Ending Theme - Beyond the Sky

Ending Theme - Beyond the Sky (simply Beyond the Sky on the Definitive Edition and Trinity soundtracks) is the ending theme of Xenoblade Chronicles. The song was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and sung by Sarah Àlainn. The original lyrics are written by Tetsuya Takahashi and the English lyrics are written by Lisa Gomamoto.
==Usage==
Beyond the Sky plays during the epilogue of Xenoblade Chronicles. It opens with the scene of Reyn, Sharla, Riki, and Juju all fishing on a pier in in the new world. The scene segues to Fiora finding Shulk alongside the shoreline. The two have a heartfelt conversation about their journey and the endless possibilities that awaits them. The song crescendos as a flashback scene shows Alvis telling the party about his final vision. He says that the new world is boundless and is home to various lifeforms and that they will someday meet these new people. The song concludes with a zoom-out shot of Shulk and Fiora gazing at the sea.
===Soundtracks===
Ending Theme - Beyond the Sky is Disc 2, Track 19 on the Xenoblade Original Soundtrack, Track 12 on the Xenoblade Chronicles Special Soundtrack, and Disc 5, Track 8 on the Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Original Soundtrack and the Xenoblade Chronicles Original Soundtrack Trinity Box.
===Other arrangements===
An acoustic arrangement of this song is used as the credits music for Future Connected.
==Development==
Monado: Beginning of the World was the original title of the project, however the team at Monolith Soft felt it appropriate to include 'Xeno' as a symbol for the game. The title was changed to Xenoblade to reflect that it was a Xeno production. Upon changing the title, Tetsuya Takahashi wanted the game to have some sort of aspect in common with previous Xeno games. He realized that the ending would not work without a vocal song. Towards the final stages of the game's development, he approached Yasunori Mitsuda and asked him to compose a song for the epilogue. Due to Mitsuda's previous involvement in creating the soundtracks for Xenogears and Xenosaga, Takahashi felt it would be fitting for the game to close on a song composed by Mitsuda.https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Xenoblade-Chronicles/Vol-1-Sound/1-Six-Musicians-Together/1-Six-Musicians-Together-839481.html
Mitsuda was initially apprehensive as the game was nearly complete and that the feel of the game was already set in stone. Despite this, he pushed through and asked for the script. Mitsuda was initially overwhelmed, but he managed to read through all of it.https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082220/http://www.1up.com/news/xenoblade-music-dissected
When Mitsuda wrote the music, he was under immense pressure to honor Takahashi's request to bring everything together while maintaining the same feel to the other composers' music.https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Xenoblade-Chronicles/Vol-1-Sound/4-Beyond-the-Typical-RPG-Soundtrack/4-Beyond-the-Typical-RPG-Soundtrack-839487.html
Australian-based singer Sarah Àlainn was approached for an audition while she was studying at the University of Tokyo. The music production team was impressed with her audition that they offered her the job.https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205518/http://www.theaureview.com/asia/interviews/sarah-%C3%A0lainn-sydney-talks-about-her-japanese-music-career
==Composition==
The song is written in E♭ major with a tempo of 110. The song opens with a piano solo, which is soon followed by the vocals. The acoustic guitar plays along with the piano during the pre-chorus section. The drums kick in during the chorus.
==Lyrics==
===English version===
Tell me why, the reason I am here
Just only you I see from far away
I’ve come for you
Don’t know why, I searched all night and day
But when I’m here, darkness came
No lights to show the way
Dark despair, still I seek for you
All I long to see was your smile
I know I won’t look behind, I see no regrets
No guiding light so dark, are you my light?
But now, I am here, and you’re close to me.
My heart is with you, forever and ever...
Seen this place, the end of world she fears
No shining lights anywhere
This emptiness in tears
Didn’t know,
It was you all along
You were chasing after my shadow
I know I won’t look behind, I see no regrets
No guiding light so dark, are you my light?
But now, I am here, and you’re close to me.
