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.
Eddie
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the day he was born
He was trouble
He was the thorn
In his mother's side
She tried in vain
But he never caused her nothing but shame
Dr. Everett v. Scott
He left home the day she died
From the day she was gone
All he wanted
Was rock and roll porn
And a motorbike
Shooting up junk
Criminologist
He was a low down cheap little punk
Dr. Everett v. Scott
Taking everyone for a ride
When Eddie said he didn't like his teddy
You knew he was a no good kid
But when he threatened your life
With a switch blade knife
Dr. Frank-N-Furter
What a guy
Janet Weiss
Makes you cry
Dr. Everett v. Scott
And I did
Columbia
Everybody shoved him
I very nearly loved him
I said hey listen to me
Stay sane inside insanity
But he locked the door
And threw away the key
Dr. Everett v. Scott
But he must've been drawn
Into something
Making him warn me
In a note which reads
What's it say? What's it say?
Eddie
I'm out of my head
Oh hurry, or I may be dead
They mustn't carry out their evil deeds
When Eddie said he didn't like his teddy
You knew he was a no good kid
But when he threatened your life
With a switch blade knife
Dr. Frank-N-Furter
What a guy
Janet Weiss
Makes you cry
Dr. Everett v. Scott
And I did
When Eddie said he didn't like his teddy
You knew he was a no good kid
But when he threatened your life
With a switch blade knife
Dr. Frank-N-Furter
What a guy
Whoa ho ho
Janet Weiss
Makes you cry
Hey hey hey
Dr. Everett v. Scott
And I did
Eddie
The lyrics to "Eddie" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show are about a character named Eddie who is troubled from the day he was born. His mother was pained by his existence and his behavior caused her shame. When she died, Eddie left home and turned to a life of rock and roll music, pornography, drugs, and motorcycles. He became a low-down, cheap, little punk who took everyone for a ride. Despite the things he did, Eddie was loved by some of the other characters in the story. One of them warned him about something and Eddie left a note saying that he was out of his head and asking for someone to hurry so that he may not be dead.
Line by Line Meaning
From the day he was born
Eddie's troublesome behavior started from his birth
He was trouble
Eddie had a continuation of trouble right from his childhood
He was the thorn
Eddie's wrongful actions tormented his mother
In his mother's side
Eddie's criminal acts caused his mother great distress
She tried in vain
Eddie's mother tried unsuccessfully to put a stop to his wicked ways
But he never caused her nothing but shame
Eddie's mother felt nothing but shame due to his bad behavior
He left home the day she died
After the death of his mother, Eddie left home
All he wanted
Eddie desired nothing more
Was rock and roll porn
Eddie craved for rock music and pornographic videos
And a motorbike
Eddie wanted a motorcycle to ride
Shooting up junk
Eddie was constantly injecting himself with drugs
He was a low down cheap little punk
Eddie was an insignificant, deceitful person who had bad morals
Taking everyone for a ride
Eddie manipulated and deceived everyone around him
When Eddie said he didn't like his teddy
Eddie was expressing his dislike for something that is usually associated with innocence
You knew he was a no good kid
Eddie's action was an indicator of his bad personality
But when he threatened your life
Eddie had resorted to the extreme, making death threats
With a switch blade knife
Eddie used a weapon to back up his threats
What a guy
Dr. Frank-N-Furter is impressed with Eddie's aggressive behavior
Makes you cry
The severe circumstances surrounding Eddie's past and present life is heart-wrenching
And I did
Dr. Everett v. Scott broke down upon remembering Eddie's tragic fate
Everybody shoved him
Eddie's behavior was repulsive to most people, prompting them to distance themselves from him
I very nearly loved him
Columbia had a fondness for Eddie despite his negative traits
I said hey listen to me
Columbia tried to make Eddie see the error of his ways
Stay sane inside insanity
Columbia advised Eddie to maintain his sanity in the face of his madness
But he locked the door
Eddie refused to acknowledge Columbia's advice and locked himself into his ways
And threw away the key
Eddie made a permanent decision to continue his self-destructive behavior
But he must've been drawn
Eddie was likely motivated by something to take his own life
Into something
An indeterminate force influenced Eddie's decision to end his life
Making him warn me
Eddie left a message warning Dr. Everett v. Scott and others of impending danger
In a note which reads
Eddie left a written message to convey his warning
I'm out of my head
Eddie was mentally unstable
Oh hurry, or I may be dead
Eddie was feeling extremely threatened, urging prompt action
They mustn't carry out their evil deeds
Eddie did not want Dr. Frank-N-Furter and others to carry out their evil plan
Whoa ho ho
Dr. Frank-N-Furter is amused by Eddie's final message
Hey hey hey
It's possible that the impact of Eddie's message is dawning on the characters
Writer(s): MIKE LEANDER, GARY GLITTER
Contributed by Callie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.