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.
Shame
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood, then our youth
Out of some sentimental gain I wanted you to feel my pain, but it came back return to sender
I read your mind and tried to call, my tears could fill the Albert Hall, is this the sound of sweet surrender?
What a shame we never listened
I told you through the television
And all that went away was the price we paid
Oh what a shame.
So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus
And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us
I wrote a letter in my mind, but the words were so unkind, about a man I can't remember
I don't recall the reasons why, I must have meant them at the time, is this the sound of sweet surrender?
What a shame we never listened
I told you through the television
And all that went away was the price we paid
People spend a lifetime this way
And that's how they stay
Oh what a shame.
Words come easy, when they're true
Words come easy, when they're true
So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus
And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us
Now we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood then our youth.
What a shame we never listened
I told you through the television
And all that went away was the price we paid
People spend a lifetime this way
And that's how they stay
People spend a lifetime this way
Oh what a shame
ohhohh what a shame
Such a shame, what a shame
The song "Shame" by Various Artists explores three different versions of a story – the singer's, the listener's, and the truth. The singer reflects on their past and the painful memories they share with the listener. They describe trying to convey their pain to the listener but feeling like it was returned to them. The lyrics "I read your mind and tried to call, my tears could fill the Albert Hall, is this the sound of sweet surrender?" suggest a feeling of defeat and sadness at not being understood.
As the song progresses, the singer discusses their attempts to push blame onto others, including the person they are speaking to. They even visualize writing a hurtful letter about someone they can't even remember. The repetition of the phrase "what a shame" emphasizes their regret at not being able to communicate effectively. In the end, the singer accepts that their history and upbringing may have contributed to their inability to connect with the listener.
Overall, the song highlights the importance of listening to one another, communicating effectively, and taking responsibility for our own actions and emotions. It's a reminder that misunderstandings and miscommunications can lead to regret and pain, and that true connection and understanding require active effort and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's three versions of this story mine, yours and then the truth
There are three sides to every story - my side, your side, and the truth
And we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood, then our youth
We can attribute this situation to factors such as chance, our childhood, and our youth
Out of some sentimental gain I wanted you to feel my pain, but it came back return to sender
I desired you to empathize with my feelings, but the effort proved to be futile and went back to me
I read your mind and tried to call, my tears could fill the Albert Hall, is this the sound of sweet surrender?
I tried to reach out to you through telepathy, but it's to no avail, and now I am left in a state of defeat and hopelessness
What a shame we never listened
It's truly regrettable that we did not heed each other's words
I told you through the television
I tried to communicate my message through the media
And all that went away was the price we paid
We ended up paying the cost of losing each other
People spend a lifetime this way
Many individuals live their entire lives in this same way
Oh what a shame.
What a pity or unfortunate situation
So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus
In reaction to the situation, I started to blame and betray others
And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us
I made a mockery of you by publicly humiliating you with a giant poster on a store
I wrote a letter in my mind, but the words were so unkind, about a man I can't remember
I composed a letter in my thoughts, but it was full of harsh and unpleasant words regarding someone whose name I've forgotten
I don't recall the reasons why, I must have meant them at the time, is this the sound of sweet surrender?
I can't recollect the reasons why I did such a thing, but I might have had valid motives at the moment. But now, I feel helpless and defeated
Words come easy, when they're true
It's effortless to speak the truth
And that's how they stay
This is how people remain, and this is their way of living
ohhohh what a shame
It's terribly regrettable, such a disappointment!
Such a shame, what a shame
It's so disappointing and heartbreaking, really a pity
Writer(s): Reuben Cross, John H. Fitch Jr
Contributed by Ruby D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.