lets analyze answers!

[Majidah]

It seems after Yoshi took over the plot was adjusted to what we've experienced.
I'm sure the first cutscene wasn't refereing to Dalamud, yet it was shifted and positioned in such way that it seemed so.

I'm sure they did the same for the song answers, and I've taken a shot to find meaning in the lyrics.
If you disagree in parts of them, or find a different meaning, or find meaning in those parts I couldn't understand, please post them and I'll update it.

I close my eyes, tell us why must we suffer
Release your hands for your will runs asunder
My legs long tired, tell us where must we wander
How can we carry on with redemption beyond us

To all of my children in whom life flows abundant
To those alive
To all of my children to whom death hath passed his judgment
You are destined to die
The soul yearns for honor and the flesh the hereafter
Your spirit will want to fight, and you'll tire yourself so that your body will want to die
Look to those who've walked before to lead those who walk after
This happened before, take lead from the Archons

Shining is the land's light of justice
Ever flows the land's well of purpose
Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe,
The land's alive, so believe
???. Maybe embelishment. Maybe it refers to the aether flowing through Eorzea or to believing on the twelve?

Suffer [feel] (me) lonely [face] (me) weakness [teach] (me) evil [fear] (me)
Suffer lonely, learn from your weakness (meaning team up), evil will fear you
Although [feel] (me) one must [face] (me) stumble [teach] (me) listen [speak] (me)
There will be set backs. Listen, learn.
(Although we) [speak] we (might) [tell] them (we must) [tell] them (land of) [hope] hope
Have hope
(Mother) [hope] hope (father) [wish] wish (every) [wish] wish (has a) [roam] home
???
(We must go) [roam] go (listen) [roam] go (suffer) [roam] home (sanctum) [swim] leap
Travel through the world. Have experiences.
(And as) [speak] we (wander) [sleep] sleep (answer) [sleep on] sleep on (on)
???

Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
Armaggedon is coming again
Still deaf to our cries lost in hope we lie defeated
Your prayers will be ignored and you will lay defeated
Our souls have been torn and our bodies forsaken
Refers to separation of spirit and body? Or maybe just means you've been defeated.
Bearing sins of the past for our future is taken
Your future is doomed because of the sins of your ancestors

War, born of strife these trials dissuade us not
Garlean vs Alliance war
Words without sound these lies betray our thoughts
???
Mired by your plague of doubt, the land she mourns
???
Judgment binds all we hold to a memory of scorn
All you know comes to judgement held with hate (bahamut taking revenge?)
Tell us why, given life, we are meant to die? Help us in our cries!

Witness (we) suffer (we) borrow (we) reason
(We) follow (we) struggle (we) wander (we) listen
(We) whisper (we) shoulder (we) addle (we) weather
(Please) answer (you) answer (me) answer together

Thy life is a riddle to bear rapture and sorrow
You are to be seized by violence
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
To learn from this and suffer it, and believe in those from tomorrow
In one fleeting moment from the land doth life flow
Everything will die, instantly
Yet in one fleeting moment for anew it doth grow
But we will prevail, and rebuild in no time
In the same fleeting moment thou must live, die and know
Your life will take place in this lapse of time

[Starlord]

You read my mind! I was just about to make a thread about this very thing! Nearly everything about this song makes more since now then it did back in FFXIV 1.0 launch... it's like they planned this from the very beginning! XD. When I listened to it now and then visualized the end of era trailer I was like wow this is bleeping amazing! I can't wait for ARR, I feel a balance in the air.

[Inzoum]

it's like they planned this from the very beginning! XD.

Except they didn't :P

[AlexNiculaie]

I don't see much need to analyze the song too deep. Lyrically, it's a generic "hard times a-commin'" song. Like any prophetic statement, it's open enough to interpretation to fit almost any story with portents of war.

[Dannythm]

Answers was well written and can fit in many events, Yoshi was smart enough to thread all so t seemed it was the flow of the game since the start, and he did one of the best jobs I've ever experienced at that.

I'm more intrigued about the title of the second story arc,"A Realm Reborn", not Rebuilt or other similar term, but Reborn, like with Bahamuts Megaflare the realm didn't needed to be rebuilt, but something else was tiggered and it "Reborned" saving the realm and taking it to a state resembling a past time.
The connotations are different, and I'm sure the wording will have a full meaning once we experience the lore, but for now I just think there's something fishy.

[Kraggy]

I'm more intrigued about the title of the second story arc,"A Realm Reborn", not Rebuilt or other similar term, but Reborn

Wasn't 'Reborn' one of Yoshi's 'four words' which he used back when he took over? Not sure.

In any case, I'm not sure that the semantic difference between these two words is that significant, though to me 'reborn' is kind of more poetic and fitting for a title, 'rebuilt' is more, I don't know, 'mechanical' and unfeeling.

Who knows. Maybe the OP is right about the song's meaning, or your and the others' replies to him suggesting he's 'overthinking it' (my word) is right, but I think the same applies to looking at the title Yoshi has adopted for 'version 2'.

It will be intriguing to find out, one way or the other.

[Dannythm]

It will be intriguing to find out, one way or the other.

And the intrigue is just a plus to ARR success! I want to know what happens!

[Majidah]

Answers was well written and can fit in many events, Yoshi was smart enough to thread all so t seemed it was the flow of the game since the start, and he did one of the best jobs I've ever experienced at that.

I'm more intrigued about the title of the second story arc,"A Realm Reborn", not Rebuilt or other similar term, but Reborn, like with Bahamuts Megaflare the realm didn't needed to be rebuilt, but something else was tiggered and it "Reborned" saving the realm and taking it to a state resembling a past time.
The connotations are different, and I'm sure the wording will have a full meaning once we experience the lore, but for now I just think there's something fishy.

Well,

In one fleeting moment from the land doth life flow = Realm destroyed
Yet in one fleeting moment for anew it doth grow = Realm reborn

:P

[AlexNiculaie]

I agree that Reborn is simply a more poetic word than rebuilt. Seriously do not get why it is so hard for people to just accept the simplest explanation; that we merely went 5 years into the future as stated. Not an alternate reality, or the distant past. If you look at the trees in the new shroud, the tops have all been sheared, and the growth obviously new. Most of the new buildings are wooden, and easily built in less than 5 years. It has been stated that new ruins and areas have been uncovered by the devastation of the Dalamud event.

Land recovers pretty quickly from natural disasters in the real world. I sincerely doubt that anything we have been shown is beyond reason in 5 years, especially when magic exists to aid it. I just don't see a need to conjure overly complicated explanations.

[Akira_Tenshi]

Except they didn't :P

We don't really know how much the story has changed. This could have always been the intended story for the game.