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.
If I Ain't Got You
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some people live just for the fame
Some people live for the power, yeah
Some people live just to play the game
Some people think that the physical things
Define what's within
And I've been there before but that life's a bore
Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, yeah
Some people search for a fountain
Promises forever young
Some people need three dozen roses
And that's the only way to prove you love them
And in a world on a silver platter
And wondering what it means
And no one to share
No one who truly cares for me
Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, you, you
Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you, yeah
If I ain't got you with me, baby
So nothing in this whole wide world
Don't mean a thing
If I ain't got you with me, baby
The lyrics of "If I Ain't Got You" by Various Artists highlight the idea that some people focus all their energy solely on materialistic things like money, fame, and power. However, the singer believes that these things are superficial and meaningless, and that true happiness and contentment can only be found through love and genuine connection with another person. The song puts emphasis on the idea that material possessions cannot bring true happiness, but just make one feel momentarily satisfied. By stating that "some people want it all, but I don't want nothing at all if it ain't you, baby," the singer implies that only the presence of that special person would make everything worth living for.
Throughout the song, the artist acknowledges the societal pressure to conform to worldly possessions and standards. The lyrics “some people think that the physical things define what's within” implies society values people based on what they own rather than their character. The song also portrays the idea that love cannot be bought, while some people wish to be reassured of someone's love by getting them expensive gifts such as three dozen roses and diamond rings, the singer believes love cannot be bought, and the presence of the special someone is what really matters.
Overall, "If I Ain't Got You" is a song that celebrates the value of true love while criticizing the superficial world in which we live. It encourages people to not lose track of what really makes life worth living- relationships and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people live for the fortune
Some people are driven by money
Some people live just for the fame
Some people crave fame and attention
Some people live for the power, yeah
Some people are motivated by power and control
Some people live just to play the game
Some people are willing to do whatever it takes to win
Some people think that the physical things
Some people believe that material possessions define their worth
Define what's within
They believe their external possessions reflect their internal qualities
And I've been there before but that life's a bore
The singer has experienced that life but found it unfulfilling
So full of the superficial
The life driven by materialism is shallow
Some people want it all
Some people desire everything they can possibly obtain
But I don't want nothing at all
The artist does not want anything else but love
If it ain't you, baby
If the person they love is not present, nothing else matters
Some people want diamond rings
Some people possess lavish desires, such as expensive jewelry
Some just want everything
Some people desire having everything, be it material or immaterial
But everything means nothing
Everything is meaningless without love
If I ain't got you, yeah
In the absence of the person they love, everything is meaningless
Some people search for a fountain
Some people pursue eternal youth or immortality
Promises forever young
They seek promises of staying young forever
Some people need three dozen roses
Some people believe that material gifts act as proof of love
And that's the only way to prove you love them
They rely solely on material possessions as symbols of love
And in a world on a silver platter
In a world where everything is handed to them on a plate
And wondering what it means
They question the value of life when everything is given to them
And no one to share
In spite of everything, they still feel alone
No one who truly cares for me
No one who genuinely loves them
If I ain't got you, you, you
The person they love is the most valuable thing to them
If I ain't got you with me, baby
The absence of the person they love renders everything meaningless
So nothing in this whole wide world
Nothing else has any value in comparison to love
Don't mean a thing
Nothing else matters
If I ain't got you with me, baby
The presence of the person they love makes everything worthwhile
Contributed by Alexander W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.