Understanding "Song of the Ancients" 

Waltz on over to Atlas VPN to grab it for $1.83/mo: get.atlasvpn.com/Barouch 🎸

"Maybe the point of hope isn't to make dreams come true. Maybe it's just the blanket that keeps us warm while we chase them" WOW WHAT A QUOTE

Putting Emil's shop theme behind the ad is a master stroke

"No matter what happens in this room, this family will be smaller" got me chills

The despair and anger in Popola's "NO ONE STOOOOPS" is heart wrenching

My wife and I have been slowly going through your videos on the NieR OST. She's a classically trained musician, and I'm a huge fan of NieR, so it's really refreshing to watch someone who is not only analyzing the music, but relating it heavily to the game and its storytelling.

Best part of the Devola and Popola boss fight is Popola doing her dance while Devola is fighting for her life...

"Query: Why do the androids Devola and Popola seem to prefer death over surviving alone? There was a very high probability that at least one could have escaped." "I..." "..." "I hope you never have to understand."

I saw a headcanon/theory on tumblr that Song of the Ancients is a sort of lullaby used to guide the Gestalt souls into the body of the Replicants and the twins would sing the song during the ritual.

The Devola version makes me so calm. Whenever I'm going through some chaotic moments, I simply turn this on, which makes my thought process very clear 😊

There are not a lot of songs that make me feel literal goosebumps, but the "Fate" version of this just does that. It's incredible, one of the best songs in the industry, but if you play the game, the then thing just hit you like a emotional train. Great analysis, especially the mix between music theory, and usage in the context of the game.

When I was seventeen, I considered myself a far better driver than I rationally should have. I incurred a reality check one night when I took a turn too wide and too wild, crashed through a fence, down a ravine, and into a lake. I don't care for Popola's evil laugh either, but I could make the argument that it is born of lunacy. Because in that moment when I found myself in such an absurd circumstance, all I could do while my car sunk was laugh, after finding myself in such an unfavorable position. One could argue, why does she sound malicious? And maybe she has a hatred towards her fate, which has bound her to live her life in such unfavorable circumstances. I love your videos. Nier music is special. Even with no context, it can bring me to tears. Hearing smart analysis from someone who is so much more knowledgeable about the complexity of music than I am makes me appreciate the genius at play in the songs all the more. Thank you for enriching my experiences with these songs. Thank you for the videos. 🎉

I've cried most of the game, but I actually sobbed when the original Song of the Ancients played in the final battle with Popola. I could barely see, it hurt too much even after playing through it 4 times. It's like you said; after this, the song will never mean the same again. Love your videos!!

The fact that I've been ugly crying for the entire duration of this video because that just how much I love this song and the story behind it. Thank you once again Jonathan for delivering great content.

12:50 Thatnks to that I noticed a neat parallel between the two games. While Gestalt/Replicant's story is really personal, but has big global consequences, Automata's has its big stakes pushed in the front, but ulimately ends up being emotional and about the people in it.

i love the new part they added to devola's version in-game, too bad it's not in the official version as well. used to spend hours next to devola to hear her sing

I'm not very musically nor literarily trained so I can't articulate well enough the amount of joy these analysis videos bring me. Thank you so much for the detailed work you put into not only the music analysis but also the animations and scripts for these videos; each time I come away from them having learned something new and valuable.

One of the best soundtracks for any game. Between this and the Celeste videos idk what could make your channel any better

The best task reward in the game is when Popola and Devola sing together at the Tavern. I ended up putting the controller down because I was listening to them for so long; the song is just so beautiful.

Hearing they're theme from the beginning was wholesome, but when you hear it in the last fight. *the pain* id cried cause i didn't wanna fight them.

20:28 the swap from Fate to Devola just never fails to double my goosebumps (that were already triggered a dozen time through Fate) and to make me feel like I've been stabbed in the chest.

