Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: The “true” meaning of Eyes on Me. (Theory/analysis)

  1. #1
    Friendship *is* magic. MJN SEIFER's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Jasper's Park
    Posts
    3,550
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default The “true” meaning of Eyes on Me. (Theory/analysis)

    It is said in storyline (on the Information menu) that the song Eyes on Me was written by Julia about someone she had fallen in love with (probably Laguna – not sure though). However in real life the song would have actually have been written by Square themselves (or perhaps someone hired by them – either way it would have to be someone who knows something about the games storyline).

    Although the first part of the song fits the Julia background I think some of it is supposed to represent Squall and Rinoa, look at the lyrics and it should become obvious.

    "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

    And, did you ever know?
    That I had mine on you
    Everything on these lyrics is indeed written from Julia’s perspective; she is a singer at a bar (although we never see her singing) and for a while at least Laguna was always there (that’s why I think that this part of the song was aimed at him, but then maybe Caraway attended the bar a lot as well?). Anyway she is simply letting this person know she feels the same way, but this is where the song stops being from Julia’s perspective (except for one possible line)


    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
    These lyrics don’t really come from anyone’s perspective – they are just part of the song, and perhaps a way of separating Julia’s perspective from the storyline’s perspective. This is the songs “chorus” so to speak, but once it is done, it becomes Squall and Rinoa’s song.


    So let me come to you
    Close as I want to be
    This could still be from Julia’s perspective – she wants to get closer to this man who is watching her sing. However when combined with the rest of the song, it is more likely it is from Rinoa's perspective; she wants to get closer to Squall, but he is distant.

    Close enough for me
    To fill your heart fading fast
    These lines fit Squall and Rinoa far more than Julia and anyone. Over years of being alone Squall has become very cold and towards people, however Rinoa’s appearance in his life has saved him from becoming heartless, he just needs to open up and let her get close to him.

    And stay there as I whisper

    How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
    did you ever know
    That I had mine on you
    Again, I don’t think this represents anyone in particular – it is simply part of the song, it is making its way to another chorus, but this time even that is different.

    Darling, so share with me
    Your love if you have enough
    Rinoa wants to know if Squall loves her, and if he’s still capable of loving anyone (which for the record, he is – he just needed to be shown.

    Your tears if you’re holding back
    a pain if that's what it is
    This is certainly aimed at Squall. At no point where we lead to believe that Laguna held back any tears or pain in front of Julia, and we don’t really get enough development on Caraway to know if this is for him. Squall however, it fits perfectly – he has been left alone for so long, and lost anyone whoever he let get close to him, so much so he has given up trying to keep hold of people. I’m sure this caused him a lot of emotional pain, he has been holding back his tears for a long time.

    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're not dreaming
    This could actually be from Julia’s perspective, “more than the dress and the voice” seams to mean that she is more than just a pub singer, she wants to love this person. I think the “real” song writers reverted it back to Julia’s perspective to end the song, and possibly make it a full circle.

    The rest of the song is the chorus repeated, which I have already analyzed.

    Anyway these are my views on this beautiful song. Hope you enjoyed reading

  2. #2
    Fortune Teller Recognized Member Roogle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Lone Tree, Colorado
    Posts
    7,496
    Articles
    80
    Blog Entries
    3

    FFXIV Character

    Roose Dorvauldar (Gilgamesh)
    Contributions
    • Former Administator
    • Former Senior Site Staff

    Default

    I certainly cannot analyze the lyrics like you have. When I sing this song, I simply imagine myself in Julia's perspective for the entire song.

    I would imagine that when Julia was writing the song, she added in some elements for the sake of the music or for the sake of her emotions that wouldn't necessarily make perfect sense.
    I believe in the power of humanity.

  3. #3

    Default

    Laguna was shy the last time he met with her. Sometimes, he even kept his eyes away from her.... lol

    So then Julia wrote this song *hopefully* to cure Laguna's problem. Put your eyes on me... with great temptation... will it work?

    The whole Laguna and Julia thing is such a sad story...

  4. #4
    Fortune Teller Recognized Member Roogle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Lone Tree, Colorado
    Posts
    7,496
    Articles
    80
    Blog Entries
    3

    FFXIV Character

    Roose Dorvauldar (Gilgamesh)
    Contributions
    • Former Administator
    • Former Senior Site Staff

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Serapy View Post
    The whole Laguna and Julia thing is such a sad story...
    The Final Fantasy Wiki article for Eyes On Me puts a more positive take on the song:

    Eyes on Me becomes a theme for the game as their love is echoed in Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly's romance. This is significant because Julia is Rinoa's mother and Laguna is Squall's father. Thus, their failed romance is actually fulfilled through their children.
    If you think about it like that, it seems a little better, right?
    I believe in the power of humanity.

