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 Prรถfrock, 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.
Enjoy the Silence
Various Artists Lyrics
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Come crashing in into my little world
Painful to me, pierce right through me
Can't you understand, oh, my little girl?
All I ever wanted, all I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
Vows are spoken to be broken
Feelings are intense, words are trivial
Pleasures remain, so does the pain
Words are meaningless and forgettable
All I ever wanted, all I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
All I ever wanted, all I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
All I ever wanted, all I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
The song "Enjoy The Silence" by Various Artists appears to be a reflection on the power of words and the beauty of silence. The first verse speaks to the pain caused by words, which can be violent and piercing. The singer wonders why they cannot understand the harm their words cause, and appeals to a "little girl" who may represent someone close to them who is hurt by their words.
The chorus suggests that the answer to this pain may be found in the silence of a close embrace. "All I ever wanted, all I ever needed/Is here in my arms," the singer proclaims, implying that physical closeness can speak louder than words. The line "Words are very unnecessary/ They can only do harm" supports this idea, further emphasizing that sometimes silence and physical touch are all that is needed to convey love and understanding.
In the second verse, the song touches on the transient and ultimately meaningless nature of words. Vows are spoken but are frequently broken, and feelings are intense but ultimately trivial. The pleasures that remain come with pain, but both are ultimately forgettable. All these things point to the fragility and impermanence of language, perhaps suggesting that embracing silence and physical touch is a more meaningful path to connection and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Words like violence break the silence
The harshness of the words is similar to physical violence and breaks the peace and quiet.
Come crashing in into my little world
The hurtful words intrude on my private and personal space as if causing a disaster.
Painful to me, pierce right through me
The words are hurtful and cut deep into my emotions.
Can't you understand, oh, my little girl?
The artist is pleading for someone to empathize with their hurt and pain.
All I ever wanted, all I ever needed
The artist's only desire is to have the person they love close to them.
Is here in my arms
The person they love is physically present with them.
Words are very unnecessary
The singer feels that words are insufficient to express their emotions and desires.
They can only do harm
The artist believes that words can cause damage and worsen the situation instead of helping.
Vows are spoken to be broken
The promises made in a relationship may not always be kept or fulfilled.
Feelings are intense, words are trivial
Emotions are strong and important, while words are insignificant and cannot always capture the depth of feelings.
Pleasures remain, so does the pain
Even though there are enjoyable moments, there is still emotional pain present in the relationship.
Words are meaningless and forgettable
The artist believes that verbal communication is not always significant and lacks the impact of genuine actions and gestures.
Contributed by Annabelle P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.