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.
Carousel
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
Come, come one, come all,
you must be this tall
to ride this ride at the carnival
Oh, come, take my hand
and run through playland
so high, too high at the carnival
And it's all fun and games,
'til somebody falls in love,
but you've already bought a ticket,
and there's no turning back now
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
This horse is too slow,
we're always this close,
almost, almost, we're a freakshow
Right, right when I'm near,
it's like you disappear,
where'd you go? Mr. Houdini, you're a freakshow.
And it's all fun and games,
'til somebody falls in love,
but you've already bought a ticket,
and there's no turning back now
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
Why did you steal my cotton candy heart?
you threw it in this damn coin slot,
and now I'm stuck, I'm stuck,
riding, riding, riding
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
The song "Carousel" by Various Artists is a catchy and fun tune about love that is compared to a ride on a carousel. The lyrics describe the feeling of being stuck in an endless cycle of pursuing someone who is elusive, just like trying to catch a horse on a carousel. The singer is having difficulty catching up to love and feels like they are chasing a fairytale. The lyrics use the imagery of the carnival and the excitement of the ride to describe the ups and downs of a romantic relationship.
The chorus of the song captures the theme of the song perfectly, "Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go, will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know, chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I, feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel." The song plays with the metaphor of pursuing love as a carnival ride, with all its thrills and excitement, but also its unpredictability and the risk of falling off.
Overall, "Carousel" is a fun and upbeat song that explores the ups and downs of romantic relationships in a unique way, comparing love to a carnival ride.
Line by Line Meaning
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
Love is not stable, and this person is moving in circles. They don't know if they will ever find love, but they are chasing after it like it's a fairytale. They feel like they are stuck on a never-ending ride, unable to get off.
Come, come one, come all,
you must be this tall
to ride this ride at the carnival
Everyone is welcome to try, but there are certain requirements one must meet in order to participate.
Oh, come, take my hand
and run through playland
so high, too high at the carnival
Let's enjoy ourselves and have fun, even if it means taking risks and going to great heights.
And it's all fun and games,
'til somebody falls in love,
but you've already bought a ticket,
and there's no turning back now
Initially, everything seems like fun and games, but once someone falls in love, there's no going back. The decision has been made and there's no turning back.
This horse is too slow,
we're always this close,
almost, almost, we're a freakshow
Things are moving too slowly and they feel like they're being put on display as a spectacle. They're never getting anywhere, just going in circles.
Right, right when I'm near,
it's like you disappear,
where'd you go? Mr. Houdini, you're a freakshow.
The person they're chasing after seems to disappear every time they get close, like a magic trick. This person is being played for a fool and feels like they're the spectacle of the show.
Why did you steal my cotton candy heart?
you threw it in this damn coin slot,
and now I'm stuck, I'm stuck,
riding, riding, riding
This person gave their heart away to the one they're chasing after, but now that heart is stuck in a place where it doesn't belong. They feel like they're trapped and unable to escape the never-ending cycle.
Writer(s): Glenn Holley, Rick Boyd, Peter Slevin
Contributed by Caleb W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.