Hidden lore in Alexander lyrics? [Potential Spoilers]

[MikaKrystel]

Firstly, let me preface this by saying the lyrics to these songs are unclear, both from English/Japanese translation/pronounciation and the multitude of sound effects applied to the vocals. Because of this, my interpretation of the lyrics varies wildly from others (and yours, most likely!) I'm beginning to wonder if they're purposefully garbled however, given that it may hide a pretty revealing story within it ... maybe.

Many thanks to these users for their interpretation as it laid the groundwork for my own. I also worked on this translation of the final boss lyrics, or gobbie-speak on how the Illuminati plan to destroy us.

    Snap click, crank-whirr whizz, bam boom.

    Wheels hum-sing uplander doom!

    Crack-thoom snap, bam bing bangy-zoom.

    A near-soon far-bloom crimson THOOM!



    Stop dizzy-heels of the wicked,

    Defuse pop, debone stop, deflate.

    No busy-deals for the wicked,

    Too late, far too late, far too late!



    Wake the metal!

    Create the metal!

    Unfold the metal!

    Control the metal!

    Embrace the metal!

    We raise the metal!

    Restore the metal!

    Before the metal!



    Thud tick, clank purr-fizz, blam crash.

    Brew hand-back uplander bash.

    Whack-boom clap, slam zing spinny-splash.

    Not far-soon we smash heads, we dash!



    Boom! Gobbie-bomb, gobbie neck-breaks,

    Again, and again, and again.

    Doom, gobbie-hands, gobbie end-makes.

    The end, oh the end, yes! The end!



    Wake the metal!

    Create the metal!

    Unfold the metal!

    Control the metal!

    Embrace the metal!

    We raise the metal!

    Restore the metal!

    Before the metal!

For me, the far more interesting song of the two is the default boss music, however. This interpretation reads as an ambiguous story that might reveal some undisclosed details about the primal Alexander.

    Seeking a piece of reason,

    Shaping a peaceless season,

    Reason to keep believing,

    Waking the beast who's sleeping ...



    I call this destiny (you're caught in a trance)

    Ever march inside, there's got to be no sign of advance (you see?)

    This mortal coil we serve is taut like a spring; step back,

    Two-step, two-step, two-step-one-two-back!



    The world's a fantasy (no more than a test)

    Ever feeding off the fantasy, creating this mess (deep down)

    Inside this bleak machine with all of the rest,

    Break free! To praise, to praise electricity!



    Time turning up the volume,

    Time turning on as always.

    No time-enough tomorrow,

    For turning back to where we began!



    Trying to set those twisted fragments in one direction ...

    Celestial noise detected, but maybe I'm unsuspected?

    Standing to give to reason, turning the key for defense ...

    Transmissions begun completing, setup to >BREACH and >RESET.



    Now what's the destiny (alone in a trance?)

    No escaping from this waking dream, no hope for advance (you see?)

    The mortal coil we serve is naught but a spring; unwind,

    Too slow, too quick, too much to believe!



    Your world's a fantasy, you failed the test.

    Ever forging all-new fallacies, creating a mess (direct)

    Into this bleak machine with all of the rest-

    D/C! Dying, dying! Electricity-



    (Falling back right into the system, falling back on all the T-rays)

    (When falling back right out of the system means falling back right into disgrace ...)

    (Yes falling back right in with the system, while slipping, falling back to the end)

    (When falling back is better and simple, we're falling back into business again!)



    Silence to beat and rhythm, memory: >WIPE and >READ (>END) 

    Error, repeat: >DEFEATED. Radicals flowing free (>END)

    Energy slowing seeping, suspending all disbelief (>END)

    Synergy with our being ... synapses firing, breathing ...

Let's start with the vocals, of which there are three variations. These seem to indicate the viewpoints of different characters and their description of events. I've colour-coded these dubious characters as Invader, Defender and Unknown.

Seeking a piece of reason,
Shaping a peaceless season,
Reason to keep believing,
Waking the beast who's sleeping ...

This fits with what we currently know of the Illuminati and their plan to take control of the once docile Alexander, a self-sustaining haven for scientists and philosophers (a piece of reason, the beast who's sleeping). It is also possible that this is written from a Sharlayan or Allagan viewpoint, depending on Alexander's as-yet-unknown history.

I call this destiny (you're caught in a trance)
Ever march inside, there's got to be no sign of advance (you see?)
This mortal coil we serve is taut like a spring; step back,
Two-step, two-step, two-step-one-two-back!

The world's a fantasy (no more than a test)
Ever feeding off the fantasy, creating this mess (deep down)
Inside this bleak machine with all of the rest,
Break free! To praise, to praise electricity!

This indicates that the dormant machine was invaded, and that the invader(s) shunned the outside world, hoping instead to "break free" and "praise electricity". Prayer and hope have been two frequent ingredients in the creation and summoning of primals.

Time turning up the volume,
Time turning on as always.
No time-enough tomorrow,
For turning back to where we began!

Big emphasis on time here. More on that later ...

Trying to set those twisted fragments in one direction ...
Celestial noise detected, but maybe I'm unsuspected?
Standing to give to reason, turning the key for defense ...
Transmissions begun completing, setup to >BREACH and >RESET.

This interpretation reads like an administrator operating a computer-like machine, and the lyrics seem to make the most sense when you throw in some command-line-style arguments (again, more of those later).

It begins to get really interesting here. It refers to itself being or generating "celestial noise". As long-time fans of the FF series will know, Alexander has typically been holy aspected and depicted with large angel-like wings.

Now what's the destiny (alone in a trance?)
No escaping from this waking dream, no hope for advance (you see?)
The mortal coil we serve is naught but a spring; unwind,
Too slow, too quick, too much to believe!

Your world's a fantasy, you failed the test.
Ever forging all-new fallacies, creating a mess (direct)
Into this bleak machine with all of the rest-
D/C! Dying, dying! Electricity-

When listening to the singer of this verse, you can very clearly hear them getting cut off at the end. The D/C refers to either a direct current (electricity) or a disconnection. This viewpoint continued repeating the mantra that the outside world is doomed and again seems to have a pretty ecclesiastical vibe to it.

(Falling back right into the system, falling back on all the T-rays,)
(When falling back right out of the system means falling back right into disgrace ...)
(Yes falling back right in with the system, while slipping, falling back to the end.)
(When falling back is better and simple, we're falling back into business again!)

This part is pretty trippy, and I have a hard time concluding what this might be in reference to. The repeated "falling back" could be a reference to time passing or even something wild like time compression. It could also refer to intergration with "the system", which would synchronise well with the final verse ...

Silence to beat and rhythm, memory: >WIPE and >READ (>END)
Error, repeat: >DEFEATED. Radicals flowing free (>END)
Energy slowing seeping, suspending all disbelief (>END)
Synergy with our being ... synapses firing, breathing ...

The last verse reads like an emergency report, a final message after some large calamity. It's also the verse I had the hardest time reciting, as the only way the lyrics made any sense was if I included words as command-line-esque messages. Perhaps the confusion was intended, as there could be a lot of information to deduce from this passage.

I will leave said conclusions to good folks like yourself however, as I'm sure your imaginations are far more vibrant than mine. My lore knowledge is probably a bit lacking too (I'm sure there's a face-palm in there somewhere!)

While this may just be a lot of mis-heard lyrics, hopefully you will find some interesting clues in there! Many thanks to the team at SE for creating such wonderful music, every time new content is released I am always impressed by the depth and quality. Looking forward to the next primals!