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.
Square One
Various Artists Lyrics
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Had to fight some higher ground
Had some feel to deal around
You can't say what you don't know
Hit around and work no more
Last time though I hit my tracks
So why I could not get back
Can't sell your soul for peace of mind
Square one, my slate is clear
Rest your head and meet my dear
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It took a long time to get back here
Try so hard to stand along
Struggle to see pass my nose
Always had more dogs and bones
I could never wear those clothes
It's a dark victory
You won and you're so lost
Told her you were satisfied
But you never came across
Square one, my slate is clear
Rest your head and meet my dear
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It took a long time to get back here
In "Square One" by Tom Petty, the lyrics convey a sense of struggle and resilience in the face of adversity. The opening lines suggest that the singer had to fight their way up from a difficult situation, encountering obstacles and emotions along the way. They emphasize the importance of experience and not being able to judge or speak about things one does not truly know.
The chorus, "Square one, my slate is clear, rest your head and meet my dear," reflects a sense of starting anew and finding solace in the present moment. The line "It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears, it took a long time to get back here" suggests that the journey to this point has been arduous and filled with challenges. Despite this, the singer has persevered and returned to a place of clarity and peace.
The verses touch on themes of personal growth and the struggle to find one's authentic self. The lines "Try so hard to stand along, struggle to see pass my nose" depict a sense of self-reliance and the difficulty of gaining a broader perspective. The mention of "dogs and bones" symbolizes distractions and material possessions that the singer has resisted, opting for a truer expression of themselves. The reference to a "dark victory" implies that while the singer may have achieved some form of success, they still feel lost and unfulfilled.
Line by Line Meaning
Had to fight some higher ground
I had to exert effort to overcome difficult challenges
Had some feel to deal around
I had various emotions to deal with
You can't say what you don't know
You can't speak about things you have no knowledge of
Hit around and work no more
I reached a point where I couldn't continue trying anymore
Last time though I hit my tracks
The previous time, I was derailed from my path
So why I could not get back
Thus, I struggled to return to where I was
Yeah my way was hard to find
Finding my way was a challenging task
Can't sell your soul for peace of mind
You can't compromise your integrity for inner peace
Square one, my slate is clear
Starting anew, my past mistakes no longer burden me
Rest your head and meet my dear
Find solace and comfort in my presence
It took a world of trouble, it took a world of tears
It required numerous hardships and countless tears
It took a long time to get back here
It took a significant amount of time to return to this point
Try so hard to stand along
I put great effort into standing on my own
Struggle to see pass my nose
I had difficulty seeing beyond my immediate surroundings
Always had more dogs and bones
I always had more responsibilities and tasks to handle
I could never wear those clothes
I could never fit into those particular expectations or roles
It's a dark victory
Though I succeeded, it came at a heavy cost
You won and you're so lost
You may have achieved victory, but you're still confused and directionless
Told her you were satisfied
I claimed to be content in her presence
But you never came across
However, you never truly understood or believed me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN THEODORE TYLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind