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.
Promises
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mind if you just keep on
Rowing away on a distant sea,
'Cause I don't love you and you don't love me.
You cause a commotion when you come to town;
You give 'em a smile and they melt.
Having lovers and friends is all good and fine,
La la, la la la la la.
La la, la la la la la
I don't care what you do at night,
Oh, and I don't care how you get your delights.
I'm gonna leave you alone, I'll just let it be,
I don't love you and you don't love me.
I got a problem. Can you relate?
I got a woman calling love hate
We made a vow we'd always be friends.
How could we know that promises end?
La la, la la la la la.
La la, la la la la la
I tried to love you for years upon years,
You refuse to take me for real.
It's time you saw what I want you to see,
And I'd still love you if you'd just love me.
I got a problem. Can you relate?
I got a woman calling love hate
We made a vow we'd always be friends.
How could we know that promises end?
La la, la la la la la
La la, la la la la la
La la, la la la la la
La la, la la la la la
The lyrics of Various Artists' song "Promises" depict a troubled relationship between two individuals who no longer love each other. The singer expresses his/her indifference to their partner's actions, stating that he/she does not care if the partner never comes home or leaves on a distant sea. The singer also mentions disliking the partner's friends and lovers. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "La la" four times each time, serving as a transition between each verse.
The second verse introduces the partner's perspective, revealing that sheperceives the relationship as a problem, with the singer being called a love-hate relationship. The two have made a vow to remain friends, but the singer believes promises end. The final verse shows the singer pleading to be loved by the partner and offering unconditional love in return.
The song's lyrics, combined with the catchy melody and background vocals, make it a classic soft rock hit. It speaks to people in uncertain relationships, those who are tired of unrequited love, and those frustrated with promises that lead to disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't care if you never come home,
Your absence doesn't affect me as much as you think it does.
I don't mind if you just keep on Rowing away on a distant sea,
You can leave and live your life elsewhere far away from me, and I won't be bothered by it.
'Cause I don't love you and you don't love me.
Our relationship is devoid of love, and that's the truth you need to accept.
You cause a commotion when you come to town;
Your presence attracts attention from others.
You give 'em a smile and they melt.
You have a charming personality that easily impresses people.
Having lovers and friends is all good and fine,
It's perfectly okay to have romantic and platonic relationships.
But I don't like yours and you don't like mine.
However, I don't have a good opinion of the people you associate with, and vice versa.
I don't care what you do at night,
I'm indifferent and unconcerned about your activities at night.
Oh, and I don't care how you get your delights.
I'm not interested in knowing how you find pleasure or satisfaction in life.
I'm gonna leave you alone, I'll just let it be,
I won't go out of my way to interact with you, and prefer to keep a distance.
I got a problem. Can you relate?
I'm going through a difficult phase, and I'm wondering if I'm not the only one in this situation.
I got a woman calling love hate
My partner is confusing and frustrating me by mixing love with hate.
We made a vow we'd always be friends.
We promised to remain friends forever.
How could we know that promises end?
But we didn't realize that even the strongest commitments eventually come to an end.
I tried to love you for years upon years,
I struggled to love you for a long time, for years and years.
You refuse to take me for real.
But you never took me seriously or acknowledged my love for you.
It's time you saw what I want you to see,
Now, it's time for you to realize and understand what I've been trying to tell you.
And I'd still love you if you'd just love me.
Despite everything, I am still capable of loving you unconditionally if only you reciprocate the same feeling.
Contributed by Katherine L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.