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.
From A Distance
Various Artists Lyrics
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And the snow-capped mountains white
From a distance, the ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight
From a distance, there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace
From a distance, we all have enough
And no one is in need
There are no guns, no bombs, no diseases
No hungry mouths to feed
From a distance, we are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace
They're the songs of every man
God is watching us, God is watching us
God is watching us, from a distance
From a distance, you look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance, I can't comprehend
What all this war is for
From a distance, there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves
It's the heart of every man
It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves
It's the song of every man
The lyrics of Various Artists' song "From A Distance" suggest that all of humanity would seem and work better from a distant viewpoint. In the first verse, the song highlights the beauty of the world when seen from afar - snow-capped mountains, green and blue landscapes, and eagles soaring through the sky. From a distance, the song suggests the world is devoid of crises, quarrels, and animosity - everything is peaceful, and everybody has enough resources to survive.
The second verse is an extension of the theme of harmony, with references to the absence of war and unrest. The lyrics paint a picture of individuals working as a team, creating hopeful and peaceful melodies in unison - symbols of the good that humanity can achieve when it operates cohesively. The pre-chorus states that God is watching humankind, but he is watching from a distance, implying that humanity is responsible for its destiny. The chorus then repeats the theme of hope and love that runs through the song, pointing toward a unity that is free from conflict and avarice.
Line by Line Meaning
From a distance, the world looks blue and green
When seen from a distance, the colors that dominate the world are blue and green accompanied by white snowy mountains.
From a distance, the ocean meets the stream
The continuity of the ocean that meets the stream is visible from a distance.
From a distance, there is harmony
At a distance, there seems to be peace and agreement among people.
And it echoes through the land
The message of harmony and peace reaches to all nooks and corners of the earth in the form of an echo.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace
The sound we are hearing is the hopeful and peaceful expressions of people from across the globe.
It's the voice of every man
Every human being irrespective of nationality, caste, creed, or gender is the source of the voice of hope and peace being expressed from afar.
From a distance, we all have enough
From a distance, the world looks perfect, without any lack or scarcity, and everything is in abundance.
And no one is in need
No one is deprived of their basic necessities and everyone is self-sufficient.
There are no guns, no bombs, no diseases
Distance presents a world without weapons, explosives, or illnesses.
No hungry mouths to feed
From afar, everybody's needs of food and water are taken care of, and hunger is non-existent.
From a distance, we are instruments
When looked at from afar, we all are merely tools to make a better tomorrow without any ego or differences.
Marching in a common band
We are all working together with one common goal under one banner.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace
Each one of us is constantly creating harmonious melodies of hope and peace to spread around.
They're the songs of every man
The songs that inspire hope and peace are created by each and every human being irrespective of their differences.
God is watching us, God is watching us
God is observing our actions from a distance.
God is watching us, from a distance
Although God is far off, God is still watching us and keeping us under his observation.
From a distance, you look like my friend
Even though someone is far away and separated by differences, they can look like a friend from afar.
Even though we are at war
Even if individuals are on opposite sides of a conflict, they can still appear to be a friend from a distance.
From a distance, I can't comprehend
Although everything looks fine from afar, it's difficult to understand the true nature of things that cause havoc.
What all this war is for
Even from a distance, it's hard to understand the reasons behind wars and conflicts.
And it echoes through the land
The message of hope resonates all over the earth.
It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves
The theme of the message from afar is all about hope and the greatest form of love.
It's the heart of every man
The fundamental aspect of every human being is the message of love and hope at the core of their heart.
It's the song of every man
The song being played from afar is nothing but the voice of every human being's heart that speaks of love, hope, and peace.
Writer(s): Julie Gold
Contributed by Joshua J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.