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I can't get it out of my head!
Chocobo Theme refers to the leitmotif of the series mascot chocobo, a usually yellow bird often usable as a steed. Each game in the series utilizes a different mix of the central melody arranged in a particular style of music. It was composed by Nobuo Uematsu for Final Fantasy II, the first appearance of the namesake chocobos. The naming scheme frequently states the musical style in which the theme is arranged followed by the French/Spanish/Portuguese preposition de, "of", and ending with "Chocobo".
Game appearances
Final Fantasy II
A guitar version of the theme appears on the Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection album. The original soundtrack version of the "Chocobo Theme" also appears on the Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack and More Friends: Music From Final Fantasy original soundtrack.
Final Fantasy III
The track is called simply "Chocobo's Theme". "Chocobo's Theme" is also part of the "Montage" track on the Final Fantasy III: Eternal Legend of the Wind album.
The track, known as "Chocobos!", is included on the second disc of the Final Fantasy Vinyls collector's edition set.
Final Fantasy IV
- "Chocobo Forest" - the theme of chocobo forests.
- "Chocobo-Chocobo" - called "Celtic de Chocobo" unofficially, due to the rearranged album in which it was subsequently included. This theme is also found on the Piano Collections: Final Fantasy IV album as a piano arrangement.
- "Samba de Chocobo" - used when riding the black chocobo on the overworld.
Final Fantasy V
- "Mambo de Chocobo" - used when riding the black chocobo on the overworld. It features the first voice-bit used in the series.
- "Boko's Theme" - used when riding Boko on the world map.
A piano arrangement of "Mambo de Chocobo" is included on the Piano Collections: Final Fantasy V album. A remix of "Mambo de Chocobo" by DJ duo Ante is included on the Final Fantasy Remix album. A mini album containing unreleased tracks from Final Fantasy V has also been released, called Final Fantasy V Mambo de Chocobo. The track is also available as battle music in Dissidia Final Fantasy arcade version.
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
A version of the "Chocobo Theme" plays in the OVA sequel to Final Fantasy V, called "Chocobo's Theme ~ Prettz has Come!" on the soundtrack.
Final Fantasy VI
- "Techno de Chocobo" - plays when riding a chocobo.
A remix of the track, called "Techno de Chocobo (Another Mix)" is included on the Final Fantasy VI Special Tracks album.
A piano version called "Waltz de Chocobo" is included on the Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VI album. An orchestrated version called "Milan de Chocobo" performed by the Milan Symphony Orchestra is found on the Final Fantasy VI: Grand Finale album.
Final Fantasy VII
- "Waltz de Chocobo" - heard at the Chocobo Farm when the chocobos dance.
- "Electric de Chocobo" - plays whenever the player encounters a chocobo enemy. Arguably the chocobo's battle theme. A pastiche of surf music.
- "Cinco de Chocobo" - plays when the player rides a chocobo on the overworld. An homage to The Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Take Five".
- "Fiddle de Chocobo" - plays during the chocobo racing, and in Mideel when near the White Chocobo.
"Electric de Chocobo" is available as a battle background music for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as part of a downloadable content pack of three tracks from Final Fantasy VII, and is also included on the compilation album Final Fantasy VII Vinyl Limited Edition. "Cinco de Chocobo" is included on the Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VII album.
Final Fantasy VIII
- "ODEKA ke Chocobo" - plays in the Chocobo World minigame that comes with the PC version. It also plays in when the party finds the running chicobo in Winhill. Odekake in Japanese means "going out".
- "Mods de Chocobo" - plays when the player rides a chocobo on the overworld. A pastiche of mod bands, such as the early works of The Who. "Mods de Chocobo" is also included on the The Best of Final Fantasy 1994 - 1999: A Musical Tribute album, performed by Hollywood Symphony Orchestra.
Final Fantasy IX
- "Aloha de Chocobo" - plays in Chocobo's Forest.
- "Ukulele de Chocobo" - plays while riding Choco on the world map.
Final Fantasy X
- "Brass de Chocobo" - called "Swing de Chocobo" in the live concert VOICES: Music from Final Fantasy and More Friends - Music from Final Fantasy album; and "Chocobo Jam" in English versions and the iTunes Store. An arranged version plays in the HD Remaster version.
