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.
Hot Air Balloon
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miami or Timbuktu?
Did I ever tell you my uncle's monkey ran away from the zoo?
Would you tell me what this all means?
What happens if I go through that door?
'Cause I'm looking up at the ceiling, but it's turning into the floor
When I'm bored, I, kinda drift away,
I've been thinking, and I've got this plan
Let's go, right now
Come meet me in the sky I'll be waiting for you
And we can't hear what they say
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
Sing, sing along, along any song you want to
Now we're so high, it can't rain
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
Somebody remind me where I am
Miami or Timbuktu?
Did I ever tell you my uncle's monkey ran away from the zoo?
Would you tell me what this all means?
What happens if I go through that door?
'Cause I'm looking up at the ceiling, but it's turning into the floor
When I'm bored, I, kinda drift away,
I'm not sure, quite, why we work all day
I've been thinking, and I've got this plan
Let's go, right now
Come meet me in the sky I'll be waiting for you
And we can't hear what they say
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
Sing, sing along, along any song you want to
Now we're so high, it can't rain
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
I don't like dropping names but Kurt Cobain is all in my face
How the hell am I gonna tell him Elvis already took first base?
In and out of the blue this cruise is losing altitude, all we need
Is a little more elevation, take me back to where I can breathe
When I'm bored, I, kinda drift away
I'm not sure, quite, why we work all day
I've been thinking, and I've got this plan
Let's go, right now
Come meet me in the sky I'll be waiting for you
And we can't hear what they say
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon
Sing, sing along, along any song you want to
Now we're so high, it can't rain
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
Shake it, sha-shake it, shake it now
Gimme, gi-gimme, gimme some
Sailing sa-sailing through the clouds
Trippin' trip trip it now
Shake it, sha-shake it, shake it now
Gimme, gi-gimme, gimme some
Sailing sa-sailing through the clouds
Trippin' trip trip it now
Come meet me in the sky I'll be waiting for you
And we can't hear what they say
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon
Sing, sing along along any song you want to
Now we're so high it can't rain
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
Come meet me in this
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
Come meet me in this
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
The lyrics of "Hot Air Balloon" by Various Artists paints a picture of a person who is feeling trapped and bored in their everyday life and wants to escape their mundane routine. Through the use of the metaphor of a hot air balloon, the person imagines themselves soaring above their problems and floating away to a place where they can be free.
The song begins with the person feeling disoriented, unsure of their location, and recalling a childhood memory. They express their confusion and desire for understanding, wondering what will happen if they take a chance and go through the door.
As the song progresses, the person becomes more determined to escape their mundane life, and they ask the listener to join them on their adventure in the sky. They glorify the freedom and escape that comes with being high up in a hot air balloon, singing, "And we can't hear what they say, Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)."
The lyrics also allude to the pressures of fame as they mention struggling with the expectations and comparisons to famous artists like Kurt Cobain and Elvis Presley. The song ends with the person excitedly inviting the listener to take off with them, promising a journey filled with freedom and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody remind me where I am
The singer is disoriented and unsure of their current location.
Miami or Timbuktu?
The singer is unsure if they are in Miami or Timbuktu.
Did I ever tell you my uncle's monkey ran away from the zoo?
The singer is randomly sharing a personal anecdote about their uncle's monkey running away from the zoo.
Would you tell me what this all means?
The artist is seeking clarification on their current situation.
What happens if I go through that door?
The artist is curious about the outcome of going through a nearby door.
'Cause I'm looking up at the ceiling, but it's turning into the floor
The singer is experiencing a disorienting sensation, causing the ceiling to appear as the floor.
When I'm bored, I, kinda drift away,
The singer tends to mentally drift away when they are bored.
I'm not sure, quite, why we work all day
The artist questions why people have to work all day.
I've been thinking, and I've got this plan
The artist has come up with a plan.
Let's go, right now
The artist is ready to put their plan into action and leave immediately.
Come meet me in the sky I'll be waiting for you
The singer wants someone to join them in the sky.
And we can't hear what they say
The artist anticipates being above everyone else's noise and not being able to hear them.
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
The singer is emphasizing the concept of being high up in the sky in their air balloon.
Sing, sing along, along any song you want to
The singer invites others to sing along to any song they choose.
Now we're so high, it can't rain
The singer is so high up in the sky that it is not possible for it to rain.
I don't like dropping names but Kurt Cobain is all in my face
The artist is reluctant to name-drop, but is bothered by the presence of Kurt Cobain, either literally or metaphorically.
How the hell am I gonna tell him Elvis already took first base?
The artist is reluctant to have this confrontation and may be referencing a creative experience where they feel outdone.
In and out of the blue this cruise is losing altitude, all we need
The singer is experiencing a sudden dip in the height of their air balloon.
Is a little more elevation, take me back to where I can breathe
The singer is hoping for the air balloon to rise again, as they are feeling uncomfortable.
Shake it, sha-shake it, shake it now
The artist is encouraging others to shake something.
Gimme, gi-gimme, gimme some
The artist is requesting something from others.
Sailing sa-sailing through the clouds
The artist is describing the sensation of drifting through the sky.
Trippin' trip trip it now
The singer is encouraging others to trip or dance with them during their sky voyage.
Come meet me in this
The artist is urging someone to join them in the air balloon.
Up in my air balloon, air balloon, air balloon (ha)
The singer is using the hook of the song to reference their high altitude, emphasizing their excitement for being up there.
Contributed by Dylan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.