Desperado (Eagles): Well, it's a song about a cowboy/outlaw/something along those lines...
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
Jet doesn't take sides, a common definition of the term "riding fences", and works on his own. He's kind of hard headed and stubborn for his own reasons (lost memories/true identity). Money pleases him, yet it is not everything in life and deep down inside he hurts.
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Queen of Diamonds...symbol of cash and material possessions he longs for.
Queen of Hearts...Virginia and her kind heart.
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
The fine things put in front of him...the friends who only wish to help him in the ways he truly needs, as well as the love Virginia wills to give him.
The ones he can't have...gems and other treasures he isn't able to find.
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Eventually, Jet is being driven in to the others' kindness by his pain. His "prison" would definitely be the "chains" of his identity and destiny in addition to loneliness (despite he claims he doesn't need anybody).
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're loosin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
Cold feet...hardships are a part of Jet's life, yet he ignores the pain he feels
Not telling the night and day apart...either the good and bad inside of himself and/or the blurry aspects of his life and destiny
The feeling that goes away...his loneliness and working alone. Now he is getting used to being with a team as well as his need for help to deal with the things he discovered.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, let somebody love you,
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late
A call for him to allow the others into his heart so he can get help for the pain. The last line might be a stereotypical "Gallows as Matchmaker" trick that is used in multiple fanfics (we all assume that he would be the one to try and get them to see what they were feeling; as he tends to be overly helpful to the point of smothering; probably only a little better than Virginia) as he is calling on Jet to find love...most likely by pointing at Virginia (which would earn him a hit on the head and Clive shaking his own head at how childish they are).
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Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day): Sound nothing like a typical Green Day song, but it fits Jetty boy. Keep in mind I edited out the parts that meant nothing but were in the song for effect. Also, there is one four letter word in this song; if that sort of thing offends you, you might want to skip to the next entry.
Verse 1
I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes, but it's home to me and I walk alone
Jet doesn't have a real home and family; all he's ever known is travel down the lonely path of a Drifter.
Verse 2
I walk this empty street, on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk alone
Ever since Werner left him to fend for himself, Jet has walked through the Wastelands all alone. Nobody ever bothered to help him out.
Chorus
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Deep down inside, Jet wishes someone would come and help him find friendship and caring; though he doesn't know it until he meets Ginny 'n Co.
Verse 3
I'm walking down the line, that divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line, of the edge and where I walk alone
Jet seems confused over the new emotions he's feeling; does he really want to be alone, or is this team thing not so bad after all?
Verse 4
Read between the lines, what's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs, to know I'm still alive and I walk alone
And no matter how hard he searches, he only gets more and more confused. Fun for fanfic writers...(devilish grin).
(Repeat Chorus, Verse 2, and Chorus, same explainations)
- - - -
Welcome to my Life (Simple Plan): Well, this sure sounds like Jet berating Virginia (though not romantic enough to go up in couples)
Verse 1
Do you ever feel like breaking down, do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong and no one understands you
Do you ever wanna runaway, do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud, that no one hears you screaming
Sort of depicts Jet's technique of hiding from his pain or running from it. He also feels out of place first because he is unaccustomed to groups and later because of his true identity.
Bridge
No you don't know what it's like, when nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like, to be like me
Whether it be Ginny or anyone else, Jet feels like they can't understand his feelings.
Chorus
To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down, to feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down, and no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like, welcome to my life
Here, he's speaking about the hardships he's faced; betrayal, ostracism, bullying (stuff that might have happened when he was still inexperienced and vulnerable). He thinks that no one, especially someone green like Virginia, could know what it's like.
Verse 2
Do you wanna be somebody else, are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more, before your life is over
Are you stuck inside a world you hate, are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies, while deep inside you're bleeding
Jet doesn't seem to like himself too much; especially after he finds out his past. He also trusts nobody; believing they're all out for themselves and would lie and cheat you.
(Repeat Bridge & Chorus, same explanations)
No one ever lied straight to your face, no one ever stabbed you in the back
You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay
Everybody always gave you what you wanted, never had to work it was always there
You don't know what it's like, what it's like
Goes into more of the things that happen when you trust that Virginia has never encountered. He also reiterates her "happy" childhood.
(Repeat Chorus x2, same explanation)
Fields of Innocence (Evanescence): This one is about lost innocence and lost beliefs. Basically, Virginia lived a sheltered life and everything she ever knew changed when she became a Drifter. Even when she decides to stand firm in her beliefs during the ending, she still knows that justice is not about black and white. She even says that other perceptions are different from her. However, she wants to hold true to her beliefs because it makes her who she is.
