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.
Shake That Thing
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to get, feeling right
Low cut, tank top
Blue jeans, skin tight
9 o'clock, dance hall
Walkin in, struttin tall
Lookin so good
Boys scratchin on the 8 ball
Belly up to the bar
Cuervo, PBR
Flirtin with the bartender
Hey baby, no charge
Bands playin, my song
Gotta get my grove on
Ride sally, ride sally
Ride it all night long
If you got it, flaunt it
Make the cowboys want it
You gotta shake that thing,
Shake that thing,
Shake that thing,
Shake that thing,
Closing time, 2 o'clock
Party in the parkin lot
Dancin on a flat bed
Everybody's getting hot
Swinging on some wild cat
Bumpin old-school rap
Give that girl a brass pole
Where'd she learn to do that
If you got it, flaunt it
Make the cowboys want it
You gotta shake that thing
Shake that thing
Shake that thing
Shake that thing
East west, north south
Let it all hang out
Movin up, movin down
Take that country into town
Shake that thing
If you got it, flaunt it
Make the cowboys want it
You gotta shake that thing
Shake that thing
Shake that thing
Shake that thing
The song "Shake That Thing" by Various Artists sets the scene for a fun night out, starting with a description of a woman who is dressed to impress, wearing a low cut tank top, blue jeans, and skin-tight clothing. As she enters the dance hall, boys take notice and begin to show interest. The lyrics describe a night of drinking and flirting with the bartender, while the bands play and the singer dances to their favorite songs.
As the night progresses, the party moves outside, with people dancing on a flatbed truck and getting wild. The lyrics encourage people to let loose and "shake that thing," flaunting what they've got to make the cowboys want it. The song ends with the refrain of "Shake that thing" repeated over and over, encouraging people to keep dancing and enjoying themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Finally, Friday night
After a long week of work, it's finally time to have some fun on a Friday night
Got to get, feeling right
Need to have a few drinks to let loose and feel good
Low cut, tank top
Wearing a revealing top that shows off some skin
Blue jeans, skin tight
Wearing tight-fitting blue jeans that accentuate the curves
9 o'clock, dance hall
Going to a dance hall at 9 pm to dance the night away
Walkin in, struttin tall
Walking into the dance hall confidently, with a swagger
Lookin so good
Feeling attractive and confident
Boys scratchin on the 8 ball
Guys at the pool table are checking out the girls that just walked in
Belly up to the bar
Going to the bar for drinks
Cuervo, PBR
Ordering shots of tequila and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer
Flirtin with the bartender
Flirting with the bartender to get free drinks or extra attention
Hey baby, no charge
Trying to charm the bartender into giving free drinks or charging less
Bands playin, my song
The band is playing your favorite song and you're excited to dance to it
Gotta get my grove on
Dancing to the music and having a good time
Ride sally, ride sally
Encouraging someone named Sally to dance and have a good time
Ride it all night long
Dancing all night long and having a good time
If you got it, flaunt it
If you have something to show off, don't be afraid to flaunt it
Make the cowboys want it
Attracting the attention of guys at the dance hall
You gotta shake that thing,
You need to dance and move your body
Closing time, 2 o'clock
The dance hall is about to close at 2 am
Party in the parkin lot
After the dance hall closes, everyone gathers in the parking lot to continue partying
Dancin on a flat bed
Dancing on the back of a truck or flatbed in the parking lot
Everybody's getting hot
People are getting excited and energetic
Swinging on some wild cat
Dancing with a girl who is exciting and wild
Bumpin old-school rap
Listening and dancing to old-school rap music
Give that girl a brass pole
Giving a girl a metal pole to dance with
Where'd she learn to do that
Wondering where the girl learned to perform pole dancing moves
East west, north south
Dancing in all directions, showing off your moves
Let it all hang out
Letting go and being free to dance and enjoy the moment
Movin up, movin down
Dancing with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, moving your body up and down
Take that country into town
Showing off your country roots and dancing style in the city
Shake that thing
Keep on dancing and moving to the music
Contributed by Kennedy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.