Warning! Deleting this artist may remove other artists and scrobbles from y… Read Full Bio ↴Warning! Deleting this artist may remove other artists and scrobbles from your library - please handle this with caution! Note: You can view albums tagged as 'Various Artists' in your library here.

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.

Theme From The Sundowners
Various Artists Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Banjo, banjo
Doesn't play it for fun
He's just hiding his gun

Banjo, banjo
His chaps made of leather
Even in hot weather

Banjo (He's comin', gunnin' for ya)
Banjo (He's comin', strummin' for ya)
You can try to talk
But he don't give a pluck

Banjo (He's comin', gunnin' for ya)
Banjo (He's comin', strummin' for ya)

He's strumming for you
He's coming for you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Theme from S'Express" by Various Artists are quite straightforward and paint a picture of a cowboy. The opening line, "Banjo, banjo / Doesn't play it for fun / He's just hiding his gun," reveals that this cowboy is not just a musician but also a skilled shooter. The reference to the banjo being used to hide the gun adds an element of surprise and danger to the cowboy's character. Additionally, the use of the word "just" implies that the cowboy doesn't necessarily enjoy playing the banjo but instead uses it for a purpose.

The following lines, "His chaps made of leather / Even in hot weather," suggest that this cowboy is tough and able to endure difficult circumstances. The phrase "hot weather" implies that the cowboy lives in a hot, dry climate and likely spends most of his days outdoors. The use of chaps, which are heavy, protective leather coverings for the legs, further emphasizes his toughness.

The repeated lines "He's comin', gunnin' for ya / He's comin', strummin' for ya" suggest that the cowboy is on a mission and there's no stopping him. The line "You can try to talk / But he don't give a pluck" implies that the cowboy is determined and focused on his goal and doesn't take kindly to being talked out of it.

Overall, "Theme from S'Express" presents a vivid picture of a cowboy who is tough, skilled, and dangerous.

Line by Line Meaning

Banjo, banjo
Introducing the theme of a banjo-playing character

Doesn't play it for fun
The character isn't playing the banjo for entertainment

He's just hiding his gun
The character is concealing a weapon while playing the banjo

His chaps made of leather
The character is wearing leather chaps

Even in hot weather
The character wears the chaps regardless of the temperature

Banjo (He's comin', gunnin' for ya)
Repeating the introduction, now implying the character is gunning for someone

Banjo (He's comin', strummin' for ya)
Repeating the introduction, now implying the character is playing the banjo as he approaches

You can try to talk
The listener may attempt to reason with the character

But he don't give a pluck
The character is indifferent to any attempt at negotiation

Banjo (He's comin', gunnin' for ya)
Repeating the introduction, now emphasizing the character's violent intent