you we live

Tales of loss, and fire, and faith
Everywhere, our hearts impaled
In the dark, you will not stray
Forge ahead, 'til the end we pray

I feel like firstly it needs to be broken up differently, or less – you've put verse breaks where the music shifts, but lyrically the words should continue directly.

My arrangement, with edits in bold:

* I also pulled out a lot of commas

Whispers
Falling silently, drift on the wind
But I hear you

Our journey
Now a memory fading from sight
But I see you

Unbroken
Promises we made so long ago
You're still here

Unspoken
Requiem for the river of tears
Flowing, winding to an eternal sea
And yet our hope remains
Guiding, lighting our way
No time for mourning

Rises on a memory born(e?) from the ashes
'Mid the heavens to sunset
Blood red skies tranquil after the storm
Blessed shadow
Turning, wending always
Night follows day
The sun will shine again
Walk on, never look back
Through you we live

Tales of loss and fire and faith
Every word on our hearts engraved
In the dark you will not stray
Forge ahead 'til the end, we pray

And interpretation notes, some of which contain late game spoilers:

Re. general pacing, the whole thing feels like it may be structured like one big blank-verse poem and phrases sit across what seem to be verse breaks, like "a river of tears / flowing to an eternal sea" and "through you we live / tales".

Also, an important thing to notice with the first sets of lyrics is that they seem intended to echo the Scions' sacrifices as we progress through the zone, starting with Estinien (a wind to carry us forward), Y'shtola and Urianger (sight, seeing the truth), G'raha (promises made).


On some specific verses:


"Rises on a memory..."

"Born" could also be "borne" – so instead of rising on [a memory born from the ashes], it's rising on [a memory] carried from the ashes to new destinations.

I'm not convinced of my other edits but "Heaven's true sunset" is a rather meaningless phrase (and nothing that links clearly to Heavensward) so I'm trying to think what else it could be. I definitely think it sounds like "to" not "true".

On the note that it's referencing our journey through each expansion's symbolism, I see that flowing into the next verse too – more on Shadowbringers and the idea of an unending journey.


"Every word on our hearts engraved"

I'm certain of this one.