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.
Inside Out
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But look inside
You'll find a pearl
The man who otherwise is unpresuming
May share the same blood
As an earl
Do not dismiss so of an off position
I've no doubt
The world would be in awfully good condition
If we could all live
Inside out
Though belladonna is my favourite flower
I love its shape
And its perfume
You'd likely join the angels in an hour
Should you ingest
Its rather deadly bloom
The man who seems a paragon of virtue
May be a scoundrel
Better versed in sin
There may be many fewer who could hurt you
If we could all live
Outside in
And everyone you'd meet
On any London street
If they be sweet or horrid
It would show
I would be overjoyed
The hearty guide avoid
If I could look at you
And know
And when I meet the man for whom I'm fated
I'll know the one I've waited for is he
For he will find these wealthy trappings overrated
And he will see what no one sees in me
A girl who reads the classics a(aaaaaaaa)nd the sonnets
Who needs no folderol, it'll fill her cup
A girl who thinks a bit beyond her bonnets
He'll be of gentle heart
And good renown
He'll be the most admired man in town
He'll take a world that's mostly upside down
And turn it right side up
If we lived inside out
Or even outside in
The change in how we see would be immense
If we lived right side left
Or even left side right
Back side front
Or front side back
Would shed a better light
Black might just be white
Day might just be night
If we knew the truth about each other on sight
The world might just make sense
Last Update: June, 11th 2014
The lyrics of "Inside Out" by Various Artists are about the importance of not judging people solely based on their appearances or outward behavior. The opening verse compares an oyster shell to a person who may seem unremarkable on the surface, but may have hidden depths and talents. The second verse similarly warns against trusting appearances, using the example of the beautiful but deadly belladonna flower. The chorus then proposes that if everyone could live "inside out," or have their inner selves be more visible, a more compassionate and just world could exist.
The final verse of the song describes the singer's ideal partner as someone who sees beyond material wealth and traditional appearances, and who values intelligence and thoughtfulness. The overall message of the song is that if we were able to see each other's true selves more clearly, without the masks we wear in public, the world would be a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
An oyster shell itself is unassuming
The outside appearance of something can be deceptive
But look inside
Take a closer look
You'll find a pearl
There is beauty or value hidden inside
The man who otherwise is unpresuming
Someone who appears ordinary or unimportant
May share the same blood
Is related to someone of higher status
As an earl
Someone of noble birth or high rank
Do not dismiss so of an off position
Do not underestimate someone just because they seem different
She can be tenderhearted
She has the capacity for kindness
I've no doubt
I am certain
The world would be in awfully good condition
If everyone was kind and compassionate
If we could all live
Imagine a world where everyone behaved a certain way
Inside out
Where people's true nature is on display
Though belladonna is my favourite flower
Even things that are beautiful can be dangerous
I love its shape
I appreciate its appearance
And its perfume
And its fragrance
You'd likely join the angels in an hour
It is deadly
Should you ingest
If you ingest it
Its rather deadly bloom
Its poisonous flower
The man who seems a paragon of virtue
Someone who appears to be very moral
May be a scoundrel
Might be a dishonest person
Better versed in sin
More knowledgeable or experienced in bad behavior
There may be many fewer who could hurt you
If more people were honest and trustworthy
If we could all live
Imagine a world where everyone behaved a certain way
Outside in
Where people's true nature is hidden
And everyone you'd meet
In a hypothetical scenario
On any London street
In the city of London
If they be sweet or horrid
Whether they are nice or unpleasant
It would show
It would be obvious
I would be overjoyed
I would be very happy
The hearty guide avoid
I would avoid the person who seems superficially friendly
If I could look at you
In this hypothetical scenario
And know
And be certain
And when I meet the man for whom I'm fated
When I meet the person I am meant to be with
I'll know the one I've waited for is he
I will recognize my soulmate
For he will find these wealthy trappings overrated
He will not be impressed by material possessions
And he will see what no one sees in me
He will appreciate me for who I am
A girl who reads the classics a(aaaaaaaa)nd the sonnets
Someone who is well-read and educated
Who needs no folderol, it'll fill her cup
Does not require frivolous things to be happy
A girl who thinks a bit beyond her bonnets
Someone who is intelligent and thoughtful
He'll be of gentle heart
He will be kind and compassionate
And good renown
And well-regarded by others
He'll be the most admired man in town
People will look up to him
He'll take a world that's mostly upside down
He will try to make things better
And turn it right side up
And set things straight
The change in how we see would be immense
If we could see things from a different perspective
If we lived right side left
If things were completely different
Or even left side right
Or the opposite of what we are used to
Back side front
Looking at things from a different angle
Or front side back
Or seeing things in reverse
Would shed a better light
Would give us a better understanding
Black might just be white
Our perceptions might be completely wrong
Day might just be night
Our understanding of things might be completely different
If we knew the truth about each other on sight
If we could see people for who they really are
The world might just make sense
We would have a better understanding of the world around us
Contributed by Claire I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dianna Diatz
I have been a commercial illustrator/photographer, fine artist, performing artist, and worked in a wide variety of different mediums. I used to think I wasn't a "successful" artist, because I would do mundane administrative temp jobs, as well as freelance art work, so I could pursue my art.
