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.
Bless the Broken Road
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Many years ago,
Hoping I would find true love
Along the broken road.
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through.
I couldn't see how every sign,
pointed straight to you.
Every long-lost dream
Led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart,
they were just northern stars
Pointing me on my way,
into your loving arms.
This much I know is true...
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.
I think about the years I spent,
just passing through.
I'd like to take the time I lost,
and give it back to you!
But you just smile
and take my hand.
You've been there.
You understand,
It's all part of this grander plan,
that is coming true!
Every long-lost dream
Led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart,
they were just northern stars
Pointing me on my way,
into your loving arms.
This much I know, i know its true...
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.
Now I'm just rolling home,
Into your lover's arms.
This much I know, i know is true...
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.
Yes God blessed the broken road
and lead me straight to you.
The song "Bless the Broken Road" by Various Artists is a tale of finding true love after experiencing heartbreak and getting lost along the way. The singer describes how they started out on a narrow path, hoping to find true love, but got lost along the way. Despite the difficulties, they kept pushing through and eventually realized that every long-lost dream and heartbreak was leading them to the person they were meant to be with. They come to the realization that God blessed the difficult journey they were on, as it brought them straight to their love.
The song is a metaphor for life, where we may experience hardships and heartbreaks, but each step we take ultimately leads us to where we are meant to be. It also highlights the importance of faith and trust in a higher power, as the singer credits God for guiding them along the broken road.
In terms of the music industry, "Bless the Broken Road" was a massive hit for country group Rascal Flatts, who originally recorded the song. It was written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd, and Jeff Hanna, and released in 2004 as part of their album "Feels Like Today." The song won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2006 and has since been covered by many different artists in various genres.
Line by Line Meaning
I set out on a narrow way,
I started on a difficult path,
Many years ago,
A long time ago,
Hoping I would find true love
Wishing to find genuine love,
Along the broken road.
On the challenging journey ahead.
But I got lost a time or two
I lost my way at times,
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through.
I persisted despite the difficulties.
I couldn't see how every sign,
I didn't realize that every signal,
pointed straight to you.
was leading me to you.
Every long-lost dream
Each distant aspiration
Led me to where you are.
To where I found you.
Others who broke my heart,
People who hurt me emotionally,
they were just northern stars
were just guiding lights,
Pointing me on my way,
Helping me on my journey,
into your loving arms.
To your affectionate embrace.
This much I know is true...
I am certain about one thing...
That God blessed the broken road
That the challenging path was made better
That led me straight to you.
By leading me to where I found you.
I think about the years I spent,
I reflect on the time I passed by,
just passing through.
Without really stopping or making progress.
I'd like to take the time I lost,
I wish I could have back the lost time,
and give it back to you!
And return it to you!
But you just smile
Yet you have a tender smile,
and take my hand.
And reach out to hold my hand.
You've been there.
You've experienced the same things.
You understand,
So you can comprehend,
It's all part of this grander plan,
It's all part of a bigger scheme,
that is coming true!
That's becoming a reality!
Now I'm just rolling home,
Now I'm returning home,
Into your lover's arms.
And into the embraces of your love.
Yes God blessed the broken road
God made the difficult path more blessed,
and lead me straight to you.
And brought me to where I found you.
Writer(s): Robert E. Boyd, Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd
Contributed by Dominic K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.