Drifting Soul

Drifting Soul is Disc 2, Track 19 on the Xenoblade2 Original Soundtrack. It plays after the first phase of the and  boss battle at the Olethro Ruins, and in the cutscene between the phases of the final boss of Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Drifting Soul (Violin Version) is a variation of this track with the vocals replaced by a violin, and with a shorter ending. Kaleidoscopic Core and Nia - Toward the Heavens from the music of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 are remixes of this track, and uses it as a motif.

While ACE composed and arranged the song, its lyrics were written by Tetsuya Takahashi and translated by LYSSA and Castro Satoshi. Vocals were sung by Jen Bird. The lyrics are as follows:

Among the mist I see a stretching path, reaches out so far, beyond what I can see How far would I be walking 'til I reach the end, the end of the path that's to be seen? I would keep thinking and questioning to myself why do I have to walk this path, oh why? I can't seem to find the real meaning to this path that I take, fate to accept, and my goal seems so far away

So tell me why I'm here and what's the reason I am here today If I recall it was you, you wish that I would stay No matter how much wind will blow against me I will keep on, oh oh I will keep moving on, to find the answer to I'm lost in search for you

I'm tired from the constant carry on shouting that I can't I see away ahead The words would fill the mist so gently in the air, and it melts as time just passes by When I look back there is no trace of my path I cannot find my way to the past And it's just too late, time has elapsed there's only now that goes on here on out, my eyes see ahead

So tell me why I'm here and what's the reason I am here today If I recall it was you, you wish that I would stay No matter how much wind will blow against me I will keep on, oh oh I will keep moving on, to find the answer to I'm lost in search for you

When you stop and look ahead and face up to the blue above The Jacob's ladder will come down and check me up If I could climb up to the top, would you be waiting at the top? Will this mean, I search no more?

I'll try and reach for the ladder that's there Far away the distance I hear the voices Was this what I've expected I don't even know, oh oh Is this the real me I've longed for, wish that was the case I know I'll let go of the ladder that's there I will start walking from this point on... I'm not here at all, I don't exist here at all I gotta search for me I wish that I find myself soon I need to find myself, myself

Trivia

 * In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, when recruiting Nia as a Hero with Japanese voices, Nia hums a section of this piece to herself (corresponding to "The words would fill the mist so gently in the air") before noticing the party. (In English, she hums Torigoth/Night instead.)

Drifting Soul (karaoke)
Drifting Soul is a playable track in Karaoke JOYSOUND for Nintendo Switch. It is a MIDI version of Drifting Soul 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; notably, this melody has some minor differences from that of the original Drifting Soul and of Drifting Soul (Violin Version).

Credits
Vocals: Jen Bird Music: ACE (TOMOri Kudo, CHiCO) Original Lyrics: Tetsuya Takahashi English Lyrics: LYSSA & Castro Satoshi