- - - -
Break Away (Kelly Clarkson): I don't think I'm the only one who thinks Ginny would listen to sappy/corny pop music (not that I hate sappy/corny pop music; I'm a fan myself)
Verse 1
Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray
When you think about it, Boot Hill is just a little town. It doesn't have anything nearby except the train station (well, perhaps the only real "hub" is Jolly Roger, but that's not the point; blame developers who can't put in any unnecessary buildings and people). Since there is not much rain on Filgaia, the falling rain could be her gray moods following the loss of her parents. She dreams of a future as a Drifter; helping people which in the end makes her happy.
Verse 2
Trying hard to reach out
But, when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I'd pray, I could break away
Might be able to associate this verse with the feelings she can't speak; mostly things about her parents and the sorrow she feels. Also, nobody quite understands her continued want to help others (but that's mostly in the game itself).
Chorus 1
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky
Make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And break away
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But, I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And break away
Well, not only do we start with a very Virginia-esque comment about flying on her own wings, but this is her usual lighthearted way of thinking. She wants to leave her life behind and aim for her goals of glory. However, she won't ever forget her past or her family.
Verse 3
Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jetplane, far away
And break away
The whole feel of this verse is like more of her idealism and lightheartedness. Also, you could put the part about trees and ocean as the rejuvenation of Filgaia (then there'd be trees for her to sleep under and an ocean). Train, obvious. The plane, well since there are no planes in Filgaia, just say that stands for Lombardia (any real world ref can be confusing when translating it into an RPG character).
(Repeat Chorus 1, same explanation)
Bridge
Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me
But, gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, break away
Well, the whole first part sounds like the vastness of the ruins; tall towers with a hundred floors of treasure and the revolving doors could be like some puzzle doors that open and close automatically (again, real world ref in the song). No matter her uncertainty, she still won't let anyone clip her wings; she'll fly as high as it takes.
Chorus 2
Since this is almost like Chorus 1, there isn't much change in explanation. But "the ones I love" becomes "the place I come from". Tesla and Shalte made sure that she knows that she always has a home with them; she can always return to rest her wings. So she'll never forget it, as well as her family.
- - - -
Fly (Hillary Duff): Bear in mind that these lyrics are pretty cheesy. But they fit Virginia's whole determined spirit.
Verse 1
In a moment everything can change
Feel the wind on your shoulder
For a minute all the world can wait
Let go of your yesterday
Virginia's whole world changed in an instant when the Gobs came and she found the photo; all which led her to become a Drifter. She allowed her wings to fly on the wind and let go of her quiet existence to live her dream.
Bridge
Can you hear it calling, can you feel it in your soul
Can you trust this longing, and take control
The manual states that Virginia always wanted to be a Drifter. So this could symbolize her inner feelings that she finally let out to fulfill that dream.
Chorus
Fly; open up the part of you that wants to hide away
You can shine; forget about the reasons why you can't in life and start to try
Cuz it's your time...time to fly
Just the whole determined spirit of Virginia emulated here. She has to get over her weaknesses and fly on her wings. And didn't she say "It's time to fly" or something like that at Gob's Hideout? (the closest of her flight lines to the lyrics).
Verse 2
All your worries, leave them somewhere else
Find a dream you can follow
Reach for something, when there's nothing left
And the world's feeling hollow
Just all about how she had to overcome many obstacles as a Drifter and continue to follow her dreams of helping other people in need.
(Repeat Bridge and Chorus, same explanations)
Interlude
And when you're down and feelin low; just wanna run away
Trust yourself and don't give up, you know you're better than anyone else
Again, Virginia has to keep on going no matter what happens.
(Repeat Verse 1 & Chorus, same explanations)
My Immortal (Evanescence): Takes place after the Yggdrasil tragedy. This song is all about a lost love, and how he took most of his lover's soul with him when he died (some people can put in an argument for simply leaving, but the song seems to suggest it was death to me). In the game, there is strong indication that Ekatrina wouldn't have died had Werner not left. Some statements seem to lead to the conclusion that she couldn't go on without him and died out of sorrow.
Away From Me (Evanescence): His own life post-Yggdrasil...
Verse 1
I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll
I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds
But oh God, I feel I've been lied to
Lost all faith in the things I have achieved
His life has been hard after Yggdrasil. Because he is nothing more than a spirit/hologram/phantom (whatever you prefer to call him), he cannot return home to his family. The plan would be Beatrice's; her plan to use Yggdrasil in the creation of her world which failed. It was what set him on this course to begin with. He's begun to lose his faith since what he long believed in turned out to be the wrong path and led to Filgaia's rapid deterioration.
