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 Ocean
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes closed, your nose breathing in the salty air
There was nothing you could do to make me love you anymore
You said, "What I despair in you
I don't feel like I'm going anywhere with you
I might as well fling myself into your ocean
At least then I'll would be with you!"
And the ocean howled
And the ocean roared
And the ocean howled
So you jumped down from the cliff you climbed to
Into paradise that lay below you
I could only stare
And let my tears fall into the ocean
And the ocean roared
And the ocean howled
And the ocean roared
And the ocean howled
And the ocean roared
And the ocean howled
And the ocean roared
And the ocean howled
"The Ocean" by Various Artists is a poignant song about a love that is ending in a tragic way. The song starts with the singer watching their partner throwing their hands in the air, saying a prayer as they inhale the salty air. The singer expresses their feelings of helplessness, saying that there is nothing they could do to make their partner love them anymore. The partner goes on to confess that they don't feel like they are going anywhere with the singer and that they might as well "fling" themselves into the ocean so they can be with them. The ocean represents the vast unknown and a metaphorical escape from their problems.
The second half of the song takes a darker turn as the partner actually jumps off a cliff in what can be interpreted as a suicide. The singer watches and can only cry as they see their partner falling. The ocean roars and howls, representing the violent emotions that come with such a sudden loss. The song ends with the ocean continuing to roar and howl, a constant reminder of the tragedy that occurred.
Overall, the song's powerful lyrics and emotional melody make it a moving and heartbreaking tribute to a love that couldn't survive. It touches on themes of helplessness, despair, and loss, and the ocean serves as a powerful symbol of the unknown and the destructive power of emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you throw your hands in the air and say a prayer
I witnessed you lifting your hands up high and offering a prayer
Your eyes closed, your nose breathing in the salty air
You closed your eyes while inhaling the salty scent of the shore
There was nothing you could do to make me love you anymore
There was no effort that could make me love you like before
You said, "What I despair in you
You admitted, "What I find hopeless in being with you
I don't feel like I'm going anywhere with you
I feel like we are not progressing together
I might as well fling myself into your ocean
I might as well throw myself into the ocean, that's yours
At least then I'll would be with you!"
Because at least then I'll be close to you!
And the ocean roared
The ocean let out a thunderous roar
And the ocean howled
The ocean emitted a loud, mournful sound
So you jumped down from the cliff you climbed to
You took the plunge off the cliff that you scaled earlier
Into paradise that lay below you
And landed into what was beneath, a paradise-like world
I could only stare
All I could do was look, unable to react
And let my tears fall into the ocean
And allowed my tears to drop into the deep sea
Writer(s): SAMUEL BINGHAM ENDICOTT
Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.