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"A Place to Call Home" (いつか帰るところ, Itsuka Kaeru Tokoro?, lit. The Place I'll Return to Someday) is a theme of Final Fantasy IX. It was composed by Nobuo Uematsu.
"A Place to Call Home" is a short, melodic piece based on the D Dorian mode and is contrapuntal in nature. Some of these elements are more or less apparent, or even non-existent, in the many reiterations heard throughout Final Fantasy IX. Despite its shortness, the theme has been included in many official arrangements and compilations and played several times during live performances along with the game's main theme, "Melodies of Life".
Game appearances
Final Fantasy IX
"A Place to Call Home" plays during the opening cutscenes and its title screen. The theme is connected to Terra and has several arrangements that play in areas related to it: "Oeilvert" plays at the eponymous location; "Chamber of a Thousand Faces" plays at Oeilvert during the narration of the story of Terra by the stone faces; "Ipsen's Castle" plays at the location, and "The Four Mirrors" plays during events succeeding the visit to the location; and "Terra" plays as Zidane explores Terra.
"A Place to Call Home" is the first track of the first disc of the Final Fantasy IX: Original Soundtrack album. "Oeilvert" and "Chamber of a Thousand Faces" are the twenty-first and twenty-second tracks of the third disc of the album, respectively; "Ipsen's Castle", "The Four Mirrors" and "Terra" are the third, fourth and sixth tracks of the fourth disc of the album.
Final Fantasy XV
The original version appears in the music player as the first track of Memories of FFIX (Disc 1) - OST album purchased from Coernix Station - Cauthess for 100 gil. The Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy arrangement is available on the Memories of Dissidia 012 FF album purchasable from Old Lestallum for 500 gil.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
An arrangement of "A Place to Call Home" by Takeharu Ishimoto, titled "'A Place to Call Home -arrange-' from FINAL FANTASY IX", appears as a dungeon theme. The Dies Irae theme from the Catholic funeral Mass is mixed into the harmony.
"'A Place to Call Home -arrange-' from FINAL FANTASY IX" is the thirty-seventh track of the first disc of the Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
The original version is available as a battle music in the arcade version, obtainable from a Theatrhythm Final Fantasy event (2018/01).
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
"A Place to Call Home" is an opening theme in Final Fantasy IX Series Play. While the opening theme plays, the following words appear across the screen:
Time passes unconcerned as people live in anxiety,
uncertainty and sorrow, searching for meaning.
They were also seeking something.
In a world where mist covers all,
they each pursued their own answers.
At times, they lifted arms against one another;
at times, their hands clasped in friendship.
What were their answers?
What could they learn from such heartache?
You may understand if you unravel their story...
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call
"A Place to Call Home" reappears, this time as a playable Field Music Sequence.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival
"A Place to Call Home" appears again as a playable Field Music Sequence. It can be unlocked by purchasing it in the song store for 5 sound medals.
| Difficulty | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Basic | Expert | Ultimate | Transcendent |
| N/A | 3 | 4 | 8 | N/A |
Arrangement album appearances
Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack PLUS
Tracks thirty-six, thirty-seven and thirty-eight, "Ancient Motet I," "Organum" and "Mediterranean" are all variations of "A Place to Call Home." "Mediterranean" is rather similar to "The Four Mirrors." All are bonus tracks, unused in Final Fantasy IX.
Piano Collections: Final Fantasy IX
A piano arrangement of the theme is heard on the Piano Collections album. It is the third track of the album.
Final Fantasy Song Book "Mahoroba"
The theme is included using a simple arrangement of drums and flutes as a short opening track for the album. it is the first track of the album and an alternate version plays as a hidden track after a minute of silence following the final track, Revolving Light.
SQ Chips
The song appears in the SQ Chips VILLAGE/VANGUARD Customer Bonus CD of the 8-bit arrangement album featuring tracks from several Square Enix games. It is the fifth track in the bonus CD.
Final Fantasy IX Chips
The song is part of the 8-bit arrangement album as its first track.
Live performances
The theme is often coupled with the song "Melodies of Life" during live orchestral performances.
20020220 music from Final Fantasy
The theme was included as a medley with "Melodies of Life", "The Place I'll Return to Someday ~ Melodies of Life", for the 20020220 concert. This would be the first instance in the now-common tradition of coupling both themes together during live performances.
It was the thirteenth track of the album, and is the eight track of the second disc of the album of the concert's recording.
More Friends - Music from Final Fantasy
"A Place to Call Home ~ Melodies of Life" was performed at this concert, of which it was the eleventh track of the line-up.
VOICES: Music from Final Fantasy
"A Place to Call Home ~ Melodies of Life" was included on the live concert held on February 18th, 2006, at the Pacifico Yokohoma Conference and Convention Center in Japan.
Distant Worlds II: More Music from Final Fantasy
"A Place to Call Home - Melodies of Life" was included in this concert tour, successor to Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, of which it was the fourth song.
Compilation album appearances
Uematsu's Best Selection - Music From The Final Fantasy IX Video Game
"A Place to Call Home" was included in this "best-of" release by Tokyopop Soundtrax as its first track.
Sheet music
Etymology
The place referred to in the title is a matter of speculation. Terra, being the Genomes' birthplace, is likely to be "the place Zidane would return to someday," referring to one of the translations of the theme's title. This is supported by "Oeilvert", "Ipsen's Heritage" (Ipsen's Castle's theme) and "The Four Medallions" (also played in Ipsen's Castle) being rearranged versions of "The Place I'll Return to Someday", as both places are connected to Terra. The eponymous theme of the world of Terra is also a variation of "The Place I'll Return to Someday".
Within the game itself, "a place to call home" is what Zidane describes Vivi is looking for during their visit to the Black Mage Village. In Pandemonium, Garland says to Zidane that "You are destined to live among the stars for all eternity. You have the power, the position, and the motive to do it," to which Zidane replies "I wouldn't want that kind of power... if I only had a place to call home... My brothers in Tantalus, Vivi, Freya, Amarant, Quina, Steiner, Eiko, and... Dagger... My home is with them in Gaia!", suggesting that the place referred to within the title "A Place to Call Home" is in, fact, Gaia.
External links
- A notable fan vocal arrangement of "The Place I'll Return to Someday" by Kate Covington.