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.
Dancing In The Dark
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna dance in the dark
Come On
We're gonna light up the night(2)
Underdogs dance in the middle of the night
Can see the night skies in the mirror of your eyes
If you don't dance make sure you got the rhythm
Make sure that your heartbeat beats with the rhythm
Right under the moon bodies glowing in the night
Nothing in between our skins but the rhythm
Make sure that your heartbeat beats with the rhythm
The Night time is the right time...
I wanna dance in the dark and never
stop
we gonna light up the night like shooting stars
whenever you hear the sound don't be alarmed move, move, move
Dancing in the dark (2)
Underdogs dance in the middle of the night
Out here with the stars like the creatures of the night
If You don't dance make sure you got the rhythm
Make sure that your heartbeat beats with the rhythm
I wanna dance dance in the middle of the night
And see the night skies in the mirror of your eyes
If you don't dance make sure you got the rhythm
Make sure that your heartbeat beats with the rhythm
The night time is the right time...
I wanna dance in the dark and never stop
we gonna light up the night like shooting stars
whenever you hear the sound don't be alarmed move, move, move
Dancing in the dark(2)
Come On
I wanna dance in the dark
Come On
We gonna light up the night(2)
I wanna dance in the dark and never stop
we gonna light up the night like shooting stars
whenever you hear the sound don't be alarmed move, move, move
Dancing In the dark (2)
The lyrics of Various Artists' "Dancing In the Dark" depict the desire to let loose and dance without inhibition in the middle of the night, under the stars. The references to underdogs and bodies glowing in the night suggest a sense of freedom and empowerment that comes with dancing without caring about societal norms or expectations. The repetition of the line "Make sure that your heartbeat beats with the rhythm" emphasizes the importance of surrendering oneself to the music and being in sync with it. The lyrics also allude to the idea of a communal experience, with the phrase "If you don't dance make sure you got the rhythm" hinting towards a sense of togetherness as everyone moves together in time with the rhythm.
The chorus of the song focuses on the desire to dance endlessly without stopping, expressing the joy and ecstasy brought about by giving yourself over to the music. The use of the metaphor of shooting stars further emphasizes the fleeting yet mesmerizing nature of the dance, as well as the idea of being able to shine brightly and stand out in the darkness.
Overall, "Dancing In the Dark" can be seen as a celebration of dance as a way of breaking free from societal constraints and experiencing freedom and joy through movement.
Line by Line Meaning
Come On
Encouraging someone to dance in the dark
I wanna dance in the dark
Expressing desire to dance in the dark
We're gonna light up the night(2)
Planning to have a great time during the night
Underdogs dance in the middle of the night
Referring to those who are often overlooked or underestimated, but still dancing fiercely in the night
Can see the night skies in the mirror of your eyes
Looking into someone's eyes and seeing the reflections of the stars and the beauty of the night
If you don't dance make sure you got the rhythm
Advising someone who is not confident to dance to focus on the rhythm
Make sure that your heartbeat beats with the rhythm
Encouraging someone to let their heartbeat match the rhythm and enjoy the music
I wanna run wild in the middle of the night
Expressing desire to let loose and have fun in the nighttime
Right under the moon bodies glowing in the night
Describing the beauty of dancing under the moon and stars
Nothing in between our skins but the rhythm
Expressing physical closeness while dancing and being completely absorbed in the music
The Night time is the right time...
Emphasizing that nighttime is the perfect time to dance
we gonna light up the night like shooting stars
Planning to have a great time and shine brightly like shooting stars
whenever you hear the sound don't be alarmed move, move, move
Encouraging others to dance freely and not be afraid of the music
Dancing in the dark (2)
Repeating the chorus and expressing the joy of dancing in the dark
Out here with the stars like the creatures of the night
Feeling a connection with the nighttime and imagining themselves as nocturnal creatures
Writer(s): Tor Erik Hermansen, Robyn R. Fenty, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Ester Dean, Maureen Anne Mcdonald
Contributed by Camilla K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.