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.
Spellbound
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comes a beckoning voice
It sends you spinning
You have no choice...
You hear laughter
Cracking through the walls
It sends you spinning
You have no choice...
Of a rag doll dance
We are entranced
Spellbound
And don't forget
When your elders forget
To say their prayers
Take them by the legs
And throw them down the stairs
When you think
Your toys have gone berserk
An' it's an illusion
You cannot shirk
You hear laughter
Cracking through the walls
It sends you spinning
You have no choice
Following the footsteps
Of a rag doll dance
We are entranced
Spellbound
These lyrics are from the song "Spellbound" by Various Artists. The song starts off by describing a voice that comes from the cradle bars that sends the listener spinning and without choice. The voice is followed by laughter that cracks through walls and continues the spinning. The lyrics then talk about following footsteps of a rag doll dance and being entranced, or spellbound. The song then takes a darker turn with lyrics about throwing elders down the stairs when they forget to say their prayers and not being able to shirk an illusion. The song ends with a repetition of the previous verses about being spellbound by the rag doll dance.
The lyrics of "Spellbound" describe an experience of being entranced or spellbound by something that has control over the listener. The opening lines suggest a possible paranormal or supernatural occurrence with the voice coming from the cradle bars and the spinning feeling. The lyrics then switch to a more ominous tone with a reference to violence towards elders and being unable to escape an illusion. The rag doll dance throughout the song may be interpreted as a metaphor for something that controls or manipulates the listener, leaving them spellbound and without choice.
Line by Line Meaning
From the cradle bars
The voice of temptation starts at a very young age.
Comes a beckoning voice
The voice lures you into the unknown.
It sends you spinning
The experience is disorienting, overwhelming.
You have no choice...
You are powerless to resist the pull of the unknown.
You hear laughter
The voice of temptation laughs at your confusion.
Cracking through the walls
Breaking down your mental barriers.
Following the footsteps
Imitating what others have done before you.
Of a rag doll dance
A meaningless, chaotic dance; aimless movement.
We are entranced
Unable to break free from the spell of temptation.
Spellbound
Trapped in a mystical state we cannot control.
And don't forget
A warning about the dangers of forgetting important knowledge.
When your elders forget
When those who came before you neglect their duty to teach you.
To say their prayers
Forgetting to pay homage to a higher power.
Take them by the legs
Disempowering the elders.
And throw them down the stairs
Emphasizing the severity of negligence in education.
When you think
At times when you believe.
Your toys have gone berserk
Referring to a general loss of control.
An' it's an illusion
The confusion you feel is not real.
You cannot shirk
You can't avoid the consequences of your choices.
Writer(s): Paul Hewson, Marc Hunter
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.