Song Lyrics in FFXIV: Compilation, Discussion, and Interpretation

[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!

[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

[Zero-ELEC]

My attempts at it. Loads of gaps.

At the crossroads standing here
Not a star in the sky to guide me tonight
If we're lost and lost in fear
Deep in darkness rang my cries

All this pain inside of me
Don't know where it starts or when it will 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 has taken everything I know (Pain and loss you needn't bear)
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 back inside my head (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)
Weaving memories through the water everywhere (This is our daylight tapestry)
Never losing sight of everywhere I've been ([?] we're gonna be)

In lightning's wake, did naught but ash remain
Yet in the rain does life's song ring again
Our ancient forest [?]
It carries on
We will carry on

So smile and let the rainbow sing ([?])
Alive with everything it brings (Offer peace and harmony)
We walk a never ending trail ([?] happiness)
But know that we shall never [?] (This is our inheritance)

Just imagine what's around the bend ([?] will be)
(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 risin'
Life, take it slow and take a bite

So high, on the dawn we set our sights
(Unwind your heart and find your worries'll disappear)
A new horizon
Fly, ever forward, starry-eyed
(Now turn the page to tales untold)

Hold tight this we call our home ([?])
We fight to never let it go ([?] symphony)
[?] we have not seen the end ([?])
We'll rise again once it has passed ([?] by your side)

[?] (Tender hearts or sorrow's skies to mend) ([?])
What's [?] (Fill them with golden tones instead) ([?] we can do)
[?] (Steady forward, there's so much to see) (for you and me)
Together for the rest of [?] (Together you and me)

At the [?] peak (At the [?] peak)
From the heavens [?] ([?])
[?]

Never gonna stop (Never gonna stop)
Never gonna stop
[?] together we stand [?]
Forever, for we won't end

[OasusPlainsview]

I think I can help you with one section

I turn around, and what do I see? (Just imagine what's around the bend)
A light that guides a way to the dream, Ohhhhh! (Magic or mischief? Gods forfend!)
A silent wave that broke through the night (Endless marvels, myst'ries, newfound friends)
To see us forward and through the [?][1 word]
(Wilder than wildest dreams portend)

[YoungQuality]

Hello! I'm really enjoying the music from AAL Light-heavyweight M4, and I thought I'd give a shot at transcribing the lyrics from "Give it All"! The parts within parenthesis w/ question marks are the lyrics that I had some difficulty discerning, but gave it a shot nonetheless! Would like to hear what we think the actual lyrics being spoken are!

Give it All

tonight our city bleeds red blue and green
as i walk in the dark unseen
i (???thought the sights restricting??)
colors in my eye are fading gone, they're gone theyre gone, all gone

girl looks to the stars and dares to dream
of the world she'd make her mark (??exceed??)
Phantom in my mirror staring back
I realize that girl is gone she's gone she's gone I'm gone

And every mountain made it to the top
I had it all or so i thought
Traded tomorrow for a lie
I found the price too high
A clock is ticking, counting down
Tonight i'm out of time (????waiting to stop???)
(??I'll bare my life before it's lost??)
A final line I'll cross

(??Make no going, make no going, make no going back, no??)
White lights left here inside I'll suffocate if that's what it takes, oh
And those who meant to cast me aside Turn their backs and leave me to die
You can try You can try You can try but I will survive

No going back no going back won't ever will never again (??know me??)
no going back no going back no going back from the edge

Look in my eyes Yeah i know you'll understand
Somebody help my miserys taking me
made up my mind, now there aint no going back
somebody help I'm losing what's left of me
Made up my mind (there my heart's demanding) ready to fight till there's one left standing
Tonight lightning will strike thunder will follow you're gonna give it all
to me to me to me to me
I gotta believe you'll set me free

Tonight my circle finally comes complete
(??from past up from the dark I breathe??)
The music swelling (??Crowd is chanting??)
For this moment fears (??an afterthought??) gone, it's gone it's gone all gone

I look out to the crowd and there I see
A thousand little girls (?agleam??)
Turn the tables Yeah I'm fighting back
I'll bring the lightning now it's on it's on it's on you're gone

Repeat Pre-Chorus

Repeat Chorus