I'm classical musician and a huuuuuge fan of Nier Replicant . I was very surprised that someone analyzed ost of Nier replicant like professional music theorist and grateful to you for your work! Im looking forward to your next videos!😊

I have to admit. This is the first i haven't skipped an ad. Dat music just making me chuckle lol

Oh my god yes! I have been hoping and waiting for you to do a video on my favorite song in all of gaming. It's amazing how many different emotions this song can evoke just by changing the style/tempo/instrumentation. Thank you!

If I knew I'd get this emotional and invested into a video today.... Just discovered your channel and it already became one of my absolute favorites.... Good job man, really.

This theme and Kainé’s have become some of my go-to lullabies. It’s weird to think how much more peaceful life was when I played this game for the first time - that I had enough energy to volunteer myself to this level of tragedy. You have quite a way with words. Everything you said about the fight at the end shook me to my core. God, that final, wretched scream. “No one _STOOOOOOPS!!”_ Absolutely disemboweling.

So like, I found your channel yesterday, watched Snow in Summer, Shadowlord and Grandma and said to myself “okay then, that’s enough suffering for a morning or day… or week or month” just for you to upload more NieR the very next day ahhh

I know you were focusing more on the original songs and not the 1.22 versions, but it’s worth pointing out that the 1.22 Devola version and Popola Version have extra lyrics that aren’t in the original. The first time I actually sat down and listened to the new versions I had to stop and rewind so I could hear the new lyrics again as I wasn’t expecting them. I think the new lyrics add a bit of longing to the feel of the song. Love your content and it will be cool to see your channel become so big that it will be hard to keep up with the comments.

RU-vid randomly recommended me this video and I never seen any of your other videos but let me say that this was just perfect. I played through both games and I was just addicted to the music ever since. You explained the emotions in these pieces very well. Thanks, that's a sub from me.

I really love your recent videos about the Nier OST! The Soundtrack and Story will always bring me to tears and that is especially true for song of the ancients, which has never really left my mind since I played Nier the first time. I thank you so much for this

I swear with each Nier video you make, you put into words what the music makes me feel but can’t quite explain ❤

Why I didn't discover this channel before? The words choosed for describe and explain were so good with all of this splendid music in background that I almost cry. I wanna see EVERY video of this channel now.

A channel properly analyzing some of the most incredible gaming music to exist? You get a hefty like and subscribe. Also I gotta say...the goosebumps I felt hearing the main vocals of Song of the Ancients play towards the end in Nier:Automata when the twins save you. That was legitimately one of the most powerful hits of nostalgia and realizations I've had in a game, and both Niers were already full of moments that took my breathe away. This series and its music are truly special

Song of the ancients is such a special song for me, it (Atonement) is the reason i even learnt about nier and eventually chose to play it.

Another great video, I love how you explained the connection between the piece and the characters. Can't wait for more!

I love how this is not only a look at the song but also an analysis on the twins themselves- both of which I love. Incredible video, thank you!

I found these last night and have been absolutely bingeing them since. I just recently finished Replicant and loved the music but this gave me such a deeper level of adoration for it. Plus these essays all end in such a strong fashion that they truly leave an impression. I can't wait for more of your work!

I found this while looking for the cover of all Nier's songs. It is rare to see someone professionally comment and create a video specifically for this. I really like it how you elaborate all the nier song. Thank you.. now.. let me just cry in the corner

Thank you so much for this wonderful video. It helps me to understand, what im hearing and feeling. It gives me a wider horizon of this emotional composition. ❤

Congrats on the sponsor!! The Emil shop theme was a good touch. (': Thanks as always for videos that are both interesting, informative...and also make me tear up a bit.

Just found your channel after learning the entire history of Nier/Drakengaurd and holy hell what a ride it has been. It’s great to see more music oriented RU-vidrs take a crack at game soundtracks. Keep at it

YESSS I’M SO HAPPY!! I was waiting for a new video from you and it covers my favorite song from the series!!! I can’t wait to watch this video

Really happy you put this video together. This song is really special to me and I understand it a bit better now from a musical perspective (coming from someone w/ limited knowledge around the subject).

