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.
Shoot Your Shot
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sell me some excuse
to help me understand the things you do
'cause the way you treat your lovers
well I just can't relate
well where'd you learn to shoot your gun so straight?
oh baby won't you cry?
oh baby won't you cry?
show me there's a hurt behind your eyes
once you had a reason
and once you had a place
you had it all and laid it all to waste
and I know you hate to need us
but why'd you need to hate?
and where'd you learn to shoot without restraint?
oh baby won't you cry?
you cut yourself so let me see you bleed
oh baby won't you cry?
cry for all the things you'll never be
don't you see your father?
don't you feel the love?
don't you see your brother?
don't you feel the love?
well could you be a mother
could you ever find the love?
that you would not place yourself above
oh baby won't you cry?
show me there are some tears behind your eyes
oh baby won't you cry?
why'd you have to kill to feel alive?
why'd you have to kill to feel alive?
why'd you have to kill to feel alive?
These lyrics are a plea for understanding and empathy from the perspective of someone who is on the receiving end of mistreatment from their lover. The singer is asking for their lover to provide a justification for their hurtful behavior, and wonders why they seem to be so skilled at causing pain. They are seeking some sort of explanation or validation for their own suffering, and asking their partner to show vulnerability in the form of tears or admitting to their own hurt. The repetition of the line "where'd you learn to shoot your gun so straight?" emphasizes the violence and accuracy of the lover's actions, and emphasizes the singer's confusion and desire to understand the root of the problem.
The second verse delves deeper into the reasons behind the lover's actions, suggesting that they may have had a privileged or successful past that they have since squandered. The line "I know you hate to need us, but why'd you need to hate?" suggests that the lover may feel a sense of shame or discomfort with needing emotional support or validation from their partner. The chorus repeats, asking the lover to cry and be honest about their feelings and pain. The bridge shifts the focus to the lover's family and their inability to connect with them or access love and support in that realm. The final lines repeat the question of why the lover had to cause harm to feel alive.
Overall, these lyrics offer a complex exploration of the dynamics of a troubled relationship, and a call for empathy and understanding, even in the face of hurtful actions.
Line by Line Meaning
spin me some sad story
Tell me a tale that is imbued with sorrow and anguish
sell me some excuse
Provide me with a justification or explanation for your actions that can excuse them somehow
to help me understand the things you do
If I have even a modicum of comprehension for your choices I may be able to soothe my confusion
'cause the way you treat your lovers
Your behavior towards your past romantic partners
well I just can't relate
I cannot understand it or empathize with it
well where'd you learn to shoot your gun so straight?
How did you become so adept at targeting potential emotional victims?
oh baby won't you cry?
Can you please display an exhibition of sadness?
show me there are some tears behind your eyes
Demonstrate to me that you are emotionally invested and not simply motioning through the actions of the heart
once you had a reason
At one point you had a purpose or rational explanation for your life
and once you had a place
There was a time where you felt complete and mentally stable within your existence
you had it all and laid it all to waste
You owned or accomplished everything and ended up squandering it
and I know you hate to need us
You resent the idea of being reliant upon others
but why'd you need to hate?
Why do you have this vehement loathing?
and where'd you learn to shoot without restraint?
What place or person taught you to unleash boundless negativity?
you cut yourself so let me see you bleed
You inflicted pain upon yourself therefore allow me to witness the damage dealt upon you
cry for all the things you'll never be
Weep for the aspirations and dreams that will forever remain unattainable
don't you see your father?
Do you not perceive your paternal figure?
don't you feel the love?
Do you not acknowledge the affection present in your environment?
don't you see your brother?
Is your sibling not visible to you?
could you ever find the love?
Is it possible for you to locate and cherish adoration?
that you would not place yourself above
Without elevating your own self-importance above all else
why'd you have to kill to feel alive?
Why was it necessary to commit destruction to perceive vitality?
why'd you have to kill to feel alive?
Why must there be violence and mayhem to experience a sense of living?
why'd you have to kill to feel alive?
What caused the necessity to slaughter for a feeling of existence?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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