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.
Nobody Knows
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i was reading every line
yet somehow, i lost my place
in the book of life
was i lookin' after jesus?
was he lookin' after me?
before i found the answer lord
nobody knows
nobody sees,
till the light of life comes burnin'
till another soul goes free
nobody knows
nobody sees
till the light of life stops burnin'
till another soul goes free.
who is the giver?
and who shall receive?
who knows the answers?
who shall be free?
what is the question?
now, now where is the right?
who's gonna testify
for me when i die?
yeah
nobody knows.
nobody sees.
till the light of life stops burnin',
till another soul goes free.
The lyrics of "Nobody Knows" by Various Artists seems to be a reflection on life and the uncertainty that comes along with it. The song is about the search for answers to life's biggest questions and the struggle to find our place in the world. The opening lines, "my eyes were open, I was reading every line, yet somehow, I lost my place in the book of life" express the feeling of being lost despite one's best efforts to stay on track.
The lyrics then question the relationship between the singer and God; "was I lookin' after Jesus? Was he lookin' after me? Before I found the answer, Lord, we parted company." This suggests that despite the search for answers, there may not always be a clear connection or response from a higher power.
The chorus of the song, "nobody knows, nobody sees, till the light of life stops burnin', till another soul goes free" suggests that the answer to life's biggest questions is something that cannot be easily explained or even comprehended until one's life has ended.
Overall, the lyrics of "Nobody Knows" offer a deep reflection on the human experience and the search for meaning in life. It acknowledges the uncertainty that comes along with this search, but also suggests that there may be value in acknowledging this uncertainty and searching regardless.
Line by Line Meaning
my eyes were open
I was aware of my surroundings
i was reading every line
I was paying close attention
yet somehow, i lost my place
But I got lost in my journey
in the book of life
In the journey of life
was i lookin' after jesus?
Was I following His teachings?
was he lookin' after me?
Was He guiding me in my journey?
before i found the answer lord
Before I found my purpose in life
we parted company
I lost my way and stopped following Him
nobody knows
No one has all the answers
nobody sees,
No one can see the future
till the light of life comes burnin'
Until we experience the joys and sorrows of life
till another soul goes free
Until someone passes away
who is the giver?
Who provides us with what we need in life?
and who shall receive?
Who will benefit from what we give?
who knows the answers?
No one knows every answer to life's questions
who shall be free?
Who will achieve liberation from worldly desires?
what is the question?
What is the ultimate question we should be asking ourselves?
now, now where is the right?
Where is the right path to take now?
who's gonna testify
Who will speak on my behalf
for me when i die?
When I pass away
yeah
Expression of affirmation
till the light of life stops burnin'
Until our time on earth is over
till another soul goes free.
Until someone else passes away
Writer(s): Patrick Dahlheimer, Chad Alan Gracey, Edward Joel Kowalczyk, Chad David Taylor
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.