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.
The Night Before Christmas
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into darkness, sadness, desperate madness, creation so torn
We were so lost on earth, no peace, no worth, no way to escape
In fear, no faith, no hope no grace, and no light,
But that was the night before Christmas
Warm hay, cold sweat, a mother, not yet.
Praying godspeed the dawn
She looks to her man, holding her hand.
And the shepherds, wise men come to find them, and bow to a king.
One star above shining on love, so bright it lit up the night before Christmas.
And the world didn't know, mercy meek and so mild.
And the world didn't know that truth was as pure as a child.
The night before Christmas.
The night before Christmas.
And the world didn't know, redemption was sweet and so strong.
And the world didn't know salvation was writing a song.
The night before Christmas. Empty manger, perfect stranger about to be born.
The lyrics of "The Night Before Christmas" by Various Artists describe the scene of Jesus' birth in a manger in Bethlehem. The first lines of the song refer to the emptiness of the manger, which soon is about to hold the "perfect stranger" that is about to be born. The following lines depict the despair and darkness that covered the earth before the arrival of Jesus. The writers use terms like "sadness," "desperate madness" and "creation so torn" to emphasize the hopelessness that humanity was experiencing.
As the song progresses, it shifts from expressing the turmoil that existed prior to Jesus' birth, to highlight the joy that the birth of Jesus brings. The lines "One star above shining on love, so bright it lit up the night before Christmas" illustrate the arrival of hope and redemption through Christ. The lyrics also describe the unexpected visitors, the shepherds and wise men, who come to honor the new king. The song concludes with a message of hope and redemption, suggesting that Christ's birth signaled the birth of "mercy," "truth," and "salvation."
Overall, "The Night Before Christmas" is a lyrical and emotional depiction of the scene in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. It expresses the despair and darkness that existed before the coming of Christ and the hope, joy, and redemption that accompanied his arrival.
Line by Line Meaning
Empty manger, perfect stranger about to be born
A newborn is about to be born into a world full of chaos and despair, symbolized by an empty manger and the stranger that is this new arrival.
Into darkness, sadness, desperate madness, creation so torn
The world is consumed by darkness, sorrow, and madness, and the arrival of the newborn is the only hope for healing and creating something new and beautiful out of the brokenness.
We were so lost on earth, no peace, no worth, no way to escape
Humans were lost and without hope in a world that offered no peace or sense of self-worth. There seemed to be no way out of the darkness that enveloped them.
In fear, no faith, no hope no grace, and no light,
They lived in constant fear, without any faith or hope, and felt no sense of grace or light in their lives.
But that was the night before Christmas
However, on the night before Christmas, everything changed as a new hope was born into the world.
Warm hay, cold sweat, a mother, not yet.
The mother of the newborn is in labor and giving birth in a humble setting, surrounded by warm hay and experiencing cold sweat as she awaits the arrival of her child.
Praying godspeed the dawn
She prays for a safe and quick delivery of her child before the dawn breaks and the world awakens.
She looks to her man, holding her hand.
She seeks comfort in the presence of her partner, who is by her side, holding her hand through this difficult and transformative experience.
They wonder how long.
They feel the urgency and anticipation of the birth and are uncertain how long it will take to bring this new life into the world.
And the shepherds, wise men come to find them, and bow to a king.
In the midst of the birth, shepherds and wise men come to pay their respects to the newborn, recognizing him as a king and a symbol of hope.
One star above shining on love, so bright it lit up the night before Christmas.
A shining star above illuminates the scene, representing the love and hope that has come into the world with the birth of this child.
And the world didn't know, mercy meek and so mild.
The world was unaware of the capacity for mercy and compassion that this newborn possessed, despite his humbleness and meekness.
And the world didn't know that truth was as pure as a child.
The world was also unaware of the truth and wisdom this child would possess, which would be as pure and unadulterated as his innocence and youth.
The night before Christmas.
All of these events occurred on the night before Christmas, when the world was forever changed by the arrival of this new hope and promise of redemption.
And the world didn't know, redemption was sweet and so strong.
The world was unaware that redemption would come through this child, and it would be a powerful and life-changing force.
And the world didn't know salvation was writing a song.
The world was also unaware that salvation would be brought about through the music and poetry of this child's teachings and message.
The night before Christmas.
All of these revolutionary events occurred on the night before Christmas, forever altering the course of human history and providing a sense of hope and salvation to the world.
Writer(s): Jimmy Buffett, Michael Edward Utley
Contributed by Jeremiah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.