I hope this channel blows up because the effort and level of analysis here is incredible. It's helped me appreciate music which was already so incredibly moving and important even more and takes me through all the emotions all over again. I also spied the music of Kingdom Hearts on your channel too. Good stuff, man and looking forward to more of your content.

Regarding Devola’s evil laugh, perhaps she, as the more empathic of the twins, does care for Nier and hope he might defeat them, despite that being against her directives. Thus, she tries to play the role of antagonist, to lessen the pain of her and her sister’s deaths as much as she can. If they win, they accomplish their directives. If nier wins, one of their sons gets to move onwards. Either way, they gain something and lose something. In contrast, popular is the more pragmatic of the twins, and only cares about Devola and her directives, hence truly taking her gloves off when half of her reason for living was snuffed out.

YES YES YESSSS!!! first of all CONGRATS FOR THE SPONSOR!! I highly anticipated this video and as always you didn't disappoint! It's beautifully structured and edited so nicely- you're really awesome. I got chills at 13:13 : even without the context of nier replicant, I always felt that SOTA: Atonement sounds disjointed, with the instrumental base hammering a sense of danger, frenzy and immediate action while the vocal duo peacefully sings together. It's almost as if they were ignoring the context they're in, as if the rest of world was just not as important. They are the only thing that matters, and they harmonize beautifully one with another as if they existed in a peaceful bubble, careless of the noise and chaos outside. While it's in smaller scale, I feel that this duality of the track is found in Fate as well (I prefer the original track for that, but the 1.22 version sounds really REALLY great on its own. I just felt it was a bit too flourished for the occasion, unlike the raw og tracks) Also the analysis that starts at 17:56 is just brilliant. I love when you deconstruct a musical track, explain why stuff works and then put it back piece by piece because everything just makes much more sense, but this segment feels like a good tl;dr! it goes straight to the point and you have enough time to read everything and understand, albeit more roughly, everything that you're simultaneously hearing. I think it's an awesome escamotage you found to deliver the info you wanted to discuss while not investing too much time on it. Love it Overall this is another amazing video, mr Barouch!! Thank you so much for all the love and care you put into these, it really shows in the final product. Can't wait for your next upload!

YESS IVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO DO A VIDEO ON THIS THANK YOU

I think I speak for everyone when I say that the first time I played the game and walked near Devola singing, I stopped and listened all throughout the performance. It really captivates your attention as if you were hypnotized. And knowing the background and meaning/weight of the song, it is very fitting. Either way you see it, if you are Nier (a replicant) or a human playing the game, being captivated by such song could be seen as a lost connection with the old world and the fate of it, involving of humanity and replicants. As if our soul recognizes something familiar. A song that captivates you as an instinctive reaction that was hidden deep within each and every individual. A song that represents the hope, sadness, and despair of the World from past, present to Future. A song that resonates with everyone that listens to it. Great video. Love how you add music theory as well as philosophical concepts, it really ties very well with understanding and analyzing the song. Thank you for yet another excellent video. Note: 22:03 such a good Quote!

16:52 THANK YOU for mentioning this I get sooo emotional every time I hear that part. My initial understanding of this part was a sense of hesitation from Nier and the party, maybe that what they're doing is wrong, maybe that they should stop, maybe that this is all crazy and they're trying to make sense of it and seeing the faces of devola and popola at that instance, singing, halts their fight. But then the rest of the instruments resume.. and they don't stop edit: it's actually an entire minute worth of that go to the original Replicant/Gestalt ver, it goes from 2:46 to 3:46 , an absolutely beautiful, tragic, moment

I love your videos so much! Please keep doing these music deep dives!!

I love your videos so so much. Thank you for going in depth about one of my absolute favorite soundtracks in videogame history.