Final Fantasy X-2
- "Chocobo" - shorter and significantly different from the rest of the chocobo themes. It features remixed chocobo sound effects, and a female voice.
Final Fantasy XI
- "Dash de Chocobo" - in the expansion Rise of the Zilart, used for riding a chocobo.
- "Circuit de Chocobo" - in the expansion Treasures of Aht Urhgan, used for the Chocobo Circuit.
Final Fantasy XII
- "Chocobo ~FFXII Version~" - plays when the player chooses to ride a chocobo. It maintains a militaristic theme.
- "Chocobo FFXII Arrange Ver.1" - not used in game, but nevertheless included on the soundtrack.
Final Fantasy XIII
There are two chocobo themes, one being "Chocobos of Pulse"—a jazzy and upbeat theme that was originally titled "Pulse de Chocobo", referencing both the song's origin (Gran Pulse) and style.
The composer of the Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack, Masashi Hamauzu, supervised and directed the two chocobo themes, and the arrangements were done by his long term colleagues, Toru Tabui and Ryo Yamazaki. Hamauzu made "Chocobos of Pulse" with Tabui in a session, but suddenly changed the groove and chords completely at the last minute. For the two chocobo themes, the director Motomu Toriyama had a vivid image, and requested the composers the themes' basic style he was looking for.[1]
The game version has been released on both Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack album, and W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII "best of" type vinyl album. The English localization of the theme has been released on Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack PLUS. This album also contains the composer Masashi Hamauzu's notes on the track:
A number of songs, including the main theme, were altered or replaced in the English version of Final Fantasy XIII. 'Chocobos of Cocoon' was one of them, featuring all-English lyrics. The vocalist was Frances Maya, just as in the domestic version. The Square Enix localization team, Frances, and I put a lot of careful thought and consideration into the choice of lyrics, and I think the final song has a very cohesive feel as a result.
Masashi Hamauzu, liner notes to Original Soundtrack PLUS.
"Chocobos of Cocoon - Chasing Dreams"
"Chocobos of Cocoon - Chasing Dreams" is an upbeat theme with female vocals that plays in Nautilus. It is available as a battle background music for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as part of a downloadable content pack of five tracks from Final Fantasy XIII.
- Run like the wind just leave your cares behind~
- (Let's go now~)
- Take us around the world and back again~
- (Let's Join In)
- Promise together we will chase the sun~
- (Let's Follow)
- And make some green to share the ride in store, for you and me~
- Let's go find gil and fame
- Dig a little, stake our claim
- Take a chance, trust in me
- You will see~
- We will find them x4
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Three chocobo themes have been composed by Nobuo Uematsu: "Groovy Chocobo", "Chocobo Rodeo", and "Crazy Chocobo". "Groovy Chocobo" is the default chocobo theme, which plays when riding a normal chocobo. "Chocobo Rodeo" is the chocobo racing theme, which plays in Serendipity whenever the player is engaged in a race.
The chocobo themes from Final Fantasy XIII also return, and the player can choose which theme they want to play when they are riding a chocobo with the "Chocobo Music" Fragment Skill, obtained after acquiring all fragments from the Monster Bits and Bounty Hunter categories. The Final Fantasy XIII-2: Original Soundtrack PLUS includes an alternate version of "Crazy Chocobo", as well as "Hopping Chocobo", a variation of "Chocobo Rodeo". The theme also appears as a Field Music Sequence in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival, available for purchase for 5 sound medals.
"Crazy Chocobo"
"Crazy Chocobo" is a vocal theme that plays while riding a rambunctious chocobo, and as a background theme in the Sunleth Waterscape 400 AF when the Miniflan get rowdy. It is performed by Shootie HG.
- Gas 'em up with the greens and let him go
- Stand back, stand clear as he puts on a show
- So cute yet fierce, is he from hell?
- I cannot tell, yet I don't even want to know
- So you wanna be a trailblazer?
- Kickin' dirt like a hell raiser?
- Take the reins, but don't react slow
- It's time to feel the force of the chocobo
- So you think you can ride this chocobo?
- Got Chocobucks? You better put them on this chocobo!
- Saddle up, if you think you can ride in this rodeo
- Are we in hell? I don't know... to the dirt, let's roll!
