A new look at the song "Answers", knowing the Endwalker story (spoilers)

[StealthPaladin]

Posted in other thread; curious of others take on the lyrics. They seem to spell out everything at a broad level, way back from 1.0

Ascians:
I close my eyes, tell us why must we suffer
(suffering Hydaelyn talks about)
Release your hands, for your will drags us under
(fighting Zodiark)
My legs grow tired, tell us where must we wander
(Ascians perpetually reborn)
How can we carry on if redemption's beyond us?
(desire to be unsundered)

Hydaelyn:
To all of my children in whom Life flows abundant
(aether keeping Final Days away)
To all of my children to whom Death hath passed his judgement
(Song of Despair)
The soul yearns for honor, and the flesh the hereafter
Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after
(world before/after sundering)

Shining is the Land's light of justice
(again aether)
Ever flows the Land's well of purpose
(reasons to live, in the face of despair)
Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe
(desire of Hydaelyn, the echo as a kind of tempering with freedom)
The Land is alive, so believe
(as other primals, she wants belief)

(chorus of tempering vvv)
Suffer"Feel"
Promise"Think"
Witness"Teach"
Reason"Hear"

Follow"Feel"
Wander"Think"
Stumble"Teach"
Listen"Speak"

Honor"Speak"
Value"Tell"
Whisper"Tell"
Mention"Hope"
Ponder"Hope"
Warrant"Wish"
Cherish"Wish"

Welcome"Roam"
Witness"Roam"
Listen"Roam"
Suffer"Roam"
Sanction"Sleep"
Weather"Sleep"
Wander"Sleep"
Sleep on (souls of ascians)
-------
Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
(new character == Azem's soul reincarnated)

Still deaf to our cries, lost in hope we lie defeated
(Aumarot has died)

Our souls have been torn, and our bodies forsaken
Bearing sins of the past, for our future is taken
(sundering)

War born of strife, these trials persuade us not
(conflict with the convocation)

Feel what? Learn what?
Words without sound, these lies betray our thoughts (because we're tempered)
Mired by a plague of doubt, the Land, she mourns
(Hydaelyn doubts we will master Dynamis and have to flee with the moon)

See what? Hear what?
Judgement binds all we hold to a memory of scorn
(Final Days)

Tell us why, given Life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?
(hopelessness civilizations have fallen to)

Witness "Feel"
Suffer "Think"
Borrow "Teach"
Reason "Hear"

Follow "Feel"
Stumble "Think"
Wander "Teach"
Listen "Blink"
Whisper "Blink"
Shoulder "Blink"
Ponder "Blink"
Weather "Hear"

Answer "Look"
Answer "Think"
Answer TOGETHER

Thy Life is a riddle, to bear rapture and sorrow
(YOUR PURPOSE TO STOP FINAL DAYS)
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
(JOB IS SUFFER + SAVE FUTURE)
In one fleeting moment, from the Land doth life flow
(Final days return, death of Hydaelyn/Zodiark)

Yet in one fleeting moment, for anew it doth grow (song of Hope)
In the same fleeting moment thou must live, die and know

[Kordarion]

Posted in other thread; curious of others take on the lyrics. They seem to spell out everything at a broad level, way back from 1.0

Considering the fact that answers was written before they re-wrote the ascian backstory, Yoshi-P confirmed they re-wrote it in Heavensward in a recent interview, I don't think that foreshadowing what has happened since was its intended purpose, not to mention the fact that to me, it comes across more as a message about persevering against all odds and maintaining hope even when everything around you seems hopeless. Also, as far as I am aware, Answers was written about the events of the meteor project and the calamity that followed and has over time become something more because of the story's repeated focus on overcoming despair and finding hope even when it seems like all is lost.

On your reading of it specifically, I think your trying too hard to shoehorn in the tempering narrative, none of the lines you are refering to as being about Hydaelyn tempering us have anything to do with that. Walking free could mean any number of things, not necessarily Hydaelyn giving us fake free will, cause then we wouldn't be free would we? They could easily enough have to do with the garlean empire and their attempts to either conquer or destroy Eorzea, especially considering the song, as far as I know, is about the 7th umbral calamity.

Edit: As I have been made aware Answers predates even the meteor stuff, so disregard that bit.

[Veloran]

Answers clearly wasn't written with any of the (then nonexistent) future plot in mind, and I don't agree with much of your interpretation, even retroactively, at all. However I will say that extreme manipulation was at play throughout the story, though it wasn't tempering.

[StealthPaladin]

Considering the fact ...

You could look at this with / without tempering and get the same outcome. Whether you agree to help with her goals or not, these are her goals.

Regarding storyline rework; this I was aware of but that only really covers finer points such as Hydaelyn being Venat vs any number of others.

Answers is not the only song to suggest this proactively rather than retroactively. It appears the focus on answering despair through hope found in suffering is a major theme over the entire game.

Still, appreciate your feedback, though it seems a bit of a knee-jerk reaction imo

[MikkoAkure]

I was under the impression that the non-Hydaelyn parts are the people of the world in general.

The song to me is about people asking what the meaning of life is and why there's suffering and Hydaelyn responds that people are free and tells them hear, feel, think. The people then respond "WTF?! Why are you telling us this when you should be saving us from the pain of existence because we're asking for help, not to be told to 'be free'?!". Hydaelyn then responds to that saying "suffering is a part of life, and the meaning of life is to experience it and pass on your experiences to the next generation as the cycle ever continues".