I am so thankful for your videos. Never stop Jonathan

Wow what an amazing ending to a such an amazing video! That has to be one of the most beautiful quotes ive ever heard

Despite knowing almost nothing about music and composing, I can tell you managed to deliver an excellent analysis accompanied with great storytelling! I was almost brought to tears again by watching the vid. I didn’t buy v1.22 because I know how lengthy the original was, I might give it a try sometime later. As for you, sir, you definitely got yourself a new sub.

you deserve more subs man, these vids are great.

I love your videos! They're incredible and always make me so emotional 😭

Great video man like really it’s just amazing. It’s been a while since I finished this game but it’s always beautiful to see new videos on it popping on my homepage like there’s so much bout nier which could be analyzed and this game will probably forever have a special place in my heart and only watching this video hearing the song of the ancients again awoke really special emotions in me. Great work man ‼️

Man thanks for this video , I really needed I can not be more agree with your perspective about the song, hope keep us on the way...

I absolutely love the library version of this song and I couldn't tell you why. It just gives be the best melancholy vibe ever.

You deserve more subscribers. you just earned one more. Amazing content, amazing video!

What an incredible video, so glad I stumbled across this analysis of yours. Would love to see more, subscribed!

one of the best pieces of music and my all time favorite 😭😭 finally a breakdown. thank you so much

I'm not a fan of the gameplay, so I never played them, but I've been listening to the soundtracks for years. Learning the context of these songs has been mind-blowing, and listening to them now feels so fresh and different, despite still being the same songs. Amazing videos dude.

Your videos are so awesome, keep up the amazing work. EDIT: btw i cried a few times during the vid. Makes me wanna replay Replicant

Nier songs bring tear to my eyes and the music explainations makes me teary eyed because it shows all the relations and significance that was hidden from me until now.

Jonathan, always there to bring back the suffering huh? I can understand how you can think of it as a "hopeful" song but my heart can't help but ache whenever I hear this melody I guess that's what NieR music in general does for a lot of us.. Anyway great video as always! I'll try to show up in your streams again when I find the time 🐙💜

i love the "just monica" joke in the 10:28, seriously your channel is the best thing i found this week .

Your videos are getting better and better

I haven't played any game in the NieR series (I really should), but Song of the Ancients has a special place in my heart thanks to a remix of the Fate version made by Otographic Arts. Understanding the lore and structure behind the song just makes me appreciate it a little more, and I think that level of appreciation will only be complete once I play all of the games.

Congrats on the sponsorship. I won't lie about not having watched every video, but when I get the chance to watch them they're always a pleasant departure from the usual for me, and though I'm already familiar with the story of the games, it's still nice to hear it through the filter you provide. Besides, some of the subtle jokes you make... "In NieR:Automata, we're meant to feel the Weight of the World" (this one was really good, even if it wasn't intentional)... would be funny in any case. I hope you get to make many more, for games both familiar and unfamiliar.

Gosh. Your videos seem like my Ranking of Kings series but structurally but just impact so much more effectively and harder. I even here a similar texture added to your voice that I do when giving the last line or two of the video.

Amazing video. Instantly subbed

Favorite song in media. Appreciate the love you showed it

I've never heard the Atonement version of Song of The Ancient and im glad im able to listen to it today. The piece is so hype and epic, thanks for including it on this video otherwise i would've spent my life not knowing that it exist XD. I hope more people will recognize and come to this channel and enjoy this "Music Theory Class" XD Keep up the good work on the vids😁👍

beautiful. thank you for this video

excellent video. thank you for the analysis

Thank you. You gave me a whole new perspective of the game.

Шедевр. Витратив на це майже 23 хвилини, але не пошкодував, що зміг знову послухати цю прекрасну пісню. Дякую.

Fantastic analysis this one of the best songs I've heard and I'm so glad someone has gone so in dept i to it, great Job!!

