Eyes on Me (song)

"Eyes on Me" is the theme song of Final Fantasy VIII. Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, English lyrics by Kako Someya, and performed by Hong Kong pop diva Faye Wong, the song went on to sell a record breaking 400,000 copies. It also won "Song of the Year (Western Music)" at the 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1999. This was the first time a song from a video game ever won the honor.

Development
The game developers had originally planned to use a famous vocalist in the ending of Final Fantasy VII, but the plan didn't go through due to being too abrupt, and there was no suitable theme in the story for a vocal song to suddenly come up in the ending. In Final Fantasy VIII the song has a meaning in the plot, and it relates to the game's main characters. Uematsu wrote a ballad he thought would suit the theme and asked everyone to bring in CDs with vocalists who would match it.

The team listened to countless CDs in staff meetings, but none seemed to match their expectations, until they listened to Faye Wong. Uematsu didn't know Faye Wong prior to listening to her CD in a Squaresoft staff meeting, but her voice and mood seemed to match his image of the song. He thought her being Chinese fit the international image of Final Fantasy.

Uematsu didn't participate in the negotiation to ask her to perform the song for Final Fantasy VIII. Faye Wong accepted the offer, but the recording had to take place in Hong Kong due to her schedule. Uematsu organized an orchestra and gave her a copy of the tape before the recording. Her style was to concentrate alone before recording, and sing in a one-shot deal in complete darkness. Uematsu describes Wong's skill as a singer superior and her voice as "truly heavenly".

Final Fantasy VIII
The central melody of "Eyes on Me" plays each time Squall and Rinoa share a romantic scene. Different in-game versions of the theme include "Julia", a piano arrangement that plays in Deling City hotel during a flashback, as well as in the Shumi Village inn, and "Waltz for the Moon", a waltz arrangement that plays during the SeeD inauguration ball. "Eyes on Me" plays in the Ragnarok during Squall and Rinoa's journey back to earth. An orchestrated version of the song is incorporated on the game's ending theme.

"Eyes on Me" was included in the Final Fantasy VIII: Original Soundtrack album as the twentieth track of the third disc. "Waltz for the Moon" and "Julia" are, respectively, the sixteenth and twentieth tracks of the soundtrack's first disc.

Story
"Eyes on Me" was written by Julia Heartilly about her love for Laguna Loire. Laguna, a Galbadian soldier, fell in love with Julia, a hotel lounge pianist. Laguna would frequent the lounge to watch her play but, being notoriously shy and clumsy, could never convey his feelings to her. She felt the same way, but his nervousness made it difficult for her to let him know.

One night Laguna tried to approach her and although his nerves got the better of him, Julia invited him to her room where the two told each other how they felt. Julia admitted she wanted to sing and that she could write a song about Laguna, despite her previous difficulty in composing lyrics. "Eyes on Me" is that song, and the feelings conveyed in it are her feelings for him. Laguna was called away to a mission and the two would never see each other again.

Laguna and Julia's love is echoed in Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly's romance, significant as Julia is Rinoa's mother and Laguna is Squall's father. Thus their failed romance is fulfilled through their children.

The song may have become a classic within the world of Final Fantasy VIII, as a waltz version plays at the SeeD inauguration ball, a different arrangement plays at an impromptu concert at Fishermans Horizon, and the theme plays on the radio as far away as the isolated Shumi Village, all many years after the song was composed.

Lyrics

 * Whenever sang my songs
 * On the stage, on my own
 * Whenever said my words
 * Wishing they would be heard
 * I saw you smiling at me
 * Was it real or just my fantasy
 * You'd always be there in the corner
 * Of this tiny little bar


 * My last night here for you
 * Same old songs, just once more
 * My last night here with you?
 * Maybe yes, maybe no
 * I kind of liked it your way
 * How you shyly placed your eyes on me
 * Did you ever know
 * That I had mine on you?


 * Darling, so there you are
 * With that look on your face
 * As if you're never hurt
 * As if you're never down
 * Shall I be the one for you
 * Who pinches you softly but sure
 * If frown is shown then
 * I will know that you are no dreamer


 * So let me come to you
 * Close as I wanna be
 * Close enough for me
 * To feel your heart beating fast
 * And stay there as I whisper
 * How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
 * Did you ever know
 * That I had mine on you?


 * Darling, so share with me
 * Your love if you have enough
 * Your tears if you're holding back
 * Or pain if that's what it is
 * How can I let you know
 * I'm more than the dress and the voice?
 * Just reach me out, then
 * You will know that you are not dreaming


 * Darling, so there you are
 * With that look on your face
 * As if you're never hurt
 * As if you're never down
 * Shall I be the one for you
 * Who pinches you softly but sure
 * If frown is shown then
 * I will know that you are no dreamer

Dissidia Final Fantasy
An orchestrated "Eyes On Me" is included in "DISSIDIA -ending- from DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY", a medley of the ending themes from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy X, including the theme of Dissidia Final Fantasy.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
An arrangement of "Julia" by Tsuyoshi Sekito, titled "Julia -arrange- from FINAL FANTASY VIII", is present in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as Laguna's world map theme in his storyline, during the third chapter of Treachery of the Gods. "Julia -arrange- from FINAL FANTASY VIII" was released as the thirty-third track of the game's soundtrack first disc.