My heart is with you, forever and ever...
No I won’t let you go, I will hold it in my arms
Oh! This light was you!
I know it now, beyond the sky,
There’s new place you’ll see
I came to you to share our dream together
I won’t let us part, there’s no place to be
My heart is with you, forever and ever...
===Original lyrics===
どうして僕はここにいるんだろう。
君の後ろ姿を追いかけて。
夢中で走ってきただけなのに。
辿り着いたこの世の果てに、光など無い。
足下に広がる無限の闇。
僕はただ眺めている。
君の笑顔に、出逢いたかっただけなのに。
それでも僕は後悔なんかしていない。
光なんか無くなって構わない。
やっと君に追いついたから。
言葉も想いも、今ここにあるから。ずっとーー
ここが果てなのだと君は言う。
どこにも光はないのだと君は泣く。
僕は気付いてなかった。
夢中で走っていたのは、僕でなく君。
僕の後ろ姿を追いかけていた事を。
それでも僕は後悔なんかしていない。
光なんか無くったって構わない。
やっと振り返る事が出来たから。
言葉も想いも、今ここにあるから。
その小さな背中を、二度と離さないように強く。
そうさーー光はここに萌しているんだから。
この世の果てを始まりの場所にするために。
僕はここまで来たんだ。
君を強く抱きしめるために。
言葉も想いも、今ここにあるから。ずっとーー
====Translation====
===Japanese lyrics (SARAH)===
==Arranger notes==
===Credits===
Composed and Arranged by
:Yasunori Mitsuda (PROCYON STUDIO)
Strings Arranged by
:Natsumi Kameoka (PROCYON STUDIO)
:Yasunori Mitsuda (PROCYON STUDIO)
Original Lyrics by
:Tetsuya Takahashi (MONOLITH SOFTWARE INC.)
English Translation by
:Lisa Gomamoto
Vocal
:Sarah Lim
Piano
:Yoshihiko Ishizaka
Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar
:Tomohiko Kira (ZABADAK)
Electric Bass
:Hitoshi Watanabe (GEMMATIKA Records)
Drums
:Yasuo Sano
Strings
:Konno Strings
Programming and Keyboads (sic.)
:Yasunori Mitsuda (PROCYON STUDIO)
Recording and Mixing Engineer
:Hiroyuki Akita (Wonder Station)
Locations
:Wonder Station
:Hitokuchi-zaka Studio
:CRECENTE STUDIO
:PROCYON STUDIO
Recording Coordinators
:Tsutomu Satomi (Uchida Ongaku Jimusho)
:Yuichi Uchida (Uchida Ongaku Jimusho)
Sound Production Managers
:Mami Ashino (PROCYON STUDIO)
:Yoshie Miyajima (PROCYON STUDIO)
==Beyond the Sky (SARAH)==
Beyond the Sky is Track 2 on the album SARAH, a collection of Sarah Àlainn's works. It is an extended version of Ending Theme - Beyond the Sky with slightly different instrumentation. A music video of the piece was made, and is Track 2 on the DVD included in the limited edition version of the same album.
==Beyond the Sky (Japanese ver.)==
Beyond the Sky (Japanese ver.) is Track 14 on the album SARAH, a collection of Sarah Àlainn's works. It is a version of Beyond the Sky (SARAH) with Japanese lyrics.
==Beyond the Sky (karaoke)==
Beyond the Sky is a playable track in Karaoke JOYSOUND for Nintendo Switch. It is a MIDI version of Ending Theme - Beyond the Sky with no vocal line. In-game, there is the option to include a voice pitch guide that plays the melody on top of the piece.
==Trivia==
*Beyond the Sky is the only song in the entire soundtrack that was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. 
* Àlainn uploaded a partial cover of the track to YouTube for Xenoblade Chronicles's 12th anniversary, and a full cover (including both English and Japanese lyrics) for the 14th anniversary.
==References==
Category:Music (XC1)Category:Songs composed by Yasunori Mitsuda