How My Way Was Chosen for This Game: Lyrical Analysis
In an interview with Famitsu (via Siliconera
), Nomura stated that it was his intention all along to include "My Way" in the game, simply because of how it fits Jack's motivations over the course of the story.
WARNING! Unmarked spoilers ahoy! Work in progress.
And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
Jack Garland knows he will die at the end of Final Fantasy, and thus he is prepared to face the Warriors of Light with dignity.
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way.
Regardless of the crap he had to go through in every cycle ("each and every highway"), he still strove to live the life he wanted.
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception
I planned each chartered course
Each careful step alone the byway
And more much more than this
I did it my way.
Yes, his actions may be questionable, and he may have bits and pieces of regret inside him, but he did what he had to do and pushed through with them, knowing the consequences.
Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.
Jack justifies his anger, his brutality is second to none, and he's the first ever Final Fantasy character to drop the F-bomb. But even with these, he stood tall against all adversity.
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that and my I say
Not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me
I did it my way.
But behind all that anger, Jack is capable of showing other emotions, and he genuinely cares for Princess Sarah, his four friends, and the people of Cornelia.
For what is a man what has he got
If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
By the end of the game, Jack's motivation is clear: He will no longer be a puppet of the Lufenians.
The record shows, I took the blows
And did it my way
Yes, it was my way.
And thus, the stage is set for the events of Final Fantasy I. He will take so many blows from the Warriors of Light, because it's his only way to his freedom, to his happiness, to his contentment.
