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.
I Need Your Love
Various Artists Lyrics
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From California to the New York island
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and Me
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond desert
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting
This land was made for you and me
As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing"
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people
By the relief office I seen my people
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking that freedom highway
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me
With my family on the right hand side
And your family on the left
We got married in a single bed
We sang shaker hymns
When your warhorse grandfather had sung
The whole damn Song of Solomon
We toasted health in the front room
We whiled away the afternoon
Ma fleur struck down with sickness
The young medicine man's got his face in a book
There's more bottles than the trees in green England
Not one of them will do my love no good
In the morning I'm light
But in the evening I'm heavy now
Try as I might I just can't keep it steady now
My love
The lyrics of "This Land Is Your Land" by Various Artists is a patriotic song celebrating the beauty and diversity of America. The song was written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 as a response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," which Guthrie felt was too sentimental and unrealistic. Guthrie's song speaks about the land belonging to all Americans, regardless of their race, religion, or socioeconomic status. The song reflects the spirit of the times and the struggles of poor people during the Great Depression.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song by emphasizing the vastness and variety of American landscapes. From California to the New York island, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters, this land is made for all of us. The second verse describes Guthrie's own travels throughout America and his admiration for its natural beauty. He also hears a voice that seems to echo his own feelings that this land is made for him and for everyone, not just the privileged few.
The third and fourth verses talk about the contradictions in America. On the one hand, there are signs of prosperity and abundance like the wheat fields waving and the diamond desert, but on the other hand, there are signs of poverty, hunger, and injustice, such as the "No Trespassing" sign and the people standing in line at the relief office. Despite these contradictions, Guthrie remains hopeful and asserts that nobody can stop him or make him turn back from his journey on the freedom highway.
Line by Line Meaning
This land is your land This land is my land
This land belongs to all of us
From California to the New York island
This land spans across the entire United States
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land encompasses a variety of different natural environments
This land was made for you and Me
This land was created for all people to enjoy
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
As I journeyed along the road
I saw above me that endless skyway
I looked up and saw the vast sky above me
I saw below me that golden valley
I looked down and saw the beautiful valley beneath me
This land was made for you and me
This land was created for all people to enjoy
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
I've traveled far and wide and retraced my path
To the sparkling sands of her diamond desert
To the sparkling desert filled with diamonds
And all around me a voice was sounding
I heard a voice all around me
This land was made for you and me
This land was created for all people to enjoy
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
On a sunny day, I was leisurely walking
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
The wheat fields were swaying and dust clouds were moving
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting
As the fog cleared, a voice was singing
This land was made for you and me
This land was created for all people to enjoy
As I went walking I saw a sign there
While I was walking, I saw a sign
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing"
The sign stated that trespassing was prohibited
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
However, the other side of the sign was blank
That side was made for you and me
That land was meant for everyone to enjoy, despite what the sign said
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people
I saw my fellow community members near the church
By the relief office I seen my people
I observed my people lining up for aid
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
As they waited there hungry, I wondered to myself
Is this land made for you and me?
Is this land truly for everyone to enjoy, or only a select few?
Nobody living can ever stop me
No one can stop me from traveling and exploring
As I go walking that freedom highway
As I walk along the open road of freedom
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
No one can force me to turn back on my path
This land was made for you and me
This land was created for all people to enjoy
With my family on the right hand side
With my family on one side of me
And your family on the left
And your family on the other side
We got married in a single bed
We got married without much to our name
We sang shaker hymns
We sang religious songs in the Shaker style
When your warhorse grandfather had sung
Your brave and experienced grandfather sang
The whole damn Song of Solomon
He sang the entire Song of Solomon
We toasted health in the front room
We raised a toast to our health in the living room
We whiled away the afternoon
We passed the time together
Ma fleur struck down with sickness
My loved one, Ma Fleur, fell ill
The young medicine man's got his face in a book
A young medicine man is studying to heal her
There's more bottles than the trees in green England
There are many medicine bottles that are being used to treat her
Not one of them will do my love no good
None of them are helping my loved one recover
In the morning I'm light
I feel light and carefree in the morning
But in the evening I'm heavy now
But as the day goes on, I feel weighed down and troubled
Try as I might I just can't keep it steady now
Despite my efforts, I can't seem to regain my composure now
My love
My beloved partner
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Woody Guthrie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind