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.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's overbred and self-assured
I know, I know, a dirty word
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello...
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yay!
I'm worse at what I do best
And for that gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, Whatever; Nevermind
(Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello...)
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yay!
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, Whatever; Nevermind
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello...
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
A denial
The lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana are filled with contradictory themes and emotions that capture the essence of the disillusioned and angst-ridden youth culture of the 90s. The opening line "Load up on guns, bring your friends" is a sarcastic commentary on American gun culture and the glorification of violence. The next line "It's fun to lose and to pretend" conveys a sense of apathy and nihilism popularized by grunge culture. The next line "She's overbred and self-assured, I know, I know, a dirty word" criticizes the social conformity and the lack of individuality in the mainstream culture.
The chorus "Here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious" highlights the feelings of boredom and anxiety among the youth. The lines "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" do not necessarily have a literal meaning but can be interpreted as Kurt Cobain's attempt to critique the arbitrary categories society imposes on individuals. The final lines "Oh well, whatever, nevermind" signify the acceptance of disengagement and resignation.
Overall, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a powerful commentary on the contradictions and hypocrisies of the mainstream culture and the frustration and disillusionment felt by the youth of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Load up on guns, bring your friends
Bring your army of friends, for it's exhilarating to lose and deceive
It's fun to lose and to pretend
There's a pleasure in losing and pretending
She's overbred and self-assured
She's bred to perfection and confident
I know, I know, a dirty word
I'm aware, I'm aware of the obscenity
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Greetings, greetings, greetings, how pathetic?
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
When the lights are low, it's less hazardous
Here we are now, entertain us
Here we are now, please amuse us
I feel stupid and contagious
I'm stupid and infectious
A mulatto An albino A mosquito My libido Yay!
A mixed-race person, An individual with white skin and hair, A small blood-sucking insect, My sexual desire Hooray!
I'm worse at what I do best And for that gift, I feel blessed
I'm terrible at what I do best, and I find it a blessing
Our little group has always been And always will until the end
Our tiny group has been and will be until the conclusion
And I forget just why I taste Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
And I can't remember why it tastes good, oh wait, I think it makes me happy
I found it hard, it's hard to find Oh well, Whatever; Nevermind
I had a tough time; oh well, whatever; it doesn't matter
Writer(s): KRIST ANTHONY NOVOSELIC, DAVID GROHL, KURT D COBAIN
Contributed by Bentley F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jhonnycagexrage7458
I wish Kurt would see this
@a-nolelamor1029
Jhonny Cage X Rage this is a huge honour to Nirvana and their fans..the legend will never die..
@OtoMagaldadze
Le'me guess... He wouldn't give a fuck! Just a type of person.
@jhonnycagexrage7458
Oto Magaldadze
Ok :C
@billybutcher9838
Jhonny Cage X Rage he would be disappointed
@lilyanabernstein9339
Jhonny Cage X Rage true 😥
@MrTeeks2011
They didn’t just play this. They felt it. They lived it. The rock song that defined a generation.
@bboy2738
And still is
@vitorfernandes1904
Ok chimp
@GenesisSaturna
THE WAY EVERYONE'S JUMPING AROUND AND VISIBLY HAVING THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES MAKES ME SO HAPPY