Now, I know that many artists teach or find alternate ways of earning money. I have always had many ideas and projects to pursue. As a youthful senior, I am working on ink illustrations for a fractured fairy tale I have written. I am not sure whether I will self-publish it, or send it to publishers for consideration, but it is a goal I am working on nearly every day.
I've always been interested in "outsider art." The Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is a fantastic place to visit. It is always inspiring to me to see how different minds perceive "reality" and use their imagination.
It is fascinating to see the different centers where people with mental challenges can create art around the world.
What a fascinating and inspiring film!
suno lili
the fact that the last artist portrays what he wants his life to be and not what he sees: a world full of peace and quiet where he can be healthy and thrive with his family - something so simple and mundane for a lot of people, but unachievable for him, is heartbreaking. you know all the joy in his art is just a dream for him
manu
I found it very relatable. I think I do the exact same thing. I draw characters I want to meet some day and I draw myself how I want to look, but not how I actually look. This is probably relatable for most artists nowadays.
Cosmic Klutz
Everyone needs to see this. Not just artists, everyone. It's a lesson in the vastness of human capability and a genuinely beautiful experience
Mayor of the Galaxy
DuBuffet was right. These artists are probably sometimes closer to "raw" imagination. Inhibited, uncensored, unrestrained imagination. As an artist, I find myself rather conservative and restrained by comparison. Truly enlightening documentary and a real food for thought.
Voyageur
Yes I immediately thought of Art Brut.
Mayor of the Galaxy
@Voyageur Tout à fait! That was my immediate reaction as well.
Yom Bristol
i too am restrained by comparison
Sophie
You read a lot about these artists and see their work but it’s really nice to actually watch them create and talk about their art. You get to see how much joy it brings them and how much passion they have for it.
Lunaria G
This is a fantastic documentary. But in it, I notice several people express a dichotomy between artists 'compelled' to create and ones who 'do it for money'. As an artist I am sickened if I don't create; I AM compelled; but I also have to eat and pay rent and buy a minimum of supplies. Not every artist has someone caring for their needs. There comes a point where you are forced to make it into a 'business' to some extent or you may not be able to sustain it at all. I bet countless gifted, natural artists ended up unable to create because they didn't manage to make it work and they didn't have family or support to fall back on. I find the common 'mythos' that artists who don't earn money/fame are somehow truer than the ones who yearn to make a living is really detrimental to all of them. Artists are all humans first and have the exact same basic needs as others. Inspiration IS magical and yet does not feed us or pay bills.
Divertissement Monas
What you speak of is actually the myth created by the cultural movement of Romanticism. This movement which began in the late 18th century has shaped the way we think about art and the artist. "Value" was placed on qualities such as imagination, creativity, spontaneity, originality and self-expression. Later on more stress was placed in the artists commitment to his own vision. Then of course what followed was his (never female) alienation from society, his melancholy and madness associated to his 'genius'. He became the 'outsider' and his fate is to die a martyr to art…
Three examples of artists appropriating this identity:- Delacroix's "Tasso in the Hospital of Saint Anna, Ferrara" (1874) and James Barry's "Self-Portrait as Timanthes, head" (1790). Also Francisco Goya's "Yard with Lunatics" (1794).
What makes it so powerful where even in todays society people still subscribe to it, is its representation of personal autonomy and creative fulfilment which is elusive to everybody… not just artists.
Learnt this in Art History...