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Serapy View Post

    The whole Laguna and Julia thing is such a sad story...
    Not really because they had a time together but they both went on to find other loves and have children. If they had hooked up then Squall and Rinoa could never have happened.
    ...It is because there is a limit to time that we wish for nights that never dawn.
    Eternity is just an empty illusion and is why feelings of being able to believe in one another are born...
    Remember that well.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PeneloRatsbane View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Serapy View Post

    The whole Laguna and Julia thing is such a sad story...
    Not really because they had a time together but they both went on to find other loves and have children. If they had hooked up then Squall and Rinoa could never have happened.
    "Not really". You're using the 'future' reference (Squall and Rinoa) to conclude that whatever happened between Laguna and Julia (past) were created for the greater good. Therefore, it wasn't a sad story. I don't get it.

    Laguna and Julia genuinely loved each other, and they wanted to stay with each other but they somehow couldn't... due to some difficulties. This is quite common in real life, actually. Don't see how is this not a 'sad' story.

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Serapy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by PeneloRatsbane View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Serapy View Post

    The whole Laguna and Julia thing is such a sad story...
    Not really because they had a time together but they both went on to find other loves and have children. If they had hooked up then Squall and Rinoa could never have happened.
    "Not really". You're using the 'future' reference (Squall and Rinoa) to conclude that whatever happened between Laguna and Julia (past) were created for the greater good. Therefore, it wasn't a sad story. I don't get it.

    Laguna and Julia genuinely loved each other, and they wanted to stay with each other but they somehow couldn't... due to some difficulties. This is quite common in real life, actually. Don't see how is this not a 'sad' story.
    hmmm you i see i never thought that Julia and Laguna genuinely loved each other. I think they were attracted to each other and she was influenced by his presence but come on, they hardly spoke to each other excpet that one night, they had potential definately but Love? nope, could have been but there was no time for it to grow.
    Life is made up of misses like that, plenty of people you could have loved but for whatever reason it didn't happen.
    ...It is because there is a limit to time that we wish for nights that never dawn.
    Eternity is just an empty illusion and is why feelings of being able to believe in one another are born...
    Remember that well.

  8. #8
    Fortune Teller Recognized Member Roogle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Lone Tree, Colorado
    Posts
    7,496
    Articles
    80
    Blog Entries
    3

    FFXIV Character

    Roose Dorvauldar (Gilgamesh)
    Contributions
    • Former Administator
    • Former Senior Site Staff

    Default

    The relationship between Laguna and Julia was shortlived and somewhat shallow, but it was enough to inspire Julia to write Eyes On Me which conveys some pretty deep emotions. I agree with PeneloRatsbane mostly.
    I believe in the power of humanity.

  9. #9
    What You Say? Recognized Member BG-57's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Your Base
    Posts
    6,422
    Contributions
    • Notable contributions to Final Fantasy forums

    Default

    I see Squall and Rinoa's relationship fufilling the one their parents could never have. Maybe I've just read too much Wuthering Heights. But then again one major theme of this game is fate. If their love was meant to happen, then Laguna was meant to never be with Julia.

  10. #10
    carte blanche Breine's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Denmark
    Posts
    9,061

    Default

    All of the lyrics in "Eyes on Me" are obviously about Laguna and Julia. Julia wrote the song, so it can't be about Squall and Rinoa.

    Also, BG-57: I like the Wuthering Heights reference there

  11. #11
    What You Say? Recognized Member BG-57's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Your Base
    Posts
    6,422
    Contributions
    • Notable contributions to Final Fantasy forums

    Default

    Thanks, it's funny how much Heathcliff's and Catherine's tragic love story gets overemphasized in popular culture, while the book is as much about the effects of their destructive relationship on the next generation, especially Catherine's daughter and Haerton. I guess people really like doomed lovers.

  12. #12
    Friendship *is* magic. MJN SEIFER's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Jasper's Park
    Posts
    3,550
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Breine View Post
    All of the lyrics in "Eyes on Me" are obviously about Laguna and Julia. Julia wrote the song, so it can't be about Squall and Rinoa.
    I'm mostly talking about the fact that it was written by someone in our world, for the game FFVIII, if that makes sense, so they could have reffered to Squall and Rinoa's realtionship in the lyrics, even though it would make no sense, for Julia to do so.

    A similar thing may have happened in FFVI - "Whatever you say, I won't age a day..." just a theory, but it makes sense.

  13. #13

    Nom nom nom I have a trippier explanation

    So, we have a song supposedly about a romance between Julia and Laguna. Only, these were characters never met by the mains until late late in the game. Meanwhile, we have theories like this floating around the internet.

    http://squallsdead.com/
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arlVEBG3Ovg

    And yeah, there are probably naysayers to this theory. But bear with me.

