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.
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ding dong dong...
Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
E'en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And "Io, io, io!"
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
The song Ding Dong! Merrily on High starts with the repeated sound of bells ringing, setting the festive tone of the song. The lyrics describe the scene of angels in heaven singing and the sky breaking open with their songs. The Latin phrase "Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis" is repeated frequently throughout the song, which translates to "Glory to God in the highest, Hosanna!" In the second verse, the song calls for the bells on the earth to also ring in celebration, and for the people to sing out "Io, io, io!" along with the priests. The final verse is a prayer for the ringers and singers to beautifully perform their music, both in the morning and evening.
Overall, the song is filled with joy and praise for the Christmas season. The ringing of the bells both in heaven and on earth creates a sense of unity and celebration among all who hear them. The constant repetition of "Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis" reflects the religious origins of the song and serves as a reminder of the reason for the holiday.
Line by Line Meaning
Ding dong merrily on high,
The sound of the bells is joyfully resounding high in the air.
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
The bells are ringing in heaven where angels reside.
Ding dong! verily the sky
The sound of the bells is so powerful that it seems like the sky itself is ringing.
Is riv'n with angel singing.
The sound of the bells is accompanied by the heavenly singing of the angels.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
The chorus of the heavenly song being sung is 'glory and praise in the highest!'.
E'en so here below, below,
Even here on earth, the bells should be rung.
Let steeple bells be swungen,
Let the bells of the church tower be rung loudly.
And 'Io, io, io!'
Let the people sing out 'Io, io, io!', which is an exclamation of triumph or joy.
By priest and people sungen.
Let both the priest and the people sing out in joy.
Pray you, dutifully prime
I ask that you diligently prepare
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
Prepare the bells to ring in the morning, you who ring the bells.
May you beautifully rime
I hope that you can beautifully sing in harmony.
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Sing beautifully in the evening, you who sing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Sing 'glory and praise in the highest!' in the chorus of the song.
Contributed by Maya M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.