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 PrΓΆfrock, 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.
Tea for Two
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tea For The Tillerman
Tea For The Tillerman
Bring tea for the tillerman,
Steak for the sun,
Wine for the woman
who made the rain come
Seagulls sing your hearts away,
the children play,
Oh lord how they play and play,
For that happy day
for that happy day
The song "Tea For The Tillerman" is a beautiful and whimsical tune by Cat Stevens. The lyrics are an imaginative call to bring refreshments to an imaginary character, the tillerman. The song opens with the singer asking for tea for the tillerman, steak for the sun, and wine for the woman who made the rain come. These images paint a picture of a mystical and pastoral world where anything is possible. The seagulls sing as the sinners sin, but the children play and play, waiting for that happy day. The lyrics suggest that joy and happiness can be found in simple pleasures and that we should not take life too seriously.
The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways. Some people see the tillerman as a symbol of the hardworking people who toil away in obscurity to bring us the things we need. The tea, steak, and wine represent the rewards that we receive for our hard work. The rain is a symbol of the hardships we face in life, but it is also a reminder that these hardships can bring blessings. The seagulls represent the carefree spirit of youth, and the children playing symbolize the pure joy and innocence that can still be found in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Bring tea for the tillerman,
Please bring tea for the laborer who tills the land
Steak for the sun,
A meal fit for the sun, which represents the provider or provider of warmth
Wine for the woman who made the rain come
Give wine to the woman who brought the rain, which symbolizes fertility and life
Seagulls sing your hearts away,
Let the seagulls sing their hearts out
'cause while sinners sin the children play,
Because while sinners break the rules, children enjoy their innocence
Oh lord how they play and play,
Oh God, how children play and enjoy themselves
For that happy day for that happy day
For that joyous occasion when everyone is happy
Contributed by Blake V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@andrewbarrett1537
Compare Mr. Tatum's brilliant arrangement here with the COMPOSER Vincent Youmans, playing "Tea for Two" as part of his "No, No Nanette" medley (that was the title of the Broadway show in which this, and many other tunes, were introduced in 1924). Mr. Youmans recorded this for the American Piano Co. in about 1924 for their popular "Ampico" brand reproducing pianos.
We hear it played back on an Ampico in good order (not TOP condition, but playing alright with very noticeable dynamics and close to in tune).
The holes at the far left and right edges of the paper / tracker bar activate the Ampico's automatic expression system, making the bass and treble of the piano louder and softer on command as programmed by the arrangers of the master roll in the factory (which in turn was based closely upon what Mr. Youmans himself played on their recording piano).
I cannot get over how gorgeous and years-ahead-of-their-time the chord voicings are in this 1924 roll... but then again, all the 'hippest' popular, salon, jazz etc pianists of the day were starting to go to these more forward-looking chords and start using them in more advanced ways (i. e. 'catching up' to where classical music had already gone with Brahms, Franck, Faure, Delius etc. etc. although of course his usage is generally much simpler than many of these composers).
Vincent Youmans was supposed to be an 'ear playing' pianist who, at least originally, could only play in one key, Gb major, and not read or write music. If this is true, by the time he made this roll he was certainly able to modulate and play in other keys, and his command of harmony is remarkable for an 'ear player'. I'm not discounting this story, as the 1910s/20s were littered with remarkable 'ear players' who managed to successfully hold down a career in popular music despite not being able to read (although, a great many of them DID eventually learn to read music, by necessity if for no other reason). I liken this to the many great rock guitarists of their day, who could not (or cannot) read or write music, but have an uncanny musical ear and grasp of harmony and musical aesthetics. If he still couldn't read by the time he made this roll (of his own compositions), that is a major accomplishment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUR4mmBbBuQ
@douwemusic
Art Tatum improvised this while blind and Shostakovich apparently orchestrated the tune in 30 minutes as part of a bet. Those two deserve all the tea
@markhughes7927
Douwe Ziel
Yes! They had it together!
@sneddypie
of course shostakovich did that
@ujjwalmishra8962
Art and Shostakovich met ?
@erwinschrodinger2546
Save some of the tea for the composer of the composer of the music, Vincent Youmans. Also, I love the the lyrics, by Irving Caesar. If these two had not composed it for the musical No, No, Nanette! it would not have been available to improvise around or orchestrate on.
@erwinschrodinger2546
Save some of the tea for the composer of the composer of the music, Vincent Youmans. Also, I love the the lyrics, by Irving Caesar. If these two had not composed it for the musical No, No, Nanette! it would not have been available to improvise around or orchestrate on.
@northernbohemianrealist1412
Art Tatum: The best two pianists to ever walk the earth.
@hezekiahdaggett2179
Northern Bohemian Realist lol
@sneddypie
best jazz pianist to ever to ever live, i agree
@mmoedge3465
@The Classical Nerd of Classical What about Bill Evans?