Chorus
And I
I've woken now to find myself
In the shadows of all I have created
I'm longing to be lost in you
Away from this place I have made
Won't you take me away from me
After Yggdrasil, Werner was no more than a shadow of himself. Also, he has to live in the shadows of his past mistakes. I'd say that the last part is how he wishes only to be able to end it and be with the woman he loves in the afterlife; the loneliness was beginning to get to him.
Verse 2
Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins
I look into myself but my own heart has been changed
I can't go on like this
I loathe all I've become
Again, a lot has changed for Werner following Yggdrasil. His own existence is like a disease he can't get rid of; he has to know what he's done and live with the knowledge that he can't just die and be at peace. It makes him angry to know that because of what he is now, and the knowledge of his past, he would never be able to live like a normal person.
(Repeat Chorus, same explanation)
Bridge
Lost in a dying world I reach for something more
I have grown so weary of this lie I live
The dying world is definitely Filgaia. Werner is reaching for a brighter tomorrow; to repent and reverse the mistakes that led to the decay. In the game, he wants to tell Virginia and Jet the truth, but he knows that his fate would upset Virginia and Jet's origins would upset the youth.
(Repeat Chorus x2, same explanation)
Wheel in the Sky (Journey): The singer is on a long journey (he's been gone more than a year) and is away from his beloved with no idea where he'll be tomorrow or when he will get home. Following La Pucelle, Croix goes off to repent for his sins; leaving Prier behind. His life was that of a mercenary; uncertain.
Hand of Sorrow (Within Temptation):Okay, when I first heard this song, even I was shocked at how close to Leon’s situation it seemed to come (it’s not every day that you find a song this close to any RPG/Anime character).
Verse 1
The child without a name grew up to be the hand
To watch you, to shield you, or kill on demand
The choice he made he could not comprehend
His blood a grim secret they had to command
Though Leon did have a name, it was kind of like he didn’t since he was stripped of his real one (seemingly Hugo’s idea though Leon went along with it). While he was a protector, he also had to kill for the sake of the one that controlled his father, and he was forced to make a difficult choice because of it (both fighting his friends and the incident with his teacher in the Drama CDs). Also, there was the secret of his bloodline (in all but the Remake, nobody knows who his father is and in the Remake it seems like it’s not common knowledge except for the people that were in charge of the kingdom).
Bridge
He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life
He prayed for both but was denied
Honor…his duty as a Swordian Master to stop the scheme that was about to come out.
Love of his Life…Marian, of course, and her being captured.
In the end, Leon chose Marian and thus died a traitor’s death and lost her anyway (though Stahn’s group rescued her, they would never be together again).
Chorus
So many dreams were broken and so much we sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?
So many years have passed, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?
Leon had several dreams (as stated in the Director’s Cut), chief among them surpassing Hugo and standing as an equal to Marian. He was never able to be powerful enough to beat his possessed father, even getting his ass kicked in the Director’s Cut, and his death prevented him from being with Marian. There’s no way of knowing just how much it was worth for Leon to do everything he did when he never achieved what he wanted, and left his friends in sorrow (Marian never having him come home to her, Stahn losing his best friend and Rutee never getting the chance to be a sister to him), or if people would be able to justify his actions.
Verse 2
The curse of his powers tormented his life
Obeying the crown was a sinister price
His soul was tortured by love and by pain
He surely would flee but the oath made him stay
Leon was a Swordian Master, possessing the power to use the mystical blades, but was used as a pawn because of it. The “crown” is more likely referring to the possessed Hugo than the king he serves since it was Kronos (the Aetherian King) who sent him to his death and Hugo whose influence got him the missions it did. Love was only pain to him, and he was unable to run away due to his oath (either to show Marian who he really was through his work as a soldier, or the oath to the kingdom itself).
(Repeat Bridge & Chorus, same explanations)
Please forgive me for the sorrow
For leaving you in fear
For the dreams we had to silence
That's all they'll ever be
Still I'll be the hand that serves you
Though you'll not see that it is me
This verse seems to be from the perspective of someone who wishes to help Leon get through all the pain. The person was unable to help him before, and wants to be forgiven for that. However, now this person is going to serve him, most likely by caring for and/or protecting him. Sounds like it could be when he comes back as Judas in ToD2, and the rest of the song was looking back on his past.
As of now, I can’t say who exactly it would be. Since the singer is a girl, Marian is a likely choice but she isn’t even shown in ToD2 (unless she’s dead now and is watching him like a Guardian Angel). It could be Chaltier, though not much Chal can do as a sword since Judas keeps him sheathed all the time (or it could be Chal’s response to Judas’ prayer skit in the end when he asks the Swordian’s spirit to protect the others if he dies, and that would make sense with the “leaving” bit). Or, it could be Rutee since she regretted the past she had with her brother, but Judas never reveals himself to her so it seems unlikely.
(Repeat Chorus, same explanation)