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.
Animal
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such a lust for life, the circus comes to town
We are the hungry ones, on a lightning raid
Just like a river runs, like a fire needs flame, oh, burn for you
I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh
I need your touch, don′t need your love, whoa oh
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(And I lust, animal)
Cry wolf, given mouth-to-mouth
Like a movin' heartbeat in the witching hour
I′m runnin' with the wind, a shadow in the dust
And like the drivin' rain, yeah, like the restless rust
I never sleep
I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh
I need your touch, don′t need your love, whoa oh
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal) huh, ah
Cry wolf, baby, cry tough ...
(Gonna hunt you like an, an, an, an, an animal)
Gonna take your love and run
I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh
I need your touch, don′t need your love, whoa oh
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(And I want) - And I want
(And I need) - And I need
(And I lust) - And I lust
(Animal) - Animal
(And I want) - Tame me, tie me
(And I lust, animal) make me your animal
(And I want, and I need) show me, stroke me
(And I lust, animal) let me be your animal
And I want
(And I need, animal) ooh, ooh, ooh, animal (animal)
The lyrics to this song describe the intense and primal desire that can overtake a person when they are consumed with lust. The verses describe the experience of being caught up in a wild ride, running with the wind, and not being able to sleep because the desire is so strong. The chorus repeats the phrase "And I want, and I need, and I lust, animal" as a way of expressing the animalistic nature of this desire. The bridge of the song uses the metaphor of crying wolf and being hunted like an animal, as a way of emphasizing the predatory nature of the desire and the lengths that the singer is willing to go to fulfill it.
If performed by a rock band, the instrumentation would likely be guitar-heavy, with a driving rhythm section and a powerful vocal performance. The lyrics would be delivered with intensity and passion, conveying the urgency and desperation of the desire described in the song. A pop artist might choose to emphasize the catchy melody and hook of the chorus, using production techniques like vocal tuning and electronic beats to create a more polished sound. The lyrics would still express the same sentiment, but the delivery might be more polished and controlled.
Line by Line Meaning
A wild ride, over stony ground
We are experiencing an exhilarating and adventurous journey, but it is not an easy one as it involves rough and difficult terrain.
Such a lust for life, the circus comes to town
We have an insatiable desire to live life to the fullest, and this excitement is comparable to the arrival of a lively circus.
We are the hungry ones, on a lightning raid
We are driven by a strong desire to satisfy our needs and desires, and we are relentlessly pursuing this goal with intense speed.
Just like a river runs, like a fire needs flame, oh, burn for you
Our passion for you is comparable to the way a river flows naturally and how fire requires flame to stay alive.
I gotta feel it in my blood, whoa oh
I need to experience this desire intensely and to the core of my being.
I need your touch, don't need your love, whoa oh
Physical contact and intimacy are crucial to making me feel alive and fulfilled, although I do not require a deeper emotional connection.
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
The repetition of these lines signifies the strong desire and intense need for physical intimacy we feel.
Cry wolf, given mouth-to-mouth
We are taking a seemingly hopeless situation and injecting new life into it.
Like a movin' heartbeat in the witching hour
Our passion and intensity are palpable, especially during an active time of creativity and excitement.
I'm runnin' with the wind, a shadow in the dust
I am moving fast and with the flow of energy, yet I remain a mysterious and elusive figure.
And like the drivin' rain, yeah, like the restless rust
Our urgency and passion are comparable to the driving force of rain and the persistent presence of rust.
I never sleep
Our passion and intensity never rest or fade away; it is ever-present and all-consuming.
Cry wolf, baby, cry tough ...
(Gonna hunt you like an, an, an, an, an animal)
We are challenging our lover to fight for our affection while expressing our own desire to pursue them with animalistic intensity.
Gonna take your love and run
We will capture our lover's heart with ferocious passion and run wild with it.
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(And I want, and I need)
(And I lust, animal)
(huh, ah)
The repeated phrase throughout the song symbolizes the unquenchable desire for physical intimacy and closeness.
(And I want) - And I want
(And I need) - And I need
(And I lust) - And I lust
(Animal) - Animal
The repeated phrase throughout the song symbolizes the unquenchable desire for physical intimacy and closeness.
(And I want) - Tame me, tie me
(And I lust, animal) make me your animal
(And I want, and I need) show me, stroke me
(And I lust, animal) let me be your animal
We yearn to be tamed, dominated, and shown intense physical intimacy with our lover.
And I want
(And I need, animal) ooh, ooh, ooh, animal (animal)
The repetitiveness of this phrase illustrates the strong desire for physical contact, and how animals yearn for touch and closeness.
Writer(s): Robert John Lange, Steve Clark, Joseph Elliott, Richard Savage, Philip Collen, Richard John Cyril Allen
Contributed by Elijah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.