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.
City Lights
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
no reveries
got no time for memories
follow me
don't be afraid
don't hide away
window closed
the light is on
telephone off the line
what's on tv?
you gotta try to get away from this endless night
you gotta try
i'm gonna help you to see the light
you gotta try to get out and see some city lights
need some shelter for awhile
from the pain and the phony smiles
are you ready? is it time to trust someone?
you gotta try to get away from this endless night
you gotta try
i'm gonna help you to see the light
you gotta try to get out and see some city lights
to get out and see some city lights
secret life
no reveries
got no time for memories
follow me
don't be afraid
don't hide away
window closed
the light is on
is it dusk or is it dawn?
telephone off the line
what's on tv?
The song "City Lights" by Various Artists is a portrayal of a solitary life spent in a city where the only source of comfort is the artificial lights of the city. The lyrics evoke the feeling of isolation and detachment from reality that comes with living in a city, where the fast-paced lifestyle and the absence of human connection discourages introspection and self-reflection. The title "City Lights" is symbolic of the superficial life of the city that provides a temporary respite from loneliness but ultimately leads to emptiness and depression.
The song opens with the lines "secret life, no reveries, got no time for memories" which illustrate the character's refusal to look back on the past and the reluctance to acknowledge the present. The chorus "you gotta try to get away from this endless night, you gotta try, I'm gonna help you to see the light, you gotta try to get out and see some city lights" tells the story of an attempt to break free from this cycle of desolation and seek refuge in the vibrant lights and the hustle-bustle of city life.
The verse "need some shelter for a while, from the pain and the phony smiles, are you ready? Is it time to trust someone?" attributes the character's apathy to the disingenuous nature of human interactions in a city. The song ultimately conveys a message of hope, urging the audience to seek solace in external experiences and human bonds to counter the emotional desolation that comes with a life in the city.
Line by Line Meaning
secret life
A hidden life that is not shared openly.
no reveries
No daydreams, no fantasies.
got no time for memories
There is no time to reminisce about the past.
follow me
Come with me, trust me and I will show you something new.
don't be afraid
There is nothing to fear on this journey.
don't hide away
Don't retreat or back down.
window closed
Blocked from reaching outside.
the light is on
The possibility of something new is present.
is it dusk or is it dawn?
Uncertainty of time or new beginnings.
telephone off the line
Disconnected, out of touch with everything else.
what's on tv?
Idle thoughts filling the void of boredom.
you gotta try to get away from this endless night
You need to make an effort to escape from the darkness.
you gotta try
You need to make an effort.
i'm gonna help you to see the light
I will guide you towards a brighter future.
you gotta try to get out and see some city lights
You need to experience new things to bring some light into your life.
need some shelter for awhile
Seeking sanctuary from hardships for a short period of time.
from the pain and the phony smiles
Escaping from both physical and emotional anguish.
are you ready? is it time to trust someone?
Are you prepared to put faith in somebody else and take a leap of faith?
to get out and see some city lights
To explore and immerse oneself in new surroundings.
Writer(s): NAJEE QADIR HORNE, BRADEN MITCHELL WATT, HAROLD O'NEAL, DAVID ANTHONY WILLIS
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.