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.
DON'T FEAR THE REAPER
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
We can be like they are
Come on, baby
Don't fear the reaper
Don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly
Don't fear the reaper
Baby, I'm your man
La la la la la
La la la la la
Valentine is done
Here but now they're gone
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity
Romeo and Juliet
40, 000 men and women everyday
Like Romeo and Juliet
40, 000 men and women everyday
Redefine happiness
Another 40, 000 coming everyday
We can be like they are
Come on, baby
Don't fear the reaper
Baby, take my hand
Don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly
Don't fear the reaper
Baby, I'm your man
La la la la la
La la la la la
Love of two is one
Here but now they're gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn't go on
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew and then disappeared
The curtains flew and then he appeared
Saying don't be afraid
Come on, baby
And she had no fear
And she ran to him
Then they started to fly
They looked backward and said goodbye
She had become like they are
She had taken his hand
She had become like they are
Come on, baby
Don't fear the reaper
"Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult is a song about embracing death and not being scared of what comes after. The opening lines, "All our times have come, here but now they're gone," suggest that our time on earth is finite and we should make the most of it. The chorus repeats the idea that we should not fear death or the "reaper," as the natural elements like the wind, sun, and rain do not fear it. The song encourages the listener to take the reaper's hand and "fly" to whatever comes next.
The second verse references the famous tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, who are "together in eternity." The lyric "40, 000 men and women everyday, like Romeo and Juliet, 40, 000 men and women everyday" suggests that death is a constant occurrence and that we should not be afraid of it. The song suggests that death can even be seen as a positive thing, as it "redefines happiness."
The last verse tells a story of a woman who is sad and unable to go on until the reaper appears and takes her hand. She runs to him, they fly away, and she becomes like him. The song ends by encouraging the listener to not fear the reaper and to take his hand.
Overall, "Don't Fear The Reaper" is a powerful and thought-provoking song about the inevitability of death and the need to accept it.
Line by Line Meaning
All our times have come
Our lives have reached their end.
Here but now they're gone
We are here in this moment, but soon we will not be.
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Neither nature nor time are afraid of death.
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
Death does not affect the elements of nature.
We can be like they are
We can accept death without fear.
Come on, baby
Encouraging someone to face death without fear.
Don't fear the reaper
Do not be afraid of death.
Baby, take my hand
Taking someone's hand to guide them through death.
We'll be able to fly
Death is not the end, but a journey to a new life.
Valentine is done
A reference to the passage of time.
Romeo and Juliet
A famous example of tragic love.
Are together in eternity
Their love endures even in death.
40, 000 men and women everyday
A reminder that death is a constant presence in our lives.
Redefine happiness
Death is not the end of happiness, but a transformation.
Another 40, 000 coming everyday
Death is a necessary part of life.
Love of two is one
Two people in love are united as one.
Came the last night of sadness
The end of life is often accompanied by sadness.
And it was clear she couldn't go on
The person was ready to face death.
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
A metaphor for the transition from life to death.
The candles blew and then disappeared
The end of life is marked by the extinguishing of the candles of life.
The curtains flew and then he appeared
A metaphor for the appearance of death.
Saying don't be afraid
Death is not something to fear.
And she had no fear
The person accepted death without fear.
And she ran to him
She approached death willingly.
Then they started to fly
The journey to the afterlife is a flight to a new beginning.
They looked backward and said goodbye
Saying goodbye to life and loved ones left behind.
She had become like they are
She had transformed like those who have passed on.
Come on, baby
Encouraging someone to accept death without fear.
Don't fear the reaper
Do not be afraid of death.
Contributed by Caleb T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.