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.
Magic Carpet Ride
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Any place it goes is right
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away
Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked around, a lousy candle's all I found
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away
The opening lines of "Magic Carpet Ride" set the stage for a dreamlike experience that takes place in the space between reality and imagination. The singer tells us that they like to dream "between" their "sound machine," which could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a literal reference to a stereo or other music device, or a metaphor for the mind as the "sound machine" that can conjure up images and sensations. From this place, the singer describes floating on a "cloud of sound" and traveling to any place they desire. The refrain of the song urges someone else to come along on the journey and share their own dreams, suggesting that the experiences they will have are not limited to the singer's own visions.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the fantasy world the singer is describing is not without its dangers. The reference to Aladdin's lamp suggests that they have encountered a magical entity before, but were not able to hold onto it. The fact that the lamp was taken away by someone else highlights the possibility of losing control of one's own desired outcomes. However, despite these potential pitfalls, the singer encourages the listener to let their fantasies guide them and trust that they will be set free.
Line by Line Meaning
I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine
I enjoy daydreaming, often while listening to music on my sound system.
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
I imagine myself floating through space and time on a soft, ethereal cloud of music.
Any place it goes is right
The music takes me on a journey without the need for a physical destination; any direction it goes is the right way.
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here
The music takes me to far-off places, sometimes beyond my wildest imaginations, yet still has the ability to be grounded and familiar, taking me back to my starting point.
Well, you don't know what we can find
There are an endless amount of possibilities that exist in the world that are yet undiscovered.
Why don't you come with me little girl
Join me on this journey and experience these new discoveries with me.
On a magic carpet ride
Let's embark on an exciting adventure and leave the real world behind, even if just for a little while.
You don't know what we can see
There are sights and experiences out there that are beyond our wildest dreams and imagination.
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Share your hopes, dreams, and experiences with me so we can explore this incredible world together.
Fantasy will set you free
By using our imaginations, we can escape the mundane reality of everyday life - even if just for a little while - and experience a sense of freedom and liberation.
Close your eyes girl
Forget about the outside world and focus on the experience at hand.
Look inside girl
Focus on your emotions, feelings, and imagination to truly experience this journey to the fullest.
Let the sound take you away
Lose yourself in the music and let it lead you on an incredible journey.
Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
I experienced a moment of incredible luck, just like in the story of Aladdin.
And so I wished that I could stay
I wanted to hold onto this magical moment and stay there forever.
Before the thing could answer me
Before I could receive an answer from the genie of the lamp, someone interrupted the moment, leaving me hanging.
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
My moment of incredible luck was fleeting and was taken away from me just as quickly as it appeared.
I looked around, a lousy candle's all I found
After losing the lamp, I realized that the magic had vanished and all that was left was something ordinary and unremarkable.
Writer(s): Rushton John Moreve, John Kay
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.