This reflects a lot on Venat's actions throughout EW and while I don't know what sort of characterization Hydaelyn was supposed to eventually have in Tanaka's 1.0, it's pretty clear that they used the song as a roadmap for her during EW and the song showing up again hammers that in.

[StealthPaladin]

Answers clearly ...

As just noted, you could easily remove the tempering from this interpretation and it wouldn't change much.

She is definitely telling you 'hear, feel, think' the entire story and Meteion wants to
'hear your words, share your feelings, know your thoughts' to every civilization encountered.

Endwalker puts a fair point in multiple cutscenes to characterize Hydaelyn's purpose as an answer to Meteion -- especially when Hermes is deciding to judge mankind's fitness to exist.

I think it cannot be overlooked that Answers is called Answers and these lyrics made very very loose connections with the 1.0 and ARR storyline on their own. It only started to make sense now. Whether by foresight or retcon, not really an issue for me.

Though, Lahabread's rant at the end of Praetorium is pretty similar in that regard. SOME level of foresight on these issues had to be known before Heavensward

[StealthPaladin]

I was under the impression that the non-Hydaelyn parts are the people of the world in general.

That makes sense to me. I used to think the same thing actually until I read someone point out the Ascians singing in the Shadowbringer title song about looking for their lost home. There and a few places in the Shadowbringers soundtrack, they always have a similar male chorus with a somber vibe just like the opening of answers. I could still see a version of it where it is the adventurers though, totally sensible

The song to me is about people asking what the meaning of life is and why there's suffering and Hydaelyn responds that people are free and tells them hear, feel, think. The people then respond "WTF?! Why are you telling us this when you should be saving us from the pain of existence because we're asking for help, not to be told to 'be free'?!". Hydaelyn then responds to that saying "suffering is a part of life, and the meaning of life is to experience it and pass on your experiences to the next generation as the cycle ever continues".

This reflects a lot on Venat's actions throughout EW and while I don't know what sort of characterization Hydaelyn was supposed to eventually have in Tanaka's 1.0, it's pretty clear that they used the song as a roadmap for her during EW and the song showing up again hammers that in.

Yea could see that. I played through the 1.0 story and it was very very open-ended though these themes were teased. There was a ridiculous amount of lore available in the 1.0 world that is hard to communicate though. The short version is that it seemed the team was leaving room to select from lots of different over-arching stories. That would give themselves room to see what clicked with players. Perhaps that is what transpired in the HW story revamp

[Kordarion]

You could look at this with / without tempering and get the same outcome. Whether you agree to help with her goals or not, these are her goals.

Regarding storyline rework; this I was aware of but that only really covers finer points such as Hydaelyn being Venat vs any number of others.

Answers is not the only song to suggest this proactively rather than retroactively. It appears the focus on answering despair through hope found in suffering is a major theme over the entire game.

Still, appreciate your feedback, though it seems a bit of a knee-jerk reaction imo

A knee jerk reaction to, lets shoehorn in meaning to a song that was specifically about an entirely different event. It's not a knee jerk reaction to say, hey this song is about event X not event Y, and even if it isn't about the calamity there is nothing specific linking it to any of the events you have mentioned in your interpretation.

Also it is far more plausible that the Hear, Feel, Think line was applied to Meteion at a latter date as an attempt to try it all together, the same principle of fighting despair with hope applies but that doesn't mean that one is foreshadowing the other, simply that the same message can apply in both cases.

[Iscah]

Though, Lahabread's rant at the end of Praetorium is pretty similar in that regard. SOME level of foresight on these issues had to be known before Heavensward

The relevance of Lahabrea's speech really doesn't mean anything except that they went back and checked what characters said in the past and tried to write something consistent with it, despite completely reworking the Ascians' backstory halfway through. They've tried to make it line up and look planned all along, but a lot of the Ascians' early behaviour seems at odds with the final narrative.

Between their behaviour in ARR and Heavensward and some details from the ARR BLM quests, it looks like the early narrative was probably pitting "our world" against the Ascians who are allied with the void.

[Lurina]

Considering the fact that answers was written before they re-wrote the ascian backstory, Yoshi-P confirmed they re-wrote it in Heavensward in a recent interview, I don't think that foreshadowing what has happened since was its intended purpose, not to mention the fact that to me, it comes across more as a message about persevering against all odds and maintaining hope even when everything around you seems hopeless. Also, as far as I am aware, Answers was written about the events of the meteor project and the calamity that followed and has over time become something more because of the story's repeated focus on overcoming despair and finding hope even when it seems like all is lost.

On your reading of it specifically, I think your trying too hard to shoehorn in the tempering narrative, none of the lines you are refering to as being about Hydaelyn tempering us have anything to do with that. Walking free could mean any number of things, not necessarily Hydaelyn giving us fake free will, cause then we wouldn't be free would we? They could easily enough have to do with the garlean empire and their attempts to either conquer or destroy Eorzea, especially considering the song, as far as I know, is about the 7th umbral calamity.

Answers, which appeared in trailers even before the release of 1.0, predates even the Meteor storyline, which Yoshi-P came up with upon taking control of the game. It even predates the concept of Hydaelyn as a character - it was only attributed to a mysterious figure called the "songstress" associated with echo visions, the lore of which was completely rewritten by the new team.

Notably, in the original storyline, it was diagetic. The player character didn't just hear the "Hear, Feel, Think" line, they heard the actual song being sung when awakening to their powers.

So yeah, they wrote around the song.