- You're loco if you think you're gonna hide this chocobo
- Everybody's gonna wanna ride your chocobo
- It's choco-loco style in a choco-rodeo
- Gonna ride him straight through hell in this chocobo rodeo!
- Yeah, let's ride!
"Crazy Chocobo" also appears as a battle music in the arcade version of Dissidia Final Fantasy, available from a Theatrhythm Final Fantasy event (October 2017).
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Three chocobo themes are featured: "Bluesy Chocobo", which plays while Lightning rides the Angel of Valhalla while he's at level one; "Chocobo Returns", which plays while he is at level two; and "Marimba de Chocobo", which plays while he's at level three. "Crazy Chocobo" plays during an event in the Wildlands where a Chocobo Eater appears in a Chaos infusion.
Final Fantasy XIV
There are multiple versions of the chocobo theme:
- "Bo-down", a wild west inspired theme played while riding rental chocobos.
- "Eorzea de Chocobo" for personal chocobos.
- "Sport of Kings" for the racing minigame, a remix of "Fiddle de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy VII.
- "Gateway to Paradise" plays during GATEs at the Manderville Gold Saucer, a remix of "Electric de Chocobo", also from Final Fantasy VII.
- "Or the Egg?" plays during Chocobo training.
"Bo-down" is played before the "Chocobo Medley" in Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Returning Home.
Final Fantasy XV
"Blues de Chocobo" plays while the party is at Wiz Chocobo Post, and "Rodeo de Chocobo" plays while riding a chocobo. Both were arranged by Mitsuhiro Ohta. The riding music is different when walking/swimming and trotting, and the music transitions to the trotting music smoothly. The transition time for walk-to-run is set longer than run-to-walk so that the music would not change every time the player must slow down to avoid a tree or to turn.[2]
The Moogle Chocobo Carnival theme is a mix of the chocobo, moogle and Altissia themes. This also played in the Assassin's Festival in the games section. A new arrangement of the chocobo theme played in the chocobo races in the Assassin's Festival.
During E3 2016 Square Enix showed a trailer with music by Afrojack that contained a bit of the chocobo theme. This can be played on the game's music player. Another remix by DJ NOBUNAGA was added in patch 1.26 to the music player called "Chocobo Theme (Yasutaka Nakata Remix)".
Prompto Argentum sometimes sings the chocobo theme after the player learns about the Wiz Chocobo Post. Ardyn Izunia also hums the chocobo theme at the end of chapter 10. After patch 1.21, Ignis also sometimes hums the theme and is called out by Prompto.
Final Fantasy Type-0
"Chocobo!" (チョコボ！, Chokobo!?) plays when riding a chocobo on the world map. "The Earth Under Our Feet" (踏みしめる大地, Fumishimeru Daichi?, lit. Stepping Firmly on the Ground) is the world map theme for Dominion of Rubrum territory, and uses a grand, orchestral variation of the chocobo theme.
Deuce's attack FF Concerto is a flute version of the "Chocobo Theme."
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
The "Chocobo Theme" plays when riding a chocobo.
Final Fantasy Dimensions
"Funk de Chocobo" is the chocobo theme.
Dissidia Final Fantasy
"Mambo de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy V plays while performing a Data install, as well as during some cutscenes. It is available to play in the Museum.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
"Mambo de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy V is unlocked as an Field Music Sequence, in the challenge mode after amassing 37,500 Rhythmia and in the media player after 88,500 Rhythmia. It can also be encountered as a track in the Chaos Shrine.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call
"Mambo de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy V returns as a Field Music Sequence, this time available from the start. "The Earth Under Our Feet" from Final Fantasy Type-0 also appears as a Field Music Sequence.
World of Final Fantasy
The game has two major chocobo theme variations:
- "Prismelody: Chocobo" plays while riding a chocobo-type Mirage in field/overworld areas. It is a remix of the core chocobo theme, likely based on its original appearance in Final Fantasy II. It serves as the 15th track of disc 3 in the original soundtrack (iTunes release).
- "Prismelody: Chocobo-Wishes" plays while shopping at Chocolatte's item stall in Nine Wood Hills. It is a remix from Final Fantasy XIII-2 and serves as the 12th track of disc 4 in the original soundtrack (iTunes release).
