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.
Misery
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
So scared of breaking it
That you won't let it bend
And I wrote two hundred letters
Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem
You'd rather cover up
I'd rather let them bleed
So let me be
And I'll set you free (Oh yeah)
I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)
Girl, you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
Your salty skin and how
It mixes in with mine
The way it feels to be
Completely intertwined
Not that I didn't care
It's that I didn't know
It's not what I didn't feel,
It's what I didn't show
So let me be
And I'll set you free
I am in misery
And there ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)
Girl, you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
You say your faith is shaken
And you may be mistaken
To keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun
I'm desperate and confused
So far away from you
I'm getting there, I don't care where I have to run
Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?
Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah?
Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?
Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah?
I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
The song "Misery" by Various Artists is a powerful ballad that explores the distress and helplessness one feels when a relationship goes sour. The lyrics speak to the fear of being vulnerable and getting hurt, so much so that one tries to protect themselves by not bending. The image of writing two hundred letters that will never be sent shows that the pain is so deep that it cannot be expressed through conventional means. The singer is bleeding emotionally and would rather let it all out than cover up the wounds. The expression "let me be and I'll set you free" could suggest that the main character is willing to let go of the relationship if it means they can heal and move on.
The chorus repeats how the singer is in misery and nobody can comfort them, with the silence from the other person slowly killing them. The imagery of the salty skin and being completely intertwined suggests that the relationship was intense and passionate while it lasted. The singer admits that they cared but didn't show it, and that they didn't know how deep their feelings went until it was too late. The bridge acknowledges that the singer is desperate and confused and that they don't care where they have to run to get away from the pain. The song's powerful finale repeats the chorus and suggests that the singer will take revenge or at least find a way to get their partner back.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
Expressing affirmation and enthusiasm towards the situation being discussed.
So scared of breaking it
That you won't let it bend
You're afraid of facing change or uncertainty and refuse to let things develop naturally.
And I wrote two hundred letters
I will never send
You have contemplated expressing your feelings multiple times but didn't end up doing it.
Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem
You'd rather cover up
I'd rather let them bleed
Painful experiences might affect you more than it appears, and you prefer to ignore them while the artist believes in dealing with them.
So let me be
And I'll set you free (Oh yeah)
Give me my space, and I will release you from my expectations and desires.
I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)
The singer is in a state of deep distress and sadness, and there's no one to ease their pain or console them.
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)
The absence of response from the person you're talking to is causing you great discomfort and harming your mental being.
Girl, you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
You caused me a lot of pain, and it's time for me to reciprocate it and hurt you as well.
Your salty skin and how
It mixes in with mine
The way it feels to be
Completely intertwined
The sensation of two people merging and blending together to become a single entity and create a unique sensation.
Not that I didn't care
It's that I didn't know
It's not what I didn't feel,
It's what I didn't show
It's not that I didn't have feelings towards you, but my lack of knowledge around expressing and communicating how I felt was the issue.
You say your faith is shaken
And you may be mistaken
To keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun
You might have lost hope and are unsure if waiting for a resolution and a better change is worth it or not, causing the singer to remain restless but hopeful.
I'm desperate and confused
So far away from you
I'm getting there, I don't care where I have to run
The artist is in a state of panic and doesn't mind taking drastic or unstable measures to reach and connect with you.
Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?
Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah?
Questioning the reasons behind your behaviour towards the singer and desperately seeking a response and a solution.
I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)
Reiterating the overwhelming sense of sadness and loneliness accompanied by the lack of response, leading to despair and desperation.
Contributed by Elliot S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.