    We have a very, very strange ending sequence where Squall views Rinoa over and over again. We see a number superimposed images very fast, notably Rinoa in the ballroom with no recognizable face. The Dollet machine. Selphie. And so on. The theory above mentions things get strange starting at disc 2, but this is not accurate. Things are actually subtly weird at disc ONE, and get progressively weirder at disc 2 (flying balamb garden, past life dreams), disc 3 (the weird city of Esther, travelling to the moon, the witches), and disc 4 (time compression). My theory? Squall is dead by the time you start PLAYING.

    Consider Seifer. He has all of the hallmarks of a psychopath. We have a tiny scene cut just before the sword of his hits Squall. Is it more likely he just left a tiny cut near his eye? Or that he brained Squall?

    Now, before we consider this too hard, let's think about that ending. Alot of the people we are introduced to, we learn about AFTER this injury and the "hospital scene." That is, Rinoa's face, why can't he see it? Because he dreamed it.

    So before we get too depressed thinking Squall is dead, let's pause. This is Squall's PERCEPTION. He, like Schrodinger, doesn't actually know whether he is alive or not. But it's dawning on him during Time Compression that "maybe not?" Is he right? Well... here's where the song comes in.
    Whenever I sang my songs
    On the stage, on my own
    Whenever I 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 have 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 have 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 a dress and a voice?

    Just reach me out then
    You would know that you're 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


    We hear that this is written by Julia. But one of Ultimecia's bosses says otherwise. Griever. There is another theory that Rinoa became Ultimecia. We can touch on that, but instead, we're going to talk about Sorceress powers. Essentially, we have these magic users that unlike those with GFs, can basically manipulate time/space/events. So here we are seeing Ultimecia mirroring something from Squall's memory to mess with his head. Squall during his steadily worsening idea of reality has met Rinoa, who is also able to do stuff like this. So why not send him a message through a supposedly past song heard on the radio?

    As in, maybe she made this song play? At the dance? At the party? On the space ship? To remind him, because he was forgetting her in Time Compression.

    Let's examine the lyrics that are bolded here. And now, let's examine why, when Rinoa comes along in the ending, they suddenly cut to that song (besides that it was the only lyriced song besides Liberi Fatali).

    Assuming the above theory, Squall believes he is dead. He believes he had never met Rinoa, because he can't remember her face. He believes even if he had met her, there is no way she could be interested in someone like him (notice how in Disc 1, they are sorta lukewarm toward each other). Now let's review.

    I saw you smiling at me
    Was it real or just my fantasy?
    This is more Squall than Julia, Rinoa, or anyone else. He cannot be sure she is interested in him. On a larger level, come disc 4, he is not sure that he in fact met her (Time Compression messing with his memories).

    My last night here with you?
    The first iteration was "my last night here for you" noting Julia's last night singing at the bar. But the word "with" can denote issues of mortality. As in, am I dying? Will I not see you anymore?

    That I have mine on you?
    Squall assumes Rinoa is not interested. But given that she is a powerful Sorceress, what if the reason that he is alive is because she is into him. Ellone's power was to project herself back. What if Sorceress Rinoa projected herself using Ellone to find a hero? Remember them first meeting? She asked for a favor not long afterward. Who did Ellone know as a kid? Squall. But if something happened, Rinoa changed things.

    Who pinches you softly but sure
    If frown is shown then
    I will know that you are no dreamer
    This is an odd verse. But it's something Rinoa would say. When someone is dreaming, normally they ask someone to pinch them, and the pain proves things are real (in theory). But she's pinching someone just to gauge from their reaction whether it's a dream or not.

    How can I let you know
    I'm more than a dress and a voice?
    In this sequence, Squall is mostly a hero in his own tale. Until things start to fall apart. But one mustn't forget that Rinoa is a reality-warping Sorceress who is inside his dreams.

    you are no dreamer
    Last words of the song for a reason. Squall assumes himself dead. But unlike the above theories, I'm not convinced either that this theory is wholly wrong or that Squall is dead. I think this flashback represents Squall's fear but not what is. He isn't dreaming, even though he thinks "this has to be a dream."

    Yay! I just made FF8 weirder!
    Last edited by bulmabriefs144; 06-16-2016 at 07:52 PM.

  14. #14
    Happiness Hurricane!! Pike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Clover Town Street
    Posts
    18,644
    Articles
    13

    FFXIV Character

    Althalor Lightpike (Excalibur)
    Contributions
    • Former Editor
    • Former Cid's Knight
    • Former Social Media Manager

    Default

    Thanks for the excellent response and welcome to EoFF! However, this thread is six years old, so I'll go ahead and be closing it now. Feel free to make a new thread about the subject or hit up one of the staff members if you need any additional assistance

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •