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.
Sadness
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just wingin' over things,
And nothing deep inside
Nothing goin' goin' wild in you, you know,
You're slowin' by the riverside
Or floatin', high and blue
Or maybe, cool to be a little summer wind
And then away again
With the taste of dust in your mouth all day
But no need to know
Like sadness, you just sail away
'Cause you know
I don't do sadness
Not even a little bit
Just don't need it in my life
Don't want any part of it
I don't do sadness
Hey, I've done my time
Lookin' back on it all
Man, it blows my mind
I don't do sadness
So been there
Don't do sadness
Just don't care
[Ilse (spoken)] Moritz Stiefel?
[Moritz (spoken)] Ilse? You frightened me.
[Ilse (spoken)] What are you looking for?
[Moritz (spoken)] If only I knew.
[Ilse (spoken)] Then what's the use of looking?
I'm on the way home. Want to come?
[Moritz (spoken)] I don't know.
[Ilse (spoken)] God. You remember how we used to run back to my house and play pirates?
Wendla Bergman, Melchior Gabor, you, and I?
[Ilse] Spring and summer ev'ry other day
Blue wind gets so sad
Blowin' through the thick corn,
Through the bales of hay,
Through the open books on the grass
Spring and summer
Sure, when it's autumn
Wind always wants to
Creep up and haunt you
Whistlin' it's got you
With its heartache, with its sorrow
Winter wind sings and it cries
Spring and summer ev'ry other day
Blue wind gets so pained
Blowin' through the thick corn,
Through the bales of hay,
Through the sudden drift of the rain
Spring and summer
[Moritz (spoken)] Actually, I'd better go.
[Ilse (spoken)] Walk as far as my house with me.
[Moritz (spoken)] I wish I could.
[Ilse (spoken)] Then why don't you.
[Moritz (spoken)] 80 lines of virgil, 16 equations, a paper on the Hopsborks.
[Moritz] So maybe, I should be some kind of laundry line
Hang their things on me
And I will swing 'em dry
You just wave in the sun through the afternoon
And then see
They come to set you free
Beneath the risin' moon.
SUNG IN COUNTERPART
[Moritz] 'Cause you know
I don't do sadness
Not even a little bit
Just don't need it in my life
Don't want any part of it
I don't do sadness
Hey, I've done my time
Lookin' back on it all
Man, it blows my mind
I don't do sadness
So been there
Don't do sadness
Just don't care.
[Ilse] Spring and summer ev'ry other day
Blue wind gets so lost
Blowin' through the thick corn,
Through the bales of hay
Spring and summer ev'ry other day
Blue wind gets so lost
Blowin' through the thick corn,
Through the bales of hay,
Through the wandering clouds of the dust
Spring and summer
The lyrics to "Sadness" by Various Artists explore the different ways people deal with sadness. The song starts with Moritz expressing how it would be nice to be a carefree butterfly, with nothing deep inside and no worries. He, later on, says he's had his fill of sadness and doesn't want any part of it, reflecting on the time he's spent being sad.
Ilse, on the other hand, talks about the sadness that comes with the changing seasons. She sings about the blue wind getting lost, blowing through thick corn and bales of hay, and the wandering clouds of dust, bringing back memories of spring and summer.
The two characters, who meet briefly in the middle of the song, seem to be on different pages when it comes to sadness. Moritz is trying to avoid it, while Ilse is willing to acknowledge it and let it happen. The song ends on a harmonious note with both characters singing about the blue wind and the changing seasons, perhaps drawing the parallel between the inevitability of change and sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
Awful sweet, to be a little butterfly
It would be wonderful to have no worries like a butterfly, just fluttering around with no deep thoughts.
Just wingin' over things,
Not going too deep, just skimming the surface.
And nothing deep inside
No profound feelings or emotions to weigh you down.
Nothing goin' goin' wild in you, you know,
No intense emotions bubbling up, just a calm and peaceful state of mind.
You're slowin' by the riverside
Just taking it easy, enjoying the moment instead of rushing through life.
Or floatin', high and blue
A feeling of lightness and happiness, floating on with the wind.
Or maybe, cool to be a little summer wind
It would be nice to be carefree like the wind, blowing wherever it pleases.
Like once through ev'rything
Experiencing everything without attachment or worry, like a gust of wind passing through.
And then away again
Not staying in one place or feeling weighed down by anything.
With the taste of dust in your mouth all day
The freedom to taste life's experiences without any negative consequences.
But no need to know
No need to overthink or analyze anything, just experience it.
Like sadness, you just sail away
Like sadness, let everything go and just move on with life.
'Cause you know
Because it's a known fact.
I don't do sadness
I don't allow sadness in my life, I avoid it at all costs.
Not even a little bit
Not even the slightest amount of sadness is allowed to creep in.
Just don't need it in my life
Sadness is seen as unnecessary and unwanted.
Don't want any part of it
Sadness is avoided completely, there's no room for it in their life.
Hey, I've done my time
They've experienced sadness before in their life, but they've moved on from it.
Lookin' back on it all
Reflecting on past experiences with sadness.
Man, it blows my mind
It's surprising to think about how much sadness they've experienced before.
So been there
They're done with sadness, they don't want to experience it again.
Just don't care.
They don't care about sadness anymore, it's not a part of their life.
Spring and summer ev'ry other day
The changing of the seasons, going from spring to summer and back again.
Blue wind gets so sad
The wind can sometimes have a melancholy feeling to it, especially during the warmer months.
Blowin' through the thick corn,
The wind blowing through the cornfields during the summer.
Through the bales of hay,
The wind blowing through the hay bales on a farm.
Through the open books on the grass
The wind gently turning the pages of an open book lying on the grass.
Sure, when it's autumn
During the fall season.
Wind always wants to
The wind has a desire to do something.
Creep up and haunt you
The wind can have a creepy or eerie feeling to it during autumn.
Whistlin' it's got you
The wind making whistling sounds that give a spookier feeling.
With its heartache, with its sorrow
The wind carrying feelings of sadness, heartache, and sorrow during the chilly autumn days.
Winter wind sings and it cries
The wind during winter can sometimes be unsettling, carrying a feeling of sadness and crying out loud.
Blue wind gets so pained
The wind can sometimes feel painful, especially during the warmer months.
Through the sudden drift of the rain
The wind blowing the raindrops in a haphazard manner.
So maybe, I should be some kind of laundry line
Perhaps it would be better to be a laundry line, just holding onto things and not worrying about anything.
Hang their things on me
Allowing things to hang on them without any attachment or emotions involved.
And I will swing 'em dry
Just go with the flow and let everything work itself out.
You just wave in the sun through the afternoon
Enjoying the warmth of the sun and the happiness that it brings.
And then see
Witnessing everything that happens around them, but not getting too involved.
They come to set you free
Letting go of all attachments and allowing life to take its course.
Beneath the risin' moon.
Everything is happening under the watchful eye of the moon.
Spring and summer ev'ry other day
The changing of the seasons, from spring to summer and back again.
Blue wind gets so lost
The wind can sometimes feel aimless or uncertain, especially during the warmer months.
Through the wandering clouds of the dust
The wind blowing dust around in a dreamy and wandering way.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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