Out of all the Nier soundtracks Song of the Ancients is my fave so I’m so happy I came across this video. I couldn’t help but sing along when you’re telling us to listen though, because I love it so much I HAVE to sing along 😂

Watching this analysis absolutely crushed me on the inside. God I love Nier

*NieR* for me Really is a very rich story told in very rich ways ,Characters, plot, Messages ,and Music especially and you my friend just showed me a deeper level of that richness to my Favorite game, thank you for this video truly from bottom of my heart

18:00 Man this breakdown is great

Amazing video, really missed hearing these amazing tracks from these games. They are something truly special.

Song Of The Ancients is near the top of my favorite NieR songs list, I started with Automata, when Atonement started playing and Devola and Popola were fighting I fell in love with the song, and just continued to fight the machine lifeforms just to hear it. The when I went back and played Gestalt & walked over to Devola and first heard her playing it, I just stopped playing for a few moments and just listened to how beautiful it was, and learning the story behind song, and hearing the different version through out the game, adding more emotion to the scenes, made me love the song more and more.

That last line though…. gave me goosebumps! 😮‍💨😭

recommended and subscribed.... holy sheit. awesome deconstruction video.

Whenever I hear this song or a lot of the songs from Nier games it puts tears in my eyes and idk why. Also, I never bothered to look into the remaster too much since I have the original already, but I didn't realize they actually remixed the music so much. I guess I''m buying the remaster to see the differences. Anyway, great analysis, you got a new sub

this isn't even my favourite track from the game but ya still made me cry like a baby, man

At the risk of echoing other comments on the video, I really like the explanation behind what makes the 'Song of the Ancients' work. Admittedly I don't have a firm grasp of music theory, but the explanation of the context behind certain choices in the music made me appreciate the piece even more. Great job!

As a musician and also a gamer, i need more of your video mate ! Support you ❤

what a beautiful song. great job

This was an amazing video essay

It is always a treat to watch your videos and just hear how much you enjoy breaking down this music. I'm glad you're getting the support you need to do this full time and make a good living for yourself. You even got sponsor number two. :) None of that is a surprise to me. I knew from the Snow in Summer video that this was going to be a great channel and it's been wonderful to watch it grow. You're doing a fantastic job, Jonathan. God bless you.💜 Also, Just Monaca. I see what you did there...and I get the strangest feeling you might cover that game sometime. Now I'm probably going to play Automata again, because just that small bit of Atonement made me think, "I haven't played this in almost a year. I need to play Automata as soon as possible!" Great video! I look forward to seeing what you do next. :)

man, I've been waiting for someone to dissect this one and my god did you ever do it justice, especially for the original. I definitely prefer the original soundtrack in general because, like you said yourself, it's more grounding and focuses more on what the story makes us feel. The remastered soundtrack is great music, but it doesn't fit the game as well. Song of the Ancients is one of those that hit harder than most songs, specifically because it's one of the most heard songs in the game, being in the village, where things are peaceful. The use of it during the fight against the sisters is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Your analysis of it perfectly tells how effective it is and why it hits us so hard. Thank you for sharing this with us

Devola's theme playing after the midpoint of the fight absolutely broke me. And every subsequent route after, whenever I'd return to the village and hear it playing, I'd still hear Popola shouting in my mind.

In regards to the chaos language and the lyrics in songs - I think that it's not meant to be understood, in any comprehensive level, like this word means flower, this means grimoire, this means moon, this means sun. It's more... hmm... if you listen to the lyrics, to the melody, what it makes you feel at any given moment? That is the meaning. Despair, hope, love, warmth, relief, the want to protect, the want to love, the want to explore. The desire to live.

A comment for the algorithm. I can’t really add much to the conversation that hasn’t already been said. Great work Lord Barouch! I very much enjoy listening to you talk music things 😊

I absolutely adore this video, when the Fate version starts with war drums and you expect a combat song to play you pace yourself for a fight, and then the vocals hit you like a truck and you're left in the same predicament as NieR I hope you can do Kainé and Fleeting Worlds soon. the later is my new favorite in the remastered soundtrack

My god... that transition to the VPN add And by the end of the video… i am crying softly while riding the metro