The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. Most often on Last.fm, compilation album tracks appear under the name of Various Artists erroneously because the individual artist is not listed in the album's ID3 information.
Compilation albums, for example.
Sometimes, single releases may be credited to Various Artists when their profits are going to charity and, usually in high-profile cases, are sometimes known by a group name. Examples include Band Aid with their releases of Do They Know It's Christmas? and USA for Africa with We Are The World.
Various Artists is also an actual performance name for Torsten Pröfrock, who runs the German DIN label. Torsten performs also as Dynamo, Erosion, Resilent, Traktor besides some others. He's a good friend of Robert Henke and since the Fall of 2004, he is a member of Monolake.
Various Artists was also a short-lived Bristol punk band formed by brothers Jonjo and Robin Key (originally from Birmingham). Other members were also simultaneously in Art Objects who went on to become The Blue Aeroplanes, the latter the Key brothers also co-wrote some songs and were involved in. When Various Artists imploded, the Key brothers went on to form Either / Or.
Various Artists also appear on tracks from musical theater soundtracks, due to the nature of having many cast members on one song, as well as an ensemble in some cases.
All Or Nothing
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That distant look is in your eyes
I thought with time you'd realize it's over, over
It's not the way I choose to live
And something somewhere's gotta give
As sharing in this relationship gets older, older
You know I'd fight for you but how could I fight someone who isn't even there
Cuz I want it all
Or nothing at all
There's nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
Is it all
Or are we just friends
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call
You leave me here with nothing at all
There are time it seems to me
I'm sharing you with memories
I feel it in my heart but I don't show it, show it
Then there's times you look at me
As though I'm all that you could see
Those times I don't believe it's right I know it, know it
Don't make me promises baby you never did know how to keep them well
I had the rest of you now I want the best of you it's time to show and tell
Cuz I want it all
Or nothing at all
There's nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
Is it all
Or are we just friends
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call
You leave me here with nothing at all
Cuz you and I
Could lose it all if you've got no more room
No more inside for me in your life
Cuz I want it all
Or Nothing at all
There's nowhere left to fall
It's now or never
Is it all
Or Nothing at all
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
Is it all
Or are we just friends
Is this how it ends
With a simple telephone call
You leave me here with nothing at all
There's nowhere left to fall
The lyrics of "All or Nothing At All" by Various Artists describe a love that is in a state of constant limbo. The singer feels like their significant other's attention is divided between the present and the past. There are times when the significant other looks at the singer like they are the only thing that matters, and other times when they seem to be lost in their own thoughts. The singer is frustrated by this situation and wants either everything or nothing at all. They don't want to be just friends with their significant other nor share them with memories. The singer feels like they deserve the best of their significant other, but it seems like they're only getting bits and pieces.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "All or nothing at all," which is a phrase that implies making a decisive choice between two options- either getting everything or nothing. The singer seems to be accepting that they're at a crossroads and that they need to make a choice. They want to know if the relationship is worth fighting for or if it's time to walk away. The bridge of the song warns that if the significant other doesn't make a choice, they risk losing everything.
Overall, "All or Nothing At All" is a song about knowing when to make a decision regarding love. The singer is at a point where they can't continue sharing their significant other, and they want to know if their love is worth fighting for.
Line by Line Meaning
i know when he's been on your mind
I can see that you're thinking about someone else
That distant look is in your eyes
Your eyes look far away and unfocused
I thought with time you'd realize it's over, over
I hoped that you would eventually come to accept that our relationship has ended
It's not the way I choose to live
I don't want to live my life like this
And something somewhere's gotta give
Something has to change in our relationship
As sharing in this relationship gets older, older
As time goes on, sharing this relationship becomes more difficult
You know I'd fight for you but how could I fight someone who isn't even there
I would do anything to win you back, but I can't fight this other person who is competing for your love
I've had the rest of you now I want the best of you I don't care if that's not fair
I've had some parts of you, but now I want the whole package, even if it's not fair to you
Cuz I want it all
I want a complete and committed relationship
Or nothing at all
I don't want a relationship that is half-hearted or indecisive
There's nowhere left to fall
We have reached the lowest point in our relationship and we can't go any lower
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
We have to make a decision now, because we can't continue like this
Is it all
Do you want a complete relationship?
Or are we just friends
Or are we just pretending to be friends?
Is this how it ends
Is this really the end of our relationship?
With a simple telephone call
Did you just end things with me over the phone?
You leave me here with nothing at all
Now I am left with absolutely nothing
There are times it seems to me
There are moments when I feel
I'm sharing you with memories
Like you're remembering someone else while being with me
I feel it in my heart but I don't show it, show it
I can sense the distance between us, but I don't express it outwardly
Then there's times you look at me
But there are also moments when you focus on me
As though I'm all that you could see
Like I'm the only thing in the world that matters to you
Those times I don't believe it's right I know it, know it
But sometimes I doubt whether your feelings are genuine
Don't make me promises baby you never did know how to keep them well
Please don't make empty promises that you won't be able to fulfill
It's time to show and tell
It's time for you to prove your commitment to me
Cuz you and I
Because you and I
Could lose it all if you've got no more room
We could lose everything if you don't have enough space in your life for me
No more inside for me in your life
If there is no more room for me in your life
There's nowhere left to fall
We have reached the lowest point in our relationship and we can't go any lower
It's now or never
We have to make a decision now, because we can't continue like this
Is it all
Do you want a complete relationship?
Or Nothing at all
Or nothing at all
When you reach the bottom it's now or never
We have to make a decision now, because we can't continue like this
Is it all
Do you want a complete relationship?
Or are we just friends
Or are we just pretending to be friends?
Is this how it ends
Is this really the end of our relationship?
With a simple telephone call
Did you just end things with me over the phone?
You leave me here with nothing at all
Now I am left with absolutely nothing
There's nowhere left to fall
We have reached the lowest point in our relationship and we can't go any lower
Writer(s): PHILIP JAMES RICE, RICHARD GUARD
Contributed by Samantha S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.