Mobius Final Fantasy
"Fight de Chocobo" is a vocalized arrangement of the original chocobo theme, composed by Mitsuto Suzuki. It was sung by a Vocaloid software as a personal request from Director Motomu Toriyama.[3]
Lyrics
- ファイナル ファンタジー
- ファイト de チョコボ
- まんまるお目目に
- 黄色いしっぽ
- 大好物はギサール野菜
- チョ・チョ・チョ・チョコ・チョコ
- チョコボ～
- キミと一緒に クエっとファイト！
- 野を越え山越え海越えて
- キミと一緒にどこまでも
- 夢と希望を乗せて
- 時空越えて 駆け抜けてくよ
- ファイナル ファンタジー
- ファイト de チョコボ
- メビウス ファンタジー
- ファイト de チョコボ
- チョ・チョ・チョ・チョコ・チョコ
- チョコボ～
- チョコ・チョコ・クエっとファイト！
- チョコ・チョコ・クエっとファイト！
- チョコ・チョコ・クエっとファイト！
- チョコ・チョコ・クエっとファイト！
- 時空超えて キミと一緒に
- メビウス ファンタジー
- ファイト de チョコボ
Chocobo Racing
As the chocobo's titular racing game, the soundtrack is filled with the chocobo's theme variations:
- "Dash de Chocobo" - the intro, featuring electrical percussion and saxophone, used at the opening movie.
- ("えらんでチョコボ", Erande Chocobo?, lit. Choose a Chocobo) - a high tempo arrangement used at the title screen. Its Japanese name maintains the "de" usage.
- "Chocobo's Theme" - the titular character's theme.
- "Cid's Test Course" - the theme for the first race course.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
- ("チョコボは歩くよ、どこまでも", Chokobo wa aruku yo, doko made mo?, lit. Chocobo walks anywhere) - the theme song for Chobi the chocobo.
- ("逃げろ", Nigero?, lit. Escape) - a fast-paced chocobo theme that plays whenever Chobi gets berserk with Ai Hayakawa.
- ("チョコボ", "Chocobo"?) is a medley of three tracks associated with chocobos, including the Chocobo Sisters's theme.
- "Ciel Chocobo" - a lively theme that plays when Chobi transforms into the Legendary Ciel chocobo.
Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances
Live A Live
In the Mecha Chapter, the player can find a piano and play about two seconds of the "Chocobo's Theme".
Mario Sports Mix
In the Harmony Hustle party game, three variations of the theme can be chosen: "Chocobo Rhythm", "Chocobo Pop", and "Chocobo Beat".
Arrangement album appearances
Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection
"Chocobo Theme" is the fifth track on the album, which consists of solo classical guitar arrangements of tracks from the Final Fantasy main series, performed by Yuji Sekiguchi.
Cafe SQ
"Cafe SQ: FINAL FANTASY III "Fat Chocobo Appears ~ Chocobo's Theme" / RÄFVEN" appears on this arrangement album. The theme is arranged to sound like cafe-theme music.
Live performances
20020220 music from Final Fantasy
"Chocobo's Theme" is part of the "FINAL FANTASY Final Fantasy-Final Fantasy III Medley" track, performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Returning Home
"Chocobo Medley 2010" is included on this live recording of an orchestral concert, performed by the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Arnie Roth held in Tokyo, in November 2010.
A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy
A live recording of "Chocobo Medley 2014" from at the London premiere of the concert of the same name on February 15, 2014, conducted by Arnie Roth, is included on this album.
Distant Worlds III: more music from Final Fantasy
A concert recording of "Chocobo Medley 2012" appears on this album.
Etymology
The name "chocobo" derives from a Japanese brand of chocolate malt ball by Morinaga, ChocoBall (チョコボール, Chokobōru?). The mascot for this product is Kyoro-chan (キョロちゃん?), a bird who says "kweh".
食う / くう / kuu is a rough way to say "eat", whose volitional casual form is 食え / くえ / kue ("let's scoff 'em down!"), leading to Kweh!
Trivia
- "Mambo de Chocobo" is the first track in the series to feature a vocal sample.
- The "Chocobo Theme" has appeared as music for a Toyota commercial featuring three yellow Toyota Prius C cars driving through the countryside.