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.
Lady Madonna
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tear the rags away they bind me
Stare me down and cut me deeply to the bone
Give me every tooth and blind me
You are Madonna, you Lady Divine
You are part Mother Theresa and a valentine
Some man's pariah and a slippery slope
But to me you are the fire and I fly to my hope
In faded photo albums lying open on the floor
She heals me with a Nikon camera captured laugh
And with a wink she sets me free forever more
So consume me now and burn me to the marrow
Heat me up like the world can never do
Tear my heart out from my body if you have to and
Then swallow me to prove that I am you
You are Madonna, you are lady divine
You are part Mother Theresa and a valentine
Some man's pariah and a slippery slope
But to me you are the fire and I fly to my-
You are Madonna
You're lady divine
You are part Mother Theresa and a valentine
Some man's pariah and a slippery slope
But to me you are the fire and I fly to my…
I will fly away
I'll fly
I will take these wings and fly away
I'll take these
I'll take these wings and fly away.
These lyrics seem to be expressing a desire to be liberated from the constraints that are holding the singer back. They are looking for someone, most likely a lover, to come and set them free. The imagery used in the lyrics is fairly violent, with the singer asking to be torn apart and consumed, but this seems to be in service of the desire to be fully immersed in this person, to be fused with them. The line "You are Madonna, you Lady Divine" suggests that the person being addressed has a holy quality to them, perhaps even a motherly one, but is also seen as someone who is dangerous or controversial ( "Some man's pariah and a slippery slope" ).
The singer also mentions their own mother, who is described as offering up "lessons from the past" through old photo albums, and who seems to be a source of comfort and healing - "She heals me with a Nikon camera captured laugh." It's possible that this is tied into the idea of seeking refuge and protection in another person, but it's not entirely clear. The final lines seem to be about flying away, escaping from whatever has been binding them, and perhaps becoming something new in the process - something that is connected to the person being addressed.
Overall, this song seems to be a mix of desire and fear, longing for connection with someone who is seen as powerful and transformative, but also acknowledging the challenges and risks that come with giving oneself over so completely to another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Lover come and set me free from my restrain
Addressing a loved one to come and free them from the figurative chains that bind them
Tear the rags away they bind me
Asking the loved one to help them shed their old, tattered self
Stare me down and cut me deeply to the bone
Requesting the loved one to be honest and criticize them severely
Give me every tooth and blind me
Asking for complete honesty, even if it hurts and blinds them
You are Madonna, you Lady Divine
Comparing the loved one to the Virgin Mary and a goddess
You are part Mother Theresa and a valentine
Drawing comparisons to the iconic saint and a symbol of love
Some man's pariah and a slippery slope
Acknowledging that society may see them as an outcast and a difficult partner
But to me you are the fire and I fly to my hope
Emphasizing that to the artist, their loved one is the source of inspiration and a beacon of hope
Mother teaching me now lessons from the past
Reflecting on the wisdom passed down to them from their maternal figure
In faded photo albums lying open on the floor
Visualizing memories preserved in old photographs scattered on the ground
She heals me with a Nikon camera captured laugh
Imagining the restorative power of seeing their mother's laughter recorded on film
And with a wink she sets me free forever more
Suggesting that their mother's knowing look gave them permission to move on with their life
So consume me now and burn me to the marrow
Requesting the loved one to take them over completely and passionately
Heat me up like the world can never do
Asking for a level of passion and intensity that can't be matched in the world
Tear my heart out from my body if you have to and
Insisting that the loved one can take them to extremes, even to the point of emotional harm
Then swallow me to prove that I am you
Asking to be completely absorbed and united with their loved one
I will fly away
Declaring their intention to break free and fly away
I'll take these wings and fly away
Metaphorically referring to their newfound independence and freedom
Contributed by Lillian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RockNRollStar504
Lyrics
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who finds the money when you pay the rent?
Did you think that money was heaven sent?
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlace
See how they run
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
See how they run
Lady Madonna lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night your stockings needed mending
See how they run
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
@ZalejoZ
Lyrics :D ─
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who finds the money? When you pay the rent?
Did you think that money was Heaven sent?
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creep in like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlace
See how they run
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonder how you manage to feed the rest
See how they run
Lady Madonna, lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
Tuesday afternoon is never ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night you stockings needed mending
See how they run
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
@strathman7501
Where did you get "John's surrealistic lyrics" from? He certainly didn't write the lyrics. He may have offered a word or suggestion here or there, but the evidence even for that is poor.
In 1972 "Lennon attributed Lady Madonna directly to Paul McCartney . . . with no comment." (Hit Parader 1972)
Eight years later he can't remember so well. Asked by Sheff who wrote it he said flatly, “Paul." But then he adds "maybe I helped him on some of the lyrics," but he seems to be just guessing. "I'm not proud of them either way," he said. (All We Are Saying)
In Many Years From Now, Paul said "'Lady Madonna' was me", mentioning no input from John.
In "McCartney 3,2,1," Paul says that he wrote the song at home (7 Cavendish Ave, St. Johns Wood) with no mention of John.
That's corroborated by Ringo's comment back in 1968 that Paul brought it into the studio finished: "I couldn't really say what the lyrics mean, because only Paul knew what he had in his mind. Paul composed the song at home." (Beatlesebooks)
I can't find any source that adds any meat to John's very vague "maybe I helped" from 1980.
@RCCola339
I like that they're pretty obviously not playing Lady Madonna
@KimSenior
Right! It’s Hey Bulldog.
@diogo_barros
Hey Bulldog
@pemo2676
@@diogo_barros Looking through, you can clearly see them say the lyrics/screaming
@thedrummerpro6455
Um
@thedrummerpro6455
It’s nicsterv
@Sam-nl8ie
Fun Fact: in this record they are actually playing Hey
Bulldog instead of Lady Madonna
@fergalhughes165
And in the video for Hey Bulldog, they are actually playing I Am The Walrus
@carterthacker5837
@@fergalhughes165 and in the walrus video they're actually playing Hey Jude!
@accam6734
And in the Hey Jude video they are actually
playing It’s Now Or Never.