The "Eyes on Me" segment of Final Fantasy VIII's ending theme returns for the new "DISSIDIA 012[duodecim]-ending- from DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY", a medley of the ending themes from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy XIII and including the ending themes of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy and Dissidia Final Fantasy.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
"Waltz for the Moon" appears as the Event Music Sequence for Final Fantasy VIII. Additionally, the "Ending Theme" is the end song for the series play.

The iOS version features the "Ending Theme" as a Field Music Sequence that can be bought on the app store for $0.99/£0.69.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call
"Waltz for the Moon" and "Ending Theme" both reappear in Curtain Call as Field Music Sequences for Final Fantasy VIII.

Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VIII
A piano arrangement of "Eyes On Me" by Shirō Hamaguchi and performed by Shinko Ogata appears on the Piano Collections release of Final Fantasy VIII as its second track. Many consider it the easiest of the Piano Collections' vocal song arrangements.

Potion 2: Relaxin' with Final Fantasy
"Eyes On Me (Acoustic Guitar Version)" is an unreleased arrangement of the theme, released as bonus track for this compilation. It is the fourteenth and final track of the album.

Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection
A solo classical guitar arrangement of "Eyes On Me" is included on the Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection album, performed by Yuji Sekiguchi. It is the seventeenth track of the album.

Final Fantasy Song Book "Mahoroba"
"Eyes on Me" is featured in this 2004 album, titled. Arranged for vocals by Yuji Hasegawa, it was sung in Japanese by Manami Kiyota.

SQ Chips
The song appears in the 8-bit arrangement album featuring tracks from several Square Enix games. It is the thirteenth track in the album.

Final Fantasy Orchestra Album
"Eyes on Me" appears on this Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary arrangement album sung by Crystal Kay. This version was initially performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London as part of the Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Distant Worlds concert.

Final Fantasy S Generation: Official Best Collection
The Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VIII release of "Eyes on Me" is included in this album as its second track.

Potion: Relaxin' with Final Fantasy
The Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VIII version of "Eyes on Me" is included in this album as its second track.

Fable
The song is included in the Japanese release of Faye Wong's 2000 album Fable as dance remix track called "Eyes On Me - Almighty Radio Mix".

Kokoro no Senshi
In 2006, the song was included in Angela Aki's second single. "Eyes On Me -featured in FINAL FANTASY VIII-" is the fourth track that ties the single with the series.

Lyrics

 * Whenever I sang my songs
 * On the stage on my own
 * Whenever I said these words
 * Wishing they would be heard
 * I saw you smiling at me
 * Was it real or just my fantasy
 * You'd always be there in the corner
 * Of this tiny little bar


 * My last night here with you
 * Same old songs, just once more
 * My last night here with you?
 * Maybe yes, maybe no
 * I kind of liked it your way
 * How you shyly laid your eyes on me
 * Did you ever know
 * That I had mine on you?


 * Darling, so there you are
 * With that look on your face
 * As if you're never hurt
 * As if you're never down
 * Shall I be the one for you
 * Who pinches you softly but sure
 * If a frown is shown then
 * I will know that you are no dreamer


 * So let me come to you
 * Close as I wanna be
 * Close enough for me
 * To feel your heart beating fast
 * And stay there as I whisper
 * How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
 * Did you ever know
 * That I had mine on you


 * Darling, so share with me
 * Your love if you have enough
 * Your tears if you're holding back
 * Or pain if that's what it is
 * How can I let you know
 * I'm more than the dress and the voice?
 * Just reach for me then
 * You will know that you are not dreaming


 * Darling, so there you are
 * With that look on your face
 * As if you're never hurt
 * As if you're never down
 * Shall I be the one for you
 * Who pinches you softly but sure
 * If a frown is shown then
 * I will know that you are no dreamer

"Eyes On Me" (Korean version)
MayBee did a cover of the song in Korean and was released in August 11, 2008.
 * Single cover
 * "Eyes on Me" - MayBee

Ancient Bards
An Italian metal band named the Ancient Bards has covered "Eyes on Me" opening with the "Final Fantasy" theme. Sara Squadrani sings the song in English.
 * Ancient Bards biography
 * "Eyes on Me"

A New Story
An English cover by Japanese singer Kanon.

Trivia

 * In Final Fantasy X-2, one of Yuna's battle quotes in the Songstress dressphere is, "Hey, eyes on me!"
 * This song is not to be confused with the Superfly song "Eyes On Me", which is the theme for the game The 3rd Birthday.
 * "Eyes On Me" is a special attack used by the one-eyed Ahriman family of enemies in Final Fantasy XI.
 * There is a main scenario quest in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn entitled "Eyes On Me". Eyes on Me is also an enemy ability used by All-Seeing Eye, the boss in Dzemael Darkhold.
 * Irish singer Mary Byrne recorded a cover version of "Eyes on Me" as her "winner's single" during her time on The X Factor in 2010, and would have released it had she won. However, Byrne was eliminated in the semi final.
 * Spanish singer Ailyn made a cover version of "Eyes on Me" in a demo album collecting her favorite anime